Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-05-09
wanted to swear at the judge. That's the
way he feels now"

Representative Sims said, in reply to a
statement. that every one of the Com
merce Court cases that had gone to the
United States Supreme Court had been
decided against the Commerce Court. Mr..
Sims. who was in charge Of the debate
on the democratic side. had difficulty in
finding democrat to use up the time re-
manning to the credit OF the side.
Adamson Blames Ball Games.
he would rally to Representative Sims
support He started off a speech about
the baseball season interfering with
legislation. A base ball game, he said.
kept many opponents of the establishment
of the court away from the House when
the bill creating 1t was voted on.
He called the law OF the Commerce
Court automatic and machine made.
and the democrats cheered him He sald
the court was an accommodation to cor
porations and an injury to litigants be-
cause 1t allowed corporations to cheaper
the cost of attorneys by concentrating
their attention at one place, and ike
trying to pour the ocean through small
funnel, the business is clogged," he said.
Representative Covington of Maryland
said this special court was move away
from the constitutional idea of a court.
He said the net result of the courts
work has been to benefit the railroads as
against the shippers. and that there is
fundamental misconception Of the rela-
tons between shipper and carrier.
Age Limit Stricken Out.
The legislative bill was taken up by
the House when 1t convened today. be-
ginning at the section providing that va
cancies in the civil service in the fiscal
year 1913 shall be provided for by pro-
motions or demotions within the District.
Representative Gillett Of Massachusetts,
signihed his intention OF leading a fght
on the section, and said the paragraph
ought to be stricken out.
Representative Johnson. author Of the
bill, kept his promise to strike out the
sixty-five-year clerk embargo, and offered
an amendment to strike out the age limi-
tation. Also he changed the date when
civil service appointments shall cease,
from June 80, 1914, to June 30. 1917.
These amendments were inserted with
little objection. and several members
signified their intention of suggesting
changes in the sections when the House
completes reading the bill. A provision
for a heavy penalty for violating features
| of the present bill was objected to by
Representative Cannon. The House lis
tened to objections and passed on until
the whole bill should have been read,
and at the time Representative Cannon
objected 1t was nearly complete.
Make Exception for Maps.
The House struck snag when 1t
reached the paragraph providing a new
limitation on appropriations for address
ing, wrapping and mailing. The appro-
priation committee framed the bill to do
away with this work in departments.
putting it all up to the government print
ing office. The fact the weather bureau
maps would be delayed by this scheme
was presented to the House, and an
amendment excepting maps was adopted,
The proposed abolition Of the Commerce
Court was the last section OF the BILL out
Representative Johnson returned to the
lighthouse service section. Offering an
amendment to do away with the offics OF
deputy commissioner OF the lighthouse
service at $4,000, and increase the as
sistant engineer force from one to two at
s., 900. Representative Johnson said:
Bartlett's Objection Sustained.
This will create a vacancy in the Office
of the department commander, who is
going to be inspector in the third light
house district at his own request. The
Secretary of Commerce and Labor wants
| the Office abolished and that an addi-
tionai assistant engineer be provided for.
The amendment Is made at the request
Of the lighthouse commissioner and the
Secretary of Commerce and Labor"
Representative Bartlett OF Georgia said
he did not believe in the abolition Of the
office. After making considerable COM
ment on 1t, he objected also to the es-
Establishment OF the additional Office OF
assistant engineer at $1,000 He inter
posed an objection and Chairman Under
wood sustained the point Of order. 1Aere
| is no authority by law for the establish
ment of the Office. consequently no money
can be appropriated for it in an APP
preparation bill.
Debate on Commerce Court.
Representative johnson asked to bring
up the question OF the abolition OF the
Commerce Court. with two hours' debate
| in all, the vote to decide the fate OF the
court at the expiration Of the two hours
Representative Simms Of Tennessee
started the debate on the democratic
| SIDE
| There has been SO much agitation re-
| garding the recall that this question
should be considered on its merits, with
out regard to politics" He said the
couri never should have been created.
| when the bill creating the court was
put before the House motion was
made to strike out the court-and 1t
was lost by a small margin-nineteen ma
| jority. Every democrat voted against the
court; also a number or republicans.
.sThe court never would have been Gre
ated had it not been for the insistence
| Of the President and Attorney General"
Through the Gate Of Tears.