Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-16
CALLS IT GAG RULE
Leader Mann Objects to House
Committees Action.
POST OFFICE BILL PROGRAM
Republicans Demand Vote on Par
GELS Post Amendment Before In
trusting Measure to Conference.

Renewal of the fight begun last night
by Minority Leader Mann on the sending
OF the post office appropriation bill to
conference was begun when the House
met today. MIR. Mann is insistent that
vote be taken on the Senate amend
ment providing for parcels post system
before the measure be intrusted to the
| conferees. on the grounds that such an
expression would be impossible after the
conference report The minority leader
although defeated last night. forced re-
matter was being heatedly debated when
Representative Akin of New York. re-
publican. raised the point Of no quorum.
Minority Leader Mann, Chairman Henry
OF the rules committe. and Representatives
Fitzgerald, Gardner and Norris, and for
mer Speaker Cannon, all took part in a
wordy battle over the procedure Finally
the Speaker ruled Mr.. Mann in order to
recommit the bill with instructions that
the Senate amendment be agreed to. Rep
resentative Moon. chairman of the post
office committee, then offered as an
amendment to Mr.. Manns motion a plan
for an experimental parcels post provid-
ing for carrying packages up to the
weight of fifteen pounds.
Described as a Gag.
The strife over the proposition was pre-
cipitated last night when Chairman Henry
of the rules committee brought in spe-
| cial rule to expedite the conference on
the post office appropriation bill. Minority
Leader Mann instantly charged that the
rule would have the effect of preventing
vote on the Senate amendment creating
a parcels post and that the effect would
be to apply gag to prevent a test of the
real attitude of the House toward the
legislation
foil no thox l..
resolution goes through, parcels post goes
up in smoke"
Mr.. Mann charged that consideration Of
the Senate amendment in the open was
feared, and therefore the conferees want
ed special privileges so that hey might
strange the proposition In the dark
Chairman Moon of the post office COM
! mittee declared the amendment was in
! of the mail-order houses the express
| companies and the railroads." The reso-
luton eventually was adopted, 1O6 to IS.
Sharp Retorts Heard.
During the colloauy. which at times
was bitter in the extreme, Represent alive
Finley Of South Carolina interrupted Mr.
Mann. and insinuated that the latter was
not stating facts.
! II am sober enough to know what am
| talking about" snapped the minority
| leader.
We'll. YOU don't act like it." shouted
| the South Carolinian.
The matter was smOothed over The
feeilng broke out a moment later, when
| Chairman Moon insinuated that Mr.. Mann
| was laboring under undue excite aent :"
Mr.. Mann refused to yield Mr.. Moon
renewed his request 20 be heard and the
minority leader, wheeling about, snapped
! out:
| Il will yield to the gentleman If he can
| be civil"
| When the vote was announced Mr..
/ Mann sought to introduce a resolution
instructing the conferees Represent
| atives Moon Finley and Weeks, but the
! Speaker ruled it out of order.
Rules Autocracy Alleged.
! The minority leader said he had gather
| ed one small bit of satisfaction out of the
| affair by showing up" the rules autoc-
| racy under which House was operat-
| &c. Mr.. Fitzgerald interrupted to say
| that they were the same rules that gov
| erned the previous Congress.
| Yes" rctOrted Mr.. Mann. land they
! are the same rules you went To the coun-
! try on and carried ar election BY attack
! ing"
/ out of order said Speaker Clark
! amid laughter; the election of 1910 is
/ past and gone
| Fourteen democrats voted with the re-