Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-22
Simmons Reports Substitute
and Gets Rule for Imme-
diate Consideration.
CARRIES $40, 900, 900
FOR PROJECTS UNDER WAY
Provides That Mississippi Funds
Shall Be Spent Under Plans
of Commission.

After meeting for two hours today
the Senate commerce committee order
ed reported to the Senate a substitute
for the rivers and harbors bill. carry
ing $20,000.0o0. to be expended at the
discretion of the Secretary of War and
ready under way.
The substitute bill ordered reported
by the committee follows exactly the
lines of the instructions given by the
Senate last night when the bill was
ordered recommitted by a vote of 81
to %.
tute bill to the Senate soon after that
body met and obtained unanimous con-
sent for its immediate consideration.
Provisions of Measure.
The bill as reported. in addition to
providing $780, 900 to be expended on
projects now under way and already
authorized, provides that the allot-
ments for the Mississippi river from
the head of passes to the mouth of the
Ohio shall be expended under direction
OF the Secretary of War in accordance
with the plans of the Mississippi river
commission as approved by the CHIEF
of engineers
1t is also provided that the Secretary
of War shall report to Congress at the
beginning of the next session showing
the amount allotted to each improve
ment under this appropriation.
Senator Sterling of South Dakota
offered an amendment to the bill pro-
viding that SIS, 600 be expended for the
Jefferson, 8. D.. explaining that 1t was
an emergency which made the appro-
priation necessary.
Bill Overthrown by Revolt.
/ The overthrow of the river and hal
Dor appropriation was accomplished
last night by the revolt of sixteen
democrats against party leadership.
The real victory, however. lies with the
determined band of republican filibus-
tiers against the bill, led by Senator
Burton of Ohio.
While the motion to recommit the bill
was made by Senator Bankhead OF
Alabama, and was adopted by a vote
of "a to %, it will be remembered that
an identical motion to recommit the
bill was made last Friday night by
Senator Burton and then was defeated
by Al to 8, with one senator counted
present. At that time Senator Bank
head, Senator MARITIME. Senator Thomp
son and others, who last night voted
for the motion. voted against 1t. Their
patriotism. republicans were pointing
bounds since Friday night.
Burton's Valedictory Effort.
The collapse of the tight for the bill
came suddenly after a desperate at
tempt to wear down the republican OPP
position led by the senator from Ohio,
aided by Senator Kenyon OF Iowa,
which began Friday morning and in
cluded q thirty-hour session ending
Saturday night. Senator Burton, whose
achievement Will go down as q vale
reer Of twenty-five years. was warmly
congratulated by many of his COL
leagues as the clerk announced the
vote which sealed the fate of the big
appropriation bill.
Senator Bankhead's motion was in
terjected in the proceedings at mo-
ment when 1t became apparent that
substitute offered by Senator Burton
for the committee bill. championed by
Senator Simmons of North Carolina,
was to receive the support of demo-
Gratis who had been fighting for the
original bill. Senator Burton himself
had expressed dissatisfaction over his
own substitute, because it did not cut
deep enough, and had given notice that
he would resubmit later his motion to
recommit the bill. 1t was then that
Senator Bankhead surprised the Senate
by presenting the same resolution to
recommit,
Democrats Who Voted to Recommit.
Democrats who voted to recommit
the bill were:
Senators Ashurst, Bankhead, Chiffon,
Gore, Hollis. johnson, Lane, Lee of
Maryland. Lewis. MARITIME. Pittman.
Pomerene. shafroth. Smith of Arizona,
Thompson and White. Minority sena-
tors who voted with supporters of the
democratic bill against the Bankhead
proposal were Penrose. Perkins. Poin-
dexter and Townsend Democrats who
stood by the bill until the end were
Bryan, Chamberlain, Fletcher, Kern,
Lea of Tennessee. Overman, Ransdell,
salisbury, Sheppard, Shields,
Simmons, Smith of Maryland. Smith of
South Carolina, Stone, Thornton and
Williams.
Senator Bankhead delivered an i'm
cratic colleagues to recommit the bill.
Il believe" he said, that this is not
the time for the United States to ap-
propriate more money than can be ex-
pended on river and harbor work.
100000 with the money on hand in
the Treasury now appropriated. but un-
expended. Will be ample to carry on
all projects now under way"
III Fdpiu succession, senators MARITIME,
Pomerene and Thompson announced
their support of the Bankhead motion,
each declaring that the condition OF
the country's business and Of the Treas
ury, resulting from the European war,
made 1t necessary to cut expenditures
to a minimum.
Senator Simmons Futile Opposition.
Senator Simmons made a spirited
effort to rally his forces. denouncing |
the Bankhead motion as an attempt to |
take from Congress control of the pub
lie funds.
This BILL" he said, has been more |
than any other measure |
that has come before the Senate during 4
my service. There is not a single item
in the bill that cannot be defended, and |
that. is not proper and just appro- !
priation of the public money"
Prior to the Introduction of the Bank
head motion the Senate voted down,
80 to II. a proposal by Senator Borah
to strike the appropriation of $751;
900 for the Trinity river I'm Texas out
Of Senator Burton's substitute for the
bill.