Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-06-12
Hot Debate Over Inquiry Into
Local Government.
WARM VERBAL PASSAGES
Mr.. Shackleford Calls Capital Cor
poration- Ridden" City.
PREDICTS HILARIOUS OCCASION
Proposition to Have Committee Ex-
pend Money Outside District
Is Voted Down.


After an extended and at times acri-
monious debate the House OF Representa-
tives today adopted a resolution reported
from the committee on accounts authoriz-
ing the expenditure by the District COM
mittee of not more than 5000 IN MAX
Ing the investigation Of the District gov
ernment and of local public service cor
porations which II Is authorized to mako
by the Oldfeld resolution, passed last
week.
A good many members OF the House
seemed to think that no special appro-
priation was necessary for this purpose
and that the District of Columbia COM
mittee had good deal OF nerve to ask
for the 5000 Other members took an
entirely opposite view and several verbal
passages resulted. Representative Macon
of Arkansas. chara cterized as ''impudent'
the resolution introduced by Representa-
tive Berger OF Wisconsin, the socialist
member of the District OF Columbia COM
mittee, proposing that the Speakers idle
automobile be turned over TO the COM
mittee to facilitate its work.
In the resolution for the inquiry, which
did not appropriate any money. the COM
mittee was prohibited from spending more
than 5000 the appropriation of which
was. however authorized. 1t was to
carry out this resolution that the COM
c'ittee on accounts brought in the ap-
propriating resolution today, but it con-
tanned an amendment which the other
which would
the District committee to spend any or
all of the money outside of the District.
This was strenuously objected to and
was finally rejected by a vote of fifty
two to forty three. so now every dol
| lar of the $1,000 must be spent in the
District OF Columbia.
Services on Committee.
| Representative Campbell of Kansas
and Shackleford Of Missouri became in
volved in colloquy concerning their
| service on the District committee. OF
which both at one time were members.
Mr. Campbell suggested that when Mr..
| Shackleford was a member. he paid
very little attention to local affairs.
II do not say that I was a close at
tendant of that committee" said Mr..
Shackleford II did not see much use
of attending. I always found repre-
sentatives of big corporations there
whenever l was present, and l never
saw them turned down. Why were
they not turned down? Because gentle
men had faith that they were doing the
right thing.
"why should they not be Investigated? :?
Because the gentleman from Kansas and
others believed they are well within the
law. Why should we not appropriate the
money for the Investigation? Because my
optimistic friend believes that these big
corporations do not, will not, and cannot
do bar t0 IN n1nnlp DISTRICT.
I, being a pessimist, believe that they
ought to be regulated, and regulated in
telligently."
..If you had given your time to the Dis
trict committee. as I did" Mr. Campbell
retorted "you would have known that
the gentleman representing the corpora
tions did not control the committee AMI
IL he had stayed there he probably
would have assisted the rest of us in
directing the affairs of the city"
Presented by Mr.. Floyd.
The resolution was presented by Rep
resentative Floyd of Arkansas, from
the committee on accounts. He called
attention to the fact that the original
resolution of investigation, passed last
week authorized the District Of Co
lumbia committee to spend not mora
than 81, 900 in making the inquiry. and
provided that no part OF the sum
should be spent outside or the District
Of Columbia.
your committee" said Mr.. Floyd,
recommend striking out that proviso
and leaving the resolution in the form or
other resolutions that the committee on
accounts heretofore have submitted to the
House, and requiring the District of CO.
lumbia committee to approve the vouch-
ers that shall be signed by the chair
man thereof and be approved by the
committee on accounts"
"a n n al
Leader Mann, whether under this reso-
luton 1t is contemplated that the Dis
trict committee shall have it's cab fare
paid within the District and transporta-
ton paid within the District
That is a matter to be left to the
discretion OF the District committee"
Mr.. Lloyd replied. Any necessary
expense that they may incur in making
the Investigation would be presumably
under this resolution.
Ever since I have been a member OF
this House." continued Mr. Mann. 'many
members on the District committee have
believed and have advocated that that
committee should have the privilege OF
riding around Washington making fnves-
tigation at the public expense. l do not
saw that that privilege ought not TO b.
accorded but it never has been accorded
heretofore. The District committee has
never been authorized to travel at the
public expense"
Question of Cab Fare.
"The object and purpose Of this reso-
luton" said Mr. Floyd. is not to per-
NIT the committee on the District of Col
umbia to get cab fares. 1t has a more
serious purpose than that. Whatever or
not cab fares would be included. I am
willing to leave to the discretion OF that
committee.
Representative Garner OF Texas sug-
gested that the resolution only carried
out the instructions of the House in the
resolution passed last week.
That time" he said. was the proper
time to suggest what the methods would
be of expenditure, whether they would
hire cabs or automobiles or ride on the
street cars, or walk. 1t Is late now to
ask the committee on accounts to put
in its resolution provision that this
cannot be used for cab hire"
"I wish to inquire" Mr.. Mann persisted.
whether 1t is the purpose OF She COM
mittee on accounts to provide transpor-
tation for the District committee or other
committees, or individual members OF the
House, in the city OF Washington
Renresentative Macon Of Arkansas criti-
cised the resolution.
.When the investigation resolution was
before the House q few days ago." he
said. .I did not understand that there
was 70 be an appropriation for these in
/ never understood il was
necessary to have q specific appropriation
in order to make an investigation.
"I am inclined to think now II this conn
mittee is to have $1,000 at its disposal
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