The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-08-24
VIC STARTS TROUBLE
Kansas Congressman Holds Up Post
Office Appropriation Bill.

| Washington, Aug. 24.-Plans for an
adjournment of congress today were
| threatened in the house in determin-
| ed fight of Representative Murdock
| (Kan.) on an appropriation of $35,OOl
| for the mail service on EadS bridge,
across the Mississippi river. The bridge
connects East ST. Louis. ILL.,. and st.
Louis, Mo, and is owned by Is cor
porations. Mr.. Murdoch made exclt-
| ing scenes for the members anxious to
get home, insisted on a point of no
quorum and a hurried call was sent
| out for abse1tees.
The attack on the bridge came dur
| ing the consideration of the confer
ence report on the postoftice appro
priation bill, which the senate already
had adopted. Mr.. Murdoch first made
the point of order that the conferees
had exceeded their authority in put
ting into the bill an amendment which
provided that part of the appropria-
ton for inland transportation of mail
should be paid for carrying mahs
across the bridge connecting those two
cities ''other than upon a mileage
basis and vesting discretionary au-
thority in the postmaster general tic
pay a fair and reasonable price for
the special transfer and terminus for
service at the Union depot at both
ends of the bridge, including lighting
and heating the mail building and
transfer service, lie cost not 10 ex-
coed $4,000.
Mr.. Murdoch said a trust controlled
the Eads bridge, the same trust that
operated the Merchants bridge nearby
and that there was no reason why
such a payment should be made tic
the Eads Bridge company.
Representative Moon CTenn.) and
Representative Weeks (Mass.), this
house conferees, replied that the APP
preparation just about covered the act
ual cost of the service to the bridge
company.
Says 1t Is Trust.
Mr.. Murdoch suggested that the su-
preme court of the United States had
declared the Eads Bridge company a
trust. Mr.. Moon replied that trust, OF
no trust, the government should dea
fairly and justly with it,
The speaker overruled the point OF
order on precedents that he said
stretched back over a century, and
then overrLled Mr.. Murdock's request
for unanimous consent for separate
vote on the amendment in dispute.
Mr. Murdoch then made the point
of no quorum a the score of mem
bers voiced their indignation across
the house chamber. and Representative
Mann Republican leader, and others |
sought to dissuade Mr.. Murdoch. Ear |
lier in the day, in anticipation of the |
move. Speaker Clark and others had |
talked with Mr.. Murdoch in an effort |
to show that an 1nSlStence upon quo |
RIM at this time might mean throwing |
adjournment of congress over into next |
week
After the roll call had proceeded |
sometim it became apparent that not |
even an approximate quorum could be |
obtained, and the house adjourned I'M
til 10 o'clock.
This gilt" Mr.. Murdoch declared
has been on for eight or ten years
in congress to my knowledge. The |
government has been making a fiat
payment of $4,000 year to the ST.
Louis Terminal association. The house
this session adopted amendment re-
pealing authority for such a payment
The senate did the same. Then in
the conference without authority from
either house, this provision for $35, O0c
in the discretion of the postmaster
general, was put in the bill. I do not
think the conferees should have don.
that. The bridge company on reg
ular mileage basis would get only
81 900 a year.
The house leaders, taking no chances