Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-05-07
BRADYS STAR ROUTES.
The Lobby Win Temporary Victory and ar,
Then ThWarted Again.

1 Tho Lobby Win . Temporary v1CtOEY anu oH9
Then Thwarted Again.
The committee of the whole agreed te
the postofice appropriation bill yesterday
and a vote on certain amendments will be
| taken in the House to-day. When the
House met yesterday morning debate upon
the proviso reported in the bill by the COM
mittee on appropriations was in order
This prOvisO required all routes on which
schedule time has been expedited in excess
of fifty per cent. of the original contract
price, to be reduced to rate of COM
pensation not in excess Of fifty per cent.
of the original contract price. The House
was evidently wearied of the star route
discussion and in spite of the request of
the representatives Of the contractors for
more time, debate was limited to one hour.
Gen. Hawley was the first speaker. He
said that the committee was willing to
give all the money necessary for the star
service, but at the same time it desired the
law to be obeyed honestly. The halloo made
by certain gentlemen that tho committee
was legislating against the interests of the
West was the verieSt nonsense. MIR. Haw-
ley repeated the oft-tOld tale Of Brady's ex-
travagance and his queer conduct respect
ing the transmission of the news of the de-
ficiency to Congress- He said that the figures
submitted by the department in themselves
demanded investigation. The increase OF
compensation allowed by the department
on certain routes was fOrty-three per cent. !:
much more than the increase of population
in the West in any one year. There was an
increase of $500, 900 in the pay on certain
routes in one year where the annual sales
of postage stamps only amounted to
s64, 200.
Mr.. Mills of Texas argued against the
amendment, because it would affect the
Fort Worth and Yuma route, which
traverses the state of Texas. He defended
Brady's administration, and charged that
the committee on appropriations had dealt
unjustly with him, because it had made
violent charges against his management,
and had neglected to request the House to
impeach him.
Mr.. Hiscock supported the amendment,
and denied that he had any hostility to
the West. The money appropriated was
ample to support the service. He asked
the opponents of the amendment to point
out 4 single route where by the amend
ment service would be crippled. No one
replied. He admitted that on seventy
three routes the running time would be
somewhat reduced, but the number Of
trips would not be affected. To illustrate
the looseness of the departments manage
ment he read a part of the testimony of
one of the contractors examined by the
committee.
Messrs. Page, Haskell and Valentine
made speeches against the amendment,
and MIR. Blount closed the debate in a ring
ing five minute speech, showing cOnclu-
sively the absolute justice of the leSisla-
ton recommended by the committee. The
verbal amendments offered yesterday by
Mr.. Blackburn to perfect the text Of the
prOvisO were unanimously agreed to. MIR.
Ewing's motion to strike out the provisO
was agreed to on a vote by tellers of 81 to
II. The lobby had won the fight and it's
members congratulated themselves. Their
Joy was of short duration however. After
had been proposed, with
drawn, and ruled out of order, MIR. Money,
by direction of the committee on pOstOfices
and pOstroads. offered an amendment
which accomplished substantially all that
the rejected amendment of the apprOpria-
tions committee would have done. The
amendment provides that the star routes
shall be relet after thirty days advertise
ment, rs now provided by law, on the 1st
of October, 1880, ON which the pay for ex-
peditiOn of schedules during the fiscal
year of 1879 and 1880 exceeds fifty per
cent. of the contract price before such ex-
petition was granted, provided that the
proviso shall not apply to any contractor
who desires to continue his contract as re-
duced. This amendment was agreed to by
a vote of 80 to II.