The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1880-06-06


Of that region and they have In almost every instance
become trunk lines by reason OF the Tact that although
let originally merely unre- a-week lines and at A
speed OF two miles an hour, the growth Of population
along the lines has compelled the Department to In
crease the service to three times week and finally
to six and seven times week. and to increase the ex
petition from two TO four miles, and finally to SIX
miles an hour That increase has been the result Of
the Increased demand for prompt, expeditions. aud
daily mail service. Those recently insignificant but
now great and important tuucs afe the only ones the
contracts IN which VI Is proposed to- strike down by
legislative action
The House inserted this provision In this hill as an
amendment after all debate upon the paragraph hnd
been terminated, and when one Ind an upportunty
TO explain ut all what would he the effect the amend
ment II went to the senate, where 1t was carefully
considered and thoroughly discussed, anl was there
stricken out by large majority. NV motion rs now
that the House concur In this we'll considered action
OF the Senate make the motion feeling and hclicv-
Ing that It would he bad economy and bad faith for the
government by legislative act to abruptly terminate
seventy great mail contracts. h would he gross IN
Justice, too. to the great communities that are grow
ing mp along these lines, whose mail service will
inevitably be greatly disturbed 10y rcletng these con-
tracts. The newly let contracts win run for only
eighteen months Mind you, under this provision
YOU do not diminish the expedition at ALL Won do not
uimnish the number OF trips. you only require the
for term OF eighteen months with Just the same
expedition and number of trips as now What wouId
lie the effect? Take of these great through lines
which costs one hundred. two hundred, three hun
dfed thousand dollars to stock it, Take the stage line
from the Rio t'rande To Fort Yuma. who would nut
adequate service on tharline for eighteen months
contract? How will any contractor know after he
has spent fifty, hundred or two humlIed thousaud
dollars 10 stock the line for eighteen months con-
tract that at the Congress his contract
may not he stricken down, and the whole of his stock
thrown on his haudsY WIN not the new contractors
increase their bids largely because of the danger oI
dealing with the Government, of which this swecrnr
legislative abrogation of seventy contracts will give
fresh aud solemn warning? Is there in fact any GER
aihity that the and successfu bidders win ia
able at that late season. the Ist of October to ale
quacly equip and establish their lines before winter
cuts them OIL from necessary preparation? As the
Postmaster General predicts In letter To the Senate
the result VIII be that from fear of bad faith on the
part OF the Government and from the lateness of the
season for rclcting and the short term of the new
| contracts the communities all through the West will
I've made TO suffer great Inconvenience and loss y the
interruption of 'hci ordinary and necessary postal
service
| say moreover, that the provision which the SEN
ave mas stricken ont Is measure of bad economy.
Inc letting OF contract for eighteen months under
TINS provision is not limited to amount The con,-
h'tc proVoSe 10 scnd these seventy contracts back
the Post Office Department Cancelled, and to author
ile the Postmaster General, without any limit of OK
pense to make new contracts for the remaining
| eighteen months At what prices will they lie let (?
Al prices to he determined by his discretion and the
disposition OF bidders. lie will almost surely have
P'N great deal more than Is now being paid for this
| service. II has been stated on this floor and In the
Senate repeatedly that the Star Service as a who'll,
west OF the Missouri river Is being done cheaper
| thln II has been
| haps during two years. The arraignmcnt of
at whole service because of supposed eXtIaya-
sance on some particular routes is unjust: and for
congress 10 strike down seventy contracts because
one or Two or three are excessive is both bad economy
AMI bad faith. Every contractor whose contract /,
taken from him by this proposed provision of law will
nave, as believe good cause OF action against the
United states In the Court of Claims for all the dam
geS which lie may suffer. Gentlemen say that the
foSt pihce regulations permit termination of All
'hehe contracts at the discretion of the Postmaster
General, provided he pays each contractor ON,
months extra compensation. That Is true: the pro-
vision Is In section 62 of the regulations of the he.
paitment. But that rescisson of contracts can nIy
pe male 10y the Postmaster General his discretion
IL was provision Necessary TO be inserted In all con
tracts Tor the star Service because of The constant aud
raP'u chaGes IN the needs OF the frontier: because
contract for weekly service to-day may have TO l.,
, changed within SIX months 10 a contract for tri.
| "'VhiN VI ihhN s'INltt anu contract now made tu
speed OF twenty-five miles Ier day may In si,
months have to lie expedited To seventy five miles 3
day. Then, again, railroads come along aud who'll,
sweep away tile star Service on certain routes. II
provide such eNgenciests Is stipulated In All the sta
route contracts that the Postmaster General may ter
inmate the contracts, In his discretion upon pawn,
one month S extra compensation. But to assert thai
'l's discretion extends to Congress to assert tn,
THIS necea''ry provision reposng in the Postmaster
General discretion 10 terminate contracts for thes,
general administrative reasons allows "oporcss by
PcIeinptoy act TO strike down all contracts Is III 80.
opinion bad as proposition Of law. The result vii
therefore lie that II these contracts Terminated h,
act OF Congress, every contractor Injured may rcfus.
I" take ms one month"; extra allowance, and may e,
into the Court Of Claims and recover damages for The
iull amount he loses by Of his contract bcinl
broken and his equipment thrown, deprecated o
worthless, on his hands.
Before sitting down, Mr.. Speaker call attention
To the peculiarly loose and reckless character of m
afaignment Of the star Service that we have hear,
on this floor My friend irum Texas, MIR Reagan
who Is ordinarily very careful In his statements tool
up these contracts and showed how they began at
sila1 sum OF money for weekly service, were In.
creased III compensation for trfweekly and then fo
h'iy service; again Increased for expedition from
Two miles an hour To three and four, and Gvc ano
slN miles an hour; 80 that thus contract would b,
Sweed from =? $50 10 SO 600 In the course Of one u
two years. lie brought forward several Instances o
, that Kind and presented them 10 the House as con.
clhS''" proof that such contracts gross swindles
Now my fiicnd, the Delegate from Montana, Mr.
Naginnis, took up that subject
MIR. REAoAG. I called especial attention To III,
E, brief period IN which this Increase was nIale-Iio
that II was done IN a number of years,
9 Mn. EWING. Wen, 1t was done In some Instance
In six months, sometimes In one year, and sometime
In two. My friend from Montana, In answer To TN
gentleman from Texas, showed that Of these gTea
routes complained Of that from bismarck 10 For
he"giI,a distance of about three hundred miles, whcl
was let about two years ago a. SSO and siucc sue
cesslNely Increased Ia the large sum Of $40, 600 had
grown In business Importance that the railroad wou,
be completed this year upon the entire length Of tina
route, II being under construction this day the rat
of mile every twelve hours. SO with another route
That from Fort Re0gh 10 Bo1eman, about three hun
dred and thirty miles In length, contract for IN
construction of railroad over two hundred miles
that route is about to he let. Take, again. the rout
from Rock Creek 10 Fort Custer, distance of he
- tween two hundred aud three hundred miles. O
TINS route the business has 80 grown that railroad
= about being constructed, one county alone cOnIl
buiing 800, COO to Tie cost of construction. Thcs
are great communities that are being supplied by thl
D star route service. They have grown MP suddenly
II 10 true, because of the almost lightning speed OF th
movements of Immigration aud business on our from
tiers. But say that this House would act Taslily
THIS prompt Increase from weekly 10 daily service an,
from speed of two To six mites hour should he ac
a Crpted without other evidence as proof of fiaul
whereas IN fact II Is In almost every Instance eYdenc
p mercy Of Tie aboundlng energies aud progress o
that great Icgion the business of which It Is no,
proposed 10 Interrupt and pIure by the reckless egis
ati'c ahiogatuu Of All their mail ontracts.
.
Tue rildcn literary bureau Is hard a
work. Copies of such documents as Leste
= b. Faulkner interview in the New Yoll
a Hrod claiming that 1ilden, and no one bu
Tilden, can carry New York, are being sen