Evening star., 1909-02-15
ATTACKS NAVY BILL
La Toilette ReneWs Warfare
in the Senate.
HELPED BY DEMOCRATS
Consideration Delayed by Senators
Asking Questions.
OBJECTION TO PER DIEM PAY

Mr.. La Toilette lost no time today in
beginning to put his questions to Mr..
Hale, chairman of the naval committee,
i'm regard to the new provisions which
the naval appropriation bill carries at
this session. This is part of Mr.. La
Follette's plan to make himself and the
other insurgent republicans felt in the
consideration of important legislation
pending before Congress.
The naval bill was taken up shortly be-
fore o'clock. The reading had not pro-
gressed farther than page q, when, on ac-
count of Mr. La FOllettes tactics, Snae
was struck and consideration of the re.
mainder of the bill postponed for over an
hour.
Object to Lump Sum.
A provision in the bill. inserted thi.
year by the House. allows the Secretary
of the Navy to employ for work in the
navy yards clerks, craftsmen, etc. on the
per diem roll from a lump sum instead
of annually. 1t was this to which Mr.
La Toilette took exception on the ground
that it was not the policy of Congress
usually to give the heads of the depart.
| ments lump sums with which to carry or
their work.
| Mr. Hale explained that in ,nis
instance the Secretary of the Navy
would be empowered to employ men
only when he needed them, and in tha!
way save money for the government.
| Senator'S Tillman, Newlands, Bacon
and Rayner also manifested keen
| interest in this provision. and helped
Mr. La Toilette prolong the discussion n
Mr. Hale finally agreed to an amend
ment which would accept civil service
F., employees in the various navy yards
! The discussion provoked Mr.. Hale lc
deliver little lecture upon the subjec,
of the increasing appropriations.
Cut or More Taxes.
We have got either to cut down the
appropriations BILL said he, or take
on more taxes. That is coming for Ger.
tain in the near future, but it does not
seem to be near in the minds of sena
| tors
Mr. Tillman suggested that perhaps
Mr.. Hale was speaking for the republican:
only. The chairman of the naval com
mittee, smiling. declared that ne had talk
ed upon this subject with senators on both
sides of the question and was referring
to all in the chamber. In answer to a
question by Mr.. Bacon. Mr.. Hale said
that last year the appropriations for the
military branch of the government had
amounted TO 20 per cent of the total ap-
preparation by Congress, and that the pro-
portion this year would pc even greater
Emboldened by La Toilette.
Great activity is perceptibie among the
insurgents in The Senate--the group OF
new and younger senator's who are
| threatening TO make play in the direc
tion of enforcing greater recognition or
| the important committees of the Senate
They are much emboldened by the oper
| outbreak of Senator La Toilette last
week when he caused the Senate to gasI
| by daring to hold up" Senator Hale ir
| the progress of an appropriation bill.
Thus far. however, their revolution ha:
| been confined mainly to threats and NUT
tering in their beards-although this Il
| hardly happy smile. since none Of then
| has much beard to speak of. However
there have been some conferences-timiG
and cautious. to be sure. with many q
| furtive glance over the shoulder lest some
| of the fathers catch them in the act.
The trouble is that most of the pro-
! posed insurgents" hesitate to come Out
| into the open. for sad would be the fate
| of those who made futile revolt agains
| the powers that he. The last state OF
| that man would be worse than the pres
| ent. No such pent-up Utica confines the
/ powers nor controls the fears of Senator