The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-03-04

ing measures, both vigorously urged of the Congress.
 Agree on POstoffice Bill
 An agreement on the postoffice ap propriation bill, the last of the supply measures in conference, was reached by the conferees late tonight.
 Provision for the space basis of pay ment for railway mail service was re- tained. The proposed abolition of as- sistant postmasters was eliminated.
 Confusion, disorder and noise were the chief characteristics of the final legislative spurt in the House, Mem bers and spectators kept up a con- stant hum of conversation that at times grew to roar. It was hushed now and then by the frantic efforts of Speaker Clark, who pounded his desk with his gavel admonished the members on the floor and roundly lectured the Saller- ies in vain endeavors to preserve or der.
 While the House waited for the bis appropriation bills and conference re ports upon which action was absolutely necessary, the speaker directed the con sideration of the bills by unanimous consent. A continuous clamor of rec ognition resulted. Members called up a flood of bills of every description II. the hope that they might get through without objections.
 The great throng of men and women in the galleries sat through this con- fused legislative flood and outside of the gallery doors more spectators clamored for admittance.
 The end of the long government ship purchase bill fight in the Senate came late in the afternoon during considera- l tion of the war claims bill. The an- Afe dap ator Fletcher, who had led the struggle for the measure from the beginning. | He previously had moved that the Sem ate insist upon it's amendments and ask the House for further conference. Sen 1 ator Bankhead, one of the democrat s who revolted against the bill, then oIs- cussed it's approaching collapse and for gave his democratic colleagues for harsh words spoken in debate against those who had broken away from the party on the | issue.
 | When the Alabama senator had con i cluded, Senator Weeks of Massachusetts I recalled the filibuster scenes by rising behind a huge pile of books and papers and launching into another speech against the bill The Massachusetts sen ator announced he would speak for an hour or two and then read the names of 24 republicans who were prepared to | speak.
 l Fletcher SurrenderS 1 Hearing this utimatum. Senator l Fletcher Interrupted Senator Weeks and | reiterated arguments in favor of the bil end briefly discussed the shipping emer. ! gency.
 But we who have fought for this measure realize" Senator Fletcher de- clared, that 1t is perfectly evident 1 in view of the announcement by the sem ator from Massachusetts that 1t will be
 impossible to pass this bill at this time I wish to end this discussion by with
 drawing my motion which l shall not again renew.
 As Senator Fletcher took his seat re- publican senators who had conducted ths fflbuster gathered and held 1ubiia tion. This ends the greatest fight II tte history of the Senate" Senator
 Lodge remarked to his colleagues.
 Both Houses made good progress oi
 the appropriation programme through
 ou. the day until available conference
 reports and supply measures had beer
 exhausted. Late in the day the postof flee, agricultural, Indian and general de ficiency bills still were in conference ana
 the final report of the conferees on th'
 army bill with relation to the Taylol
 system had not yet been made It wal Inoff1cially stated, however. that th'
 Senate would recede from its amendmen
 and yield to the House provision elimi
 hating scientific management from gov
 er nment works,
 Discuss Waterway Bill
 The House spent several hours dis cussing the rivers and harbors substitut
 appropriating $S0.000000. but finally con