The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-06-26
Birmingham Gets Every Cent
Possible for POstOtfiCc
UNDERWOOD FOUGHT HARD
Compromise Was Mace BY AIabamian
on S25O,OOO for Postofflce Site But
This Was Afterwards Cut
Down In Committee
by wArTERsoN sTEALEY

Washington, June 25.-tSpecial. 1.-The
public buildings bill, providing for build
ing postoffice buildings and the purchase
of sites for postoffice buildings has
passed both houses of Congress and has
been signed by the President and has now
become a law. This bill is an authoriza-
ton by law of tho amounts carried in the
bill for the building of the postoffices and
the purchase of sites, but the bill does
not carry an appropriation. The appro-
priation for the amount to be expended
must be made on the sundry civil bill
coming from the general appropriations
committee. AS the sundry bill for this
session had passed both houses of Con-
gress before the public buildings bill be-
came a law, the appropriations e. .ne
items contained In this bill wer1 not car
ried on the sundry civil bill this session,
and therefore no direct appropriation will
be rnare until the short session of Con-
gress, when the amounts authorized In the
public buildings bill will be appropriated
for as a matter of course.
The actual purchase of the site for the
new public building In Birmingham will
be delayed until the sundry civil bill be-
comes law at the next session of Con-
gress or course, the same delay will
occur in reference to all sites and public
buildings that were provided for by this
session of Congress. Mr.. Underwood used
every endeavor to secure an appropria
ton for 100000, but the committee on
public buildings and grounds finally cut
the appropriation to s25o,00o, which
amount Mr.. Underwood expected to Sc
cure. but after agreeing to the items of
the BILL before 1t was printed the commit
tee authorized Mr.. Bartholdt, the chair
man of the committee, to again revise the
items in the bill before introducing 1t.
In this revision he cut the amount au-
thcrizsd for number OF items. including
that for Birmingham. which was reduced
to s2ao0oo- There WIS no chance for an
Amendment to be offered on the floor of
the House changing the amount, as the
bill was passed under suspension Of the
rules, which motion does not allow
amendments, and the friends of the Bir-
mingham site were compelled to take the
amount named In the bill by Mr.. Bar
tholdt, the chairman of the committee.
Mr. Underwood inquired of Afr Bart
holdt the reasons for his reducing the
amount of the appropriation for the Bir-
mngham site, and this morning he re-
ceived a letter from Mr.. Bartholdt CIV
ing his explanation in reference to the
matter. The letter reads as follows
Committee on Public Buildings and
Grounds, House OF Representatives,
Washington. June 20, 1910.
"Hon. Oscar w. Underwood, House of
Representatives. Washington:
Dear Mr.. Underwood-In answer to
your inquiry as to why the authorize
ton for Birmingham was reduced from
s250,000 to 100000 at the last minute,
have no hesitancy in stating that had
information from reliable source to the
effect that desirable site for a federal
building in the neighborhood of the new
terminal station land that Is where the
new building should be located) could be
secured for $4,000 AS soon as / received
this Information I took the precaution to
advise you of this proposition, and, in
Justice to yourself, 1 will state that you
insisted on the authorization OF the full
$250,0O0 Under the circumstances I was
constrained to strike a compromise and
reduce the item to 100000 I do not ex-
actly remember whether at that time the
full committee had already passed upon
the bill. but as the committee had given
me authority to make reductions and
other changes in the bill. such as any in
formation coming to me would warrant.
was of course, within my rights in
making the reduction.
you are entitled to all possible credit
at the hands of your constituents for
your zeal and diligence in securing this
authorization at all at this time. namely,
at time when only the most urgent
demand upon the committee could be con-
sidered
Trusting that this Is satisfactory, am
very truly yours
: ORCHARD BARTHOLDT.
Chairman"
Mr.. Underwood leaves tomorrow for
French Lick, Ind, when. after a stay Of
10 days, he goes to Birmingham.