St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-02-11


The meeting of the state central COM
mittee in Chicago this week will be gen.
uine Republican Logan love feast Greene
B. Raum was at the capital Friday and
Saturday of last week, trying to discover
how many Illinois politicians would at
tend from this point. Gen. Raum is a Lo-
gan man and he is anxious that Logan
shall be elected to the presidency, for in
that event he will endeavor to succeed
him in the senate. Clever politician here
wonder at Logan's impudence in allowing
his name to be 30 freely used in connec-
tion with the presidency.
Western Associated PIess.l
FLOOD OF BILLS.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 10.-More than
$500 bills, most of them of private ma
ture, have been introduced in the house.
Less than 200 have been acted upon by
committees and reported to the house. To
morrow another opportunity will
be offered to increase the number of
pending legislative measures.
BILLS THIS WEEK.
Randall will call up the naval apprc'
priation bill on Tuesday. 1t is probable
that two days will be occupied in it's con-
sideration. The bill to prevent the
spread of contagious diseases among cat
tie, it is expected will be brought before
the house for further discussion in the
latter part of the week, and il is barely
possible the shipping bill will also
be reached in committee of the
whole by Thursday. In view of the for
midable opposition already manifested
against the naval bill, the members inter
ested 10 it's passage are apprehensiye it
will not command majority vote.
RETIREMENT.
The retirement of Gen. Alfred Pleas
anton as brigadier general will be the
question to be considered on next Friday,
''private bill day" It ia believed the bill
will pass without serious opposition, as
the committee in making the report re-
counted the brilliant and effective service
of Gen. Pleasanton in the Mexican war,
and made strong report in favor of his
retirement with the rank specified.
COMMITTEES WILL REPORT.
The committees Of the house have a
number of important measures on their
dockets for consideration this week. The
ways and means committee will hear the
arguments of business men on the various
phases of the proposed tariff legislation.
It is believed by the members of the COM
mittee, that Morrison's bill will not be re-
ported to the house for three or four weeks.
The public lands committee expects to
take action this week on bills 10 provide
for forfeiting portions of the land grants
of the Northern Pacific and Atlantic and
Pacific railroads. The coinage, weights
and measures committee will probably re-
port bill providing for the withdrawal
of trade dollars from circulation.
A sQUABBLE ANTICIPATED.
The foreign affairs committee has re-
solved to insist that the house should re-
fer to it the correspondence received from
the state department last week, to relieve
the prohibition on American pork in for
eign countries, on the ground that the
question Is one of treaty obligation. The
commerce and agricultural committees,
however, both claim jurisdiction on same
subject and the question Of reference will
probably give rise to spirited discussion.
measure Of national Importance this
week.
POSTAL RECOMMENDATION.
[-lThos. G. Smith, of the postoffice de-
partment, who was detailed by the secre-
targ of the treasury, to examine and re-
port upon the postal methods of foreign
countries has completed his labor and pre-
sented this report. AS the result of his
investigation he recommends the follow
ing changes in our postoffice system.
There are, he says, in round numbers
$4,000 postofices each a receiving and
disbursement office. Of these $500
do money order business ard 41,50O
collecting revenue from stamps only.
Each postmaster is authorized to return
his salary and authorized expenses from
the revenues he collects. l would discou-
tinue direct accounting with the Al, 500
postmasters, supplying them with limit
ed stock of stamps on credit, and reqnir-
ing them to purchase at designated
money order Office in the vicinity, all they
required thereafter. At such supply Off
oes they would receive their compensation
and authorized expenditures. The re-
naming $500 postmasters should account
monthly direct to this Office, with quarter
lY accounting. The postmaster general
cannot be informed of the receipts and
disbursements for the first half of the fiscal
ysar until the last quarter has commenced,
and the liabilities under his control for
entire year therefor has been incurred.
With monthly accounting he could be ad-
vised of the revenues and expenditures of
wifi hin hirtu 1ou 4ia,, Of
each month. Work of posting and stating
the general post Office accounts now re-
quirIng thirty three clerks, would be dis
pensed with, when the accounts under pre-
sent system were closed, while the business
of the stamp and finance division of the
assistants office be largely reduced. Smith
suggests that return to fixed salaries will
reduce the labor of post-masters, with a
record Of pieces handled or stamps can
oelled in each quarter, with fixed salaries
in even dollars,a could be established.
to be raised or lowered as business is
increased or decreased. He thinks the
benefits of the money order system can be
partially extended to the 41,50O smaller
postoffices by furnishing, as stamps are
furnished, a fractional note of convenient
denominations, less than 81, payable at its
face value at any money order office, thirty
days after date, stamped thereon, when
sold by the issuing postmaster, and after
such date to be redeemable at Washing
ton, at fixed discount or to be absolutely
void, thus keeping it out of general circu-
lation. This note is to be issued without
fee, being simply substitute for stamps
in remitting.