The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1911-12-22

PROJECT TO AUTHORIZE SALE
OF HULL FOR EXHIBITION
PURPOSE MEETS DEFEAT.
CITIES TO GET SOUVENIRS
Urgent Deficiency enI, Providing
$25o,o0o to Complete Work Of
Raising Ship, Passes the
House.

Washington, D. G. - 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.
siCn fee to visitors, were defeated in
the house of representatives. The urg.
ent deficiency bill, carrying an appro.
priation of $250.000 to complete the
work of raising the Maine, after q
hard fight, passed the house without
change.
1t was admitted in the debate that
offers approaching 100000 have
been received from exhibition inter
ests for the rear portion of the hull,
which can be fitted with 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 it 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
at Havana, stated that several tenta-
tive offers had been received from
the United States, some of them ap-
preaching s1,0O0,0OO. Mr.. Sisson
said he did not consider it 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.
Il would have no objection to hav-
ing it 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 por-
ton of the wreck to the city of Ha.
vana for a public monument, a re.
quest for it having been made by the
president of Cuba, and would author.
ize the secretary of war and the sec.
rotary of the navy to grant other por.
lions as souvenirs to cities, and pa.
triotic societies or survivors of the
vessel.
A request for an additional $4,000
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 senator's 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 introduce
ton of resolution by Representative
Palmer of Pennsylvania, leader of the
economy board, to cut the annual
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 Sc to
1873.
Exactly sSO,OOO,OOO is proposed to
be appropriated by congress during
the next five years for good roads un.
der 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 100000 in 1912, $10,OOO,OOO in
1918, $15,OOO,OOO in 1914, $2O,OOO.OOO
in 1915 and s3O,OOO,OOO 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
lie 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, ar
appropriation of from $25,000,000 tt
$30,000,000 he said, would be necessary
and the Democratic leaders do no
want such a bill to clash with theil
economy program.
Sugar Raise to Be Probed.
An investigation to determine why
the price of sugar was increased sew
eral cents pound last summer wa,
begun by the house committee ap
pointed to investigate sugar condi
tons. Letters were sent to all tn,
cane sugar and beet sugar refnerie,