Show LOOP HOLES FOUND IN CANAL expenditures congressmen learn that a press agent Is working on the canal at a year lively debate in the house washington dec 6 unanimous consent was asked by mr hepburn tor immediate consideration of the bill pending the request sir williams tho minority leader took ion to characterize the request as unusual but he said the necessity was unusual there wag no disposition on the democratic side to delay the appropriation pria tion at the suggestion of mr mann of illinois the committee referred to wa vacated the bill was then consider ed by the house as in committee ot the mr the discussion of the measure after a brief controversy with mr payne of now york who asserted that the bill should have been referred to the ways and means committee mr hepburn reviewed the canal work stating that had been expended and that particular attention had been paid to housing employed emp loyes on the isthmus and Is rehabilitating the machinery the french company had left there there was a pay roll on the isthmus contal nine the names of more than 13 persons they were paid twice A month and there would be no funda to meet the payment due december until the bill should pass replying to a question by sir field ol 01 maine as to the amount expended for salaries mr hepburn said there were twenty cdx salaries over six between 1000 and 5 fifty five between and and between 2000 and S these included engineers and persona of higher skill it was stated in reply to C B landis that the value of the panama railway stock had been estimated at sir could not recall the estimated value placed on the machinery and equipment before it was purchased by the united tates mr fitzgerald ok kaew york said that he had been informed that 10 a year was being paid to A press agent in this acty SA hepburn said he knew nothing of such an em aloye how can congress find out 1 that is so persisted mr fitzgerald the reply was that mr fitzgerald knew as a member of the house he could get tho information by asking in the proper place for it but does the gentleman think this ig a necessary appropriation asked mr fitzgerald 1 I do not think it would equal in usefulness an irishman who could wield a fc hovel answered mr hap bum 1 but thai is hardly a good defense of a appropriation under any department part ment of this government retorted mr fitzgerald mr hepburn said ho had not heard of the matter before he did not believe it a proper appropriation of the canal funds and suggested that mr fitzgerald pursue his information mr williams suggested that an estimate be secured from the commission as to the amount necessary to carry on the work until january an explanation of th purchase of two steamers mexico and havana lor ay ou iau viiu ui new york mr hedburn replica that ho ander stood the three ste amera originally purchased aa a part of the property of tho french canal company were noi capable of transporting tho required material to tho isthmus fault was found by sir olmsted of pennsylvania and mr kahn of call forkla with the statement of expensed furnished mr hepburn concurred in thlu opinion the floor was yielded to mr williams ot mississippi alio gave botica ot certain amendments he should offer to the bill later he declared the canal a nonpartisan non partisan question its benefits to the south would toe great no individual could claim credit for tha canal the principal amendment ha should offer would be to strike out tha sum ot in the bill and insert an amount he should endeavor to ascertain as the amount actually IKC essary to carry on tho work until january 1 next asserting that there was at least belonging to the united stater now on deposit without interest an fn national banks mr williams said he would object to the issuance of bonds on which 2 percent interest should ba paid 0 o secure money to build the canal falling la striking out tho entire bonding provision he would move to strike out tho provision re the treasury tho amount appropriated in tho bill from the proceeds ot tho bond sale he called attention to the original act authorizing bonasi fot the canal and said it was plain there was nothing mandatory about it at the suggestion 0 mr fitzgerald of new york mr williams said ho would also offer an amendment requiring itemized statements of expenditures from tho canal commission replying to mr chayton CI ayton of alabama who asked it any of the money asked for would be spent for actual work of excavation mr mann of illinois replied that the pay roll item would cover the work of excavation which he said had never ceased since tha property was acquired from tho french company it was tact mr mann said that after this appropriation was made would have been expend edi and little work done but preparations for work have been made and the result he replied would bo tha building of tho canal for even a less total cost than had been estimated admitting that it might have been better if tho estimates had been moro in detail mr hepburn saw no good reason why the appropriation should abot be made he aalde it the estimates biad been in detail it would hardly ba ho function of members to set up their judgment against tha of expert engineers it would to on his part he maintained to set up hia judgment against the expert officials who had treen select ci because of their fitness for chis work this statement finished the text to a lively speech by bourke cochrac Coch rai who demanded what were they here for it that was the case he did no want to occupy his position on the house floor ho asked mr hepburn what the president meant when he said in his message 1 earnestly recommend to the congress the need 0 economy end a rigid scrutiny of if the power of appropriation id superfluous and hn pertinent continued mr cochran it Is al a mockery but I 1 ask this bouse to declare now that this function Is not impe ti nence but pertains to the oath chica we took no longer ago than monda which includes that the treasury sha 1 be guarded bv us and not in a perfunctory manner mr hepburn retorted that he did no propose that the gentleman from new york should make him responsible fo a statement he had not made H had not denied the right of scrutiny or any member of the house with to appropriations after some further debate the boas at 4 45 p m adjourned with the ui derst andins that the bill will be beart for amendment and put on its passage tomorrow |