Evening star., 1911-08-10
DEMANDS A REPORT
Senator Cummins Criticises
Monetary Commission.
"BURDEN ON TREASURY"
Also Has Become Place for Men De-
feated at Polls"
SHOULD GIVE AN ACCOUNTING
Iowan Declares That Three and a
Half Years Should Yield
Some Results.
"BURDEN ON TREASURY"
GIVE AN ACCOUNTING

| The national monetary commission, OF
which former Senator Aldrich of Rhode
Island is the chairman. was the target CT
criticism in the Senate this afternoon by
Senator Cummins of Iowa.
| Mr.. Cummins pronounced it "a conven-
| lent place for members of Congress who
have lost favor with their constituents.
and expressed the opinion that the bur
den' of the expenses should not be longer
upon the treasury of the United States.
| He was talking in connection with his
bill requiring the commission TO sub
NIT final report by the first Monday
in next December, and ending its official
life at that time.
"The commi ssion.' he charged, has
become a place for men who have lost
favor with their constituents, and have
been defeated at the polls.
Regulars Fight Hard.
1t was not without a struggle that
the regulars in the Senate allowed Mr.
Cummins to get up his monetary COM
mission bill. Senator Burton refused
unanimous consent. and then demand
ed roll call on Mr.. Cummins' motion
to overthrow the objection and take up
the measure. The roll call had not
progressed far before 1T became evil
dent that the democrats and insurgents
the "unholy alliance" in control of
the tariff situation in the Senate-werc
supporting the motion and that they
would win. and. seeing the opposition
useless. some of the regulars near the
end of the roll call got under cover
by voting to take up the bill. Senator
Bailey. democrat. who is member of
the commission. was the sole democrat
to vote against the consideration of
the bill. The vote on the motion was
Al to II.
Senator Cummins based his criticisms
of the commission on its expenditures
and the delay in making a report.
Time and Money Spent.
Three years and two or three months
have elapsed since the commission began
said. Congress has done nothing and
will do nothing until there is a report
Members of the commission have trav-
eled all over the United States and some
all over Europe. / do not intend to crit
icise its methods. But in the time since
it was organized the commission has
spent something like $4,000. And still
there is no evidence the Congress is to re-
ceive benefit of it's expenditures.
THE commission has collected many
monographs = all of them interesting,
some of them curious. But not a 1.-THE
of them will be read and not tithe of
them are necessary to solve the problem "
The ''extravagance manifest in the re-
port OF the commissions expenditures
Senator Cummins criticised abundantly.
He mentioned, particularly, the payment
of money to men already drawing salary
from Uncle Sam.
About $4,000 he said, has been expended
for the collection of library of books;
and for librarian to care for the books
the commission has paid $4.2i3S4. Some
of the employees of the commission, he
said. have also been drawing salaries for
holding other positions under the govern
ment.
The travelling expenses of the COM
mission Senator Cummins made the tar
get for further criticisms. The total
expense for that purpose. he said. was
S3o.412. At SO day, he said. this
would keep one man travelling for six
teen years or keep ten men travelling
for one and three-fifths years.
Thinks a Report About Due.
Il do not assert that one cent of this
has not been incurred" he said, "but /
think that after three years and half
the commission. appointed to meet an
emergency, ought to make a report and
relieve the Treasury of these tremen-
dous burdens.
Many of the members of the commits
sion. Senator Cummins went on to say,
are not devoting all their energies to
the work.
''It is well known to be convenient
place for those who have lost the favor
Of their constituents in political AFFAIRS"
he commented.
renee in Mr.. Cummins' wish to have an
early report from the commission. He
suggested several probiems-such as the
government guarantee of bank deposits
that the commission should report OH and
early.
Senator Hepburn expressed himself IN
favor of the abolition of the commission,
saying that Congress should promptly
"close this chapter of bad legislative
enactment"
Defended by Burton.
the commission. declaring that it was
necessary to trust Investigations of big
subjects like monetary reform to COM
mission, and that much time was re-
quired to accomplish the best of perma-
nent results.
He suggested. too, that the Cummins
bill proposing to end the commissions S
life the first day of the new session of
Congress, in December, was not proper
because 1t did not give the members time
In which to prepare a report after arriv-
ing in Washington for the session. He
thought the closing day should be Janu-
ary 10, which would give the commits
sion a month after reaching Washington
for the session of Congress in which to
prepare report.