The searchlight., 1911-12-22
maine WRECK
NO S|DFShOW
PROJECT TO AUTHORIZE SALE
OF HULL FOR EXHIBITION
PURPOSE MEETS DEFEAT.
CITIES TO GET SOUVENIRS
Urgent Deficiency Bill, Providing
$2so.ooo to Complete Work Of
Raising Ship, Passes the
House.

Washington, ID. c. - Efforts to au.
thorize the sale OF the hull of the bat.
tleship Maine to private parties who
desire to exhibit it at various ports of
the United States, and charge admis.
siCh fee to visitors, were defeated in
the house of representatives. The urg.
ent deficiency bill. carrying an appro-
priation OF $25o,0oo to complete the
work Of raising the Maine. after a
hard fight, passed the house without
change.
II was admitted in the debate that
oilers approaching 100000 have
been received from exhibition inter
ests for the rear portion of the hull
which can be fitted with a bulkhead
and towed from Havana to the United
States. This sum would more than
cover the 100000. the cost Of clear.
ing the wreck out of Havana harbor
Chairman Fitzgerald of the appropri.
ations committee said the govern
ment would tow the rear part of the
hull into the ocean and sink IL with
full honors.
Representative Sisson OF Mississip-
pi attempted to procure an amend.
ment authorizing the war department
TO invite bids from private parties for
the rear portion of the hull, to be
used for exhibition purposes. He said
. General Bixby. In charge of the work
Mt Havana, stated that several tenta-
tive offers had been received from
the United States, some OF them ap-
preaching $l.000,000. Mr.. Sisson
said he did not consider 1t as opposed
TO the desires of the American people
to provide for a public exhibition OF
the wreck of the Maine under private
auspices.
Sisson Has No Objection.
II would have no objection to hav.
ing 1t towed up the Mississippi river
and exhibited to my children" de.
clared Mr.. Sisson.
The bill as passed would permit the
secretary of the navy to give a por.
tion Of the wreck TO the city Of Ha.
vana for a public monument. a re-
quest for 1t having been made by the
president OF Cuba. and would author.
ize the secretary of war and the sec.
retary OF the navy to grant other por.
tions as souvenirs to cities and pa
triotic societies or survivors Of the
vessel.
A request for an additional $50, 900
for the expenses of the house of rep
resentatives and an attempt on the
part of the economy committee" OF
the house to cut in two the mileage
OF senators and representatives threw
the house into a debate on expenses
that is considered prophetic of the
sessions that are to come.
Republicans again charged the dem.
ocrats with having lost track of their
economy program. The reply from
the democratic side was by introduc-
tion of resolution by Representative
Palmer of Pennsylvania. leader of the
economy board, to cut the annual
mileage allowance from 20 cents per
mile to 10 cents per mile. The demo-
cratic forces split on the proposition
and the plan was voted down 56 to
l3S.
Exactly $s0.000.000 is proposed to
be appropriated by congress during
the next five years for good roads un.
der a bill introduced by Representa-.
tive Prouty of Iowa, who advocates
national and state cooperation in
road construction and maintenance.
He proposed that congress appropri-
ate and apportion among the various
states s5,0O0.O00 in 1912, $4,000. 900 in
1918. Sl5,0OO,00O in 1914. $4,000 900
in 1915 and s3O.000.0O0 In 1916. The
federal expenditures on each road is
limited to one-half the total cost.
Predicts No Building Bill.
Democratic Leader Underwood of
the house predicted that the caucus of
the house Democrats would not author.
ize a public building bill at this ses-
sion, Notwithstanding the public build.
ing committees recommendation for it.
Mr.. Underwood said the matter un.
doubtedly would be considered in eau
Gus. To give everyone fair show. an
appropriation of from s25.000.000 to
100000 he said. would be necessary
and the Democratic leaders do not
want such a bill to clash with their
economy program.
Sugar Raise to ee Probed.
An investigation to determine why
the price of sugar was increased sew
eral cents a pound last summer was
begun by the house committee ap-
pointed TO investigate sugar eondi-
tions. Letters were sent to all the
cane sugar and beet sugar refineries