The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-06
$1,000 A DAY PAID
/. FOR SHIPS NOT USED
Senator SmOot Objects to S55i,.
81 Appropriation for Army
Transports.
SAYS S1,115,OOO MORE Is DIE

WAsHtNGToN. Jan. 5.--That $1,000
day was paid by the war Department IN
private corporations for the rent NJ
steamships to he used az army tr.ua-
ports in the occupation of Ncra C.rl
which never were used at all was Pho
charge made by Senator Smuot of I',.b
in the Senate to-day. attacking au tan
OF s55i.37l in the urgent deficiency lp.
Precipitation bill.
mot only that Mr.. President said
Senator Smoot, but ! happen to know
that this item in this bill is not the total
cost which the Government Is 10 I've re-.
quircd to pay for these transports, some
OF which were never used at all not a
single day. In the general dehcieuoy hill
which will came before the Senate a little
later In the session after the urgency de-
ficiency hill has been disposed OF and
nearly forgotten, there will be an item
] am. informed OF Sl,1l5,000 for the same
purpose.
II want to know why these two items
were not put together and submitted 10
Congress by the Department. why this
system OF covering up the real amount
Of money spent for a thing by distrihu'.
ing various parts OF the appropriated
through half dozen different sppro-
priation billsy'
Senator Smoot went into great deta
In his arraignmcnt OF the transport item
lie named the steamship city OF Macon
which was hired at $1,000 a day from tho
Central Of Georgia Railroad ComparN
and then was not used a single day dur.
ing the entire time OF the lease.
Senator Overman of North Carolina
Democratic member OF the Committee on
| appropriations suggested that even 2
the vessels were not used for the trans.
portation OF troops TO and from Vera Cruz
| they were used for something else.
Then why Is not the real use OF the
/ vessels disclosed in the report OF the de-
partment to Congress- demanded Sena-
/ tor Smoot. II know that these vessels
were not used for the purpose indicated
and / assume that they were not used at
all"
I At this point Senator Root demanded
I that a system Of operating the Govern
ments finances should he perfected which
would make absolutely impossible such a
thing AZ was feared by Senator Smoot
/ ut IL our duty" said Senator Root
ito see to IL not only that we. make ap.
preparations for the carrying on OF the
government wisely, but TO see how the
( money is spent after II Is appropriated
/ There Is something radically wrong with
the methods ~ progressive and a
spending government using money wh"r
something like this can occur. W,
should have an effective system which
would prevent just such things
Senator Smoot suggested that as thu
former head of the War and state De
partments Senator Root could tell th'
Senate something OF the pressure whiol
was brought to bear on the Departmen
I heads by almost every one in the De-
partment to decrease the expenditures
why, Mr.. President" said Senate
Root. IL want to say that In many OF th
/ Departments | know from knowedr'
that IT is considered rather dlscred. IA pl
to have an uneNpeuded balance at ta
end Of the year. An official who md
he has an uneXpended balance towau
the end of the year will look around +
discover some way OF spending IT,"