Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-01-25
Taft ECONOMY
COMMISSION
GETS HEARING
House Appropriations Com
mittee Asks Members Of
Body to Recommend
Measures to Economic.

washington, b. c., Jan. 24.-Gigan
tic economies advocated by President
Tart's economy commission In the ex'
penditure of approximately $1,OOO,O00,'
900 for the annual expense OF the fed
eral government were explained to the
house committee on appropriations to
day Chairman F. A. Cleveland, W.
E. Willoughby and M. G. Chance OF the
economy commission all were present.
], Mr.. Cleveland was asked for de-
tanned statement as to what profit
ably could be done by the appropria:
tions committee. It is said he will
advocate the elimination of many OF,
ficials and important departmental
changes.
Republicans Oppose Tariff Bill.
After conference between Presi.
dent Taft and Representatives Payne
and Dalzell, minority members OF the
house ways and means committee, Mr..
Payne declared the minority would
oppose the bill endorsed by the demo
cratic house caucus reducing iron and
steel duties. According to Mr.. Payne,
the minority would not agree to re-
ductions on the iron and steel sched-
ule unless based on information of the
tariff board. President Taft was under
stood to share the view Of republican
leaders. r. ~. "-
Bill Would Open Public Lands.
More than 100000 acres of pub
lie lands, now withheld from settle
ment because of their supposed oil de-
posits, would be available for agricul-
tural entry under a bill favorably re-
ported today by the senate committee
on public lands. 1t would permit sur
face entries, reserying oil rights to
the government. H..
Steel Hearings Suspended.
The Stanley steel trust investigat.
ing committee today decided to sus-
pend hearings until the arrival OF
presidents of some of, the subsidiary
companies Of the United States steel
corporation. Several Of them may ap.
pear next week.
Richard III. Gray, a San Francisco
dea. .er in steel products, testified today
that after he had obtained contract
in 1906 to supply seamless tubes for
the gunboat Remington, subsidiary
companies Of the steel corporation re.
fused to sell to him. He declared
the refusal was based on the ground
that the Shelby Steel Co., concern
subsidiary to the steel corporation,
had been e bidder. ~ II
He said he was compelled to sur
render the Bennington contract be-
cause he could not obtain materials.
Postmaster General AssaiIed.
Charges that the postmaster general
and other postal officials suppress
facts and misinform congress as to
the safety of the lives Of clerks in the
railway mail service were made be-
fore the house committee on post
offices today by Urban A. Walter OF
Denver, Colo, formerly railway mail
clerk and editor of postal journal.
Specific regulation of the postofices
services, ne said, forbid clerk to dis
cuss wrecks. He charged that "the
postmaster general has not stopped
short of misinforming the committee
and the public" as to conditions under
which clerks work N
Mr.. Walter exhibited letter file in
which he said he had 500 letters from
mail clerks reporting unsanitary and
unsafe mail cars and said that the
positions Of the authors would be jeo-
pardized If the names were published.
ut is a remarkable situation that
this gag law Of the department should
keep congress from getting at the
facts" says Mr. Moon. eve can sub
poena these men but We cannot pro-
tect their, jobs if they testify"