Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-03-09
Congress Declined to Vote
Explorer Medal or Any
thing Else.
ARE OF ONE OPINION
House Committee Knocks the
Court of Commerce from
Taft'S Rail Bill.

washington. MarCn g.-BN a prdCIl-
caliy unanimous vote the subcommit-
tee of the house naval committee to-
day decided against bestowing any re-
ward upon Peary until he had fur
nished further proofs that he had dis
covered the pole.
Fences boundary Lines.
Washington, ID. c., March g. Af-
ter adopting three amendments of
Importance and listening to another
verbal castigation of the forestry
bureau by Senator Hepburn, the sem
ate yesterday passed the agriculture
appropriation bill. AS passed the
bill carries a total appropriation of
3,522,636. an increase of $192. $50
over the amount of the bill as passed
by the house. BY the amendments
adopted. the secretary OF agriculture
is authorized to build fences along
the international boundary lines to
keep out diseased cattle; lump sum
appropriation for any bureau of the
department is prohibited and $10,-
600 is appropriated for the investiga-
ton of the orange grove pest known
as the white fly.
Doesn't Believe IL Discovered.
"I confess that / am exceedingly
skeptical about Peary's ever having
discovered the pole" declared Macon,
a member OF the committee. today,
''and I am going to protest against
any honor being conferred upon him
by congress until he has established
beyond reasonable -doust~-her did dis
cover II, and II must be established In
the open and not in the dark" He did
not propose to confer a high honor
upon anyone in the dark.
Holds speed Too Great.
Macon directed attention to dis
crepancy" in Peary's story. This was
the speed which the explorer declared
he had made from the time Bartlett
left him until he reached the pole.
Peary said four or five days he made
26.4 miles per day. but Macon said
this appeared very singular. in view
OF the fact that the Peary party had
made but 9.06 miles per day up to the
time Bartlett left.
spurt when witnesses Left.
The astonishing part of Peary's
statement" said Macon, 'is the num-
ber of miles he travelled every day af-
ter Bartlett left him and when no
white man was with him as a witness,
his only companions being his negro
valet and four Eskimos. His greatest
marches, singularly, were all north of
the Bartlett camp"
From that time forward going TO
the pole and returning to Cape CO.
lumbia. he claims to have made aver
ages of 26.4 miles per day until he
reached the pole.
Equnled But Twice.
Macon declared Peary's own
statements showed he equaled this
speed but twice during the entire
journey to the pole. The first day
he started from land he made 26
miles and on another day % miles
in Ia hours of forced march, which
Peary has told us was the absolute
limit of -aman endurance"
Other. Made 10 or II Miles.
Macon quoted Lieutenant Shackle-
ton, General Greeley and others TO
show 40 to IL miles a day or
slightly more. perhaps. is considered
the limit of human endurance trav-
cling over polar seas"
Drops Commerce Court.
Washington. March 9.-The inter
state commerce commission was sub
stituted for the proposed court of COM
merce in the proposed administration
railroad by the house committee on
interstate commerce today.
Force Committee 10 Act.
Washington. March 9.-The bill re-
quiring the publication of campaign
contributions which. 1t has been
charged, has beer held In the house
committee on election of president and
vice president will be considered at
a meeting of that committee during
the present week Rucker of Mis-
souri,, ranking democratic member OF
the committee. declared himself forci-
bly, on the alleged holding up of the
bill in committee and said the demo
cratic members had demanded repeat
edly of Chairman Gaines that he call
a meeting of the committee to con-
slider this bill.
No Reward for Penry Now.
Washington, March 9.-Indications
point TO postponement of any con-
gressional action to reward Peary
for his conquest of the north pole un-
til after his proofs shall have been
published. The subcommittee of the
house naval committee, considering