The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-04-12
WOULD
GIVE SIXTH
WAR PRIZES
Representative Elliott Intro
duces 10 Bills to Award
Captured German Trophies
to Cities of His District.
POSTAL RULE COMING
PAI.LADTTM NEWS BUREAU

NAOI1lA>S o4S, April L. W nen the
house of representative reconvened
in extra session yesterday food OF
bills authorizing the donation of cap
tured German cannon and fieldpieces
TO thousands of cities and towns
throughout the country was poured
into the legislative hopper" Repre-
, sentative Elliott of Indiana, introduced
| 10 of these bills which direct the war
department to give one piece of cap
tured ordnance tc each of the follow
ing places in his district, Richmond,
Cambridge City, New Castle, Knights
town, Greenfield. Shelbyville. Rush
vile, Connersville, Liberty and Brook
Vile. He introduced similar bills in
the last congress, but up to the present
time there has been no distribution Of
any captured German ordnance.
Members of congress have been
bombarded with requests from muni-
cipaities in their districts for guns
captured by the Yanks. and they are
wondering how they can get the sur
rendered war material out of the ware
houses at Port Newark Terminal, N. J.,
where is has been stored since arriv-
ing in the United States.
Bring Back Trophies.
Thousands of field and machine
guns, howitzers, trench mortars and
rifles. and nearly a million smaller
articles, ranging from ornamental
helmets to uhlan lances, were brought
back from Europe with the victorious
doughboys, but their distribution has
been delayed by deadlock in congress
as to the method to be employed in
assigning them, to municipalities.
l Legislation is required before the ma
terial can be released.
In the last congress the senate
Lassed a bill providing for the dis
tribution of the captured cannon to
the states, according to the number of
troops furnished during the late war.
This plan was the only one approved
by the war department. but the house
Of representatives objected and amend
ed the bin to provide for distribution
through senators and representative
The two houses never got together on
this point and the bill failed of pass
age. 1t Is expected that another eff
| fort will be made to agree on a meth
| cd of distribution during the present
session.
Measures Lost
Approximately 5000 measures pro-
viding for distribution of captured
! German ordnance went into the hop
per" during the last congress, none
receiving the approval Of both houses
| 1t is expected that at least that num-
ber Of measures will be introduced at
| the present session. It is realized that
none of these bills will be considered
! individually. that a general law for
the distribution of the trophies is re-
CURED, nevertheless members of con-
gress to safeguard the interests of
| the communities they represent will
| continue to introduce private acts un-
| til a distribution policy is agreed up
! on.
| The plan which meets with most
| favor calls for a pro-rata distribution
of ordnance either to states or to
congressional districts.
That Postmaster General Hays has
not yet definitely decided upon a plan
! for the appointment of first second and
third-class postmasters is indicated by
the action taken by his department
on the resignation Of Simon Doenges,
postmaster at Connersville, Ind, the
Sixth Indiana district to resign since
the advent of the present administra-
| ton. His resignation Is to become
effective April 80, but Representative
| Elliott has not been asked to name
| Mr.. Doenges' successor He was re-
| quested to recommend some one to
| serve temporarily as postmaster after
Mr.. Doenges retires. Mr. Elliott rec
! commended William F. McNaughton,
/ who has been assistant postmaster at
| Connersville for a number of years
To announce Policy.
It is understood, however, that the
administration policy regarding the
appointment Of postmasters of the
three highest classifications will be
announced before the close of the
week. 1t is generally understood that
the plan outlined in these dispatches
recently will be the one adopted. This
plan continues all postmasters under
the civil service, vacancies to be filled
| by competitive examinations held by
! the civil service commission, selection
to be made from the three highest
eligibles. The new policy will be es-
! tablished by eXective order.
In an executive conference held last
week Postmaster General Hays ex-
| pressed a sincere desire to cure the
! prostitution of the merit system
Speaker Gillett of the house of repre-
| sentatives is also an earnest supporter
of the proposal to put the postmaster
ships under a real merit system