The Portland daily press., 1886-05-21
Senator Frye Introduces an Import
ant Bill,
In Which New England Railroads
are Interested.
Probable Fate of MIR. Reeds Bill Re-
Iating to the MackereI Fishery.
The ocean Mail Subsidy Amend
ment Defeated.
Friends and Foes of the Measure
Alike Surprised.
Senators Logan and Sherman to
Speak In Maine This Fall.
LSnecial to the Press ]


WASHINGTON. MAY Ex-senator Frye has
just introduced bill of considerable i'm
portance to the railroads of New England
and of the country in general Section 40o4,
of the Revised Statutes, enacted March g.
1878, makes the following provision:
additional pay may be allowed for every line
office cars at rate not exceeding $25 per mile
per annum for cars 40 feet in length; and $50
per mile per annum for 40 loot cars; ana ana $40 per
mile per annum for 80 foot cars; and $50 per
mile per annum for 55 to GO foot cars.
The business of the postal service in many
parts of the country is not sufficient to re-
quire the use of cars of forty feet in length,
and in consequence various railroad cofnpa-
MES, among them the Maine Central, Boston
& Maine, and in fact almost all roads in
Maine have fitted up cars of various lengths
under 40 feet in length, which were entirely
adequate to the needs of the service, and for
which they were paid at a rate proportionate
to the length of the cars This has been 60
ing on for many years, but during the past
year the department has come to the conclu-
sion that there is no authority for the pay
ment of cars under forty feet in LENGTH and
has stopped payments for such service, The
railroads, however, have continued the SER
vice, trusting to Congress to see them paid.
Some two weeks ago, the Senate passed
bill to remedy this difficulty, which provided
''that in adjusting, allowing, and paying
amounts which have accrued, or may here
after accrue, under section 1904 of the Re-
yised Statutes, the Postmaster General and
the proper accounting officer of the treasury
shall allow and pay for cars less than forty
feet sum which shall bear the same proper
tion to the sum allowed and paid for cars
forty feet long, as the length of said cars
bears to forty feet" This bill was referred
to the House committee on post offices and
post roads, and they, with the usual Demo-
cratic idea Of ECONOMY efficient service,
etc., have refused to report it because they
do not wish to authorize any such payments
in the future although they profess to be
willing to pay for such service, which has al
ready been performed and not paid for 1t
is difficult to understand why they would de-
sire the use of forty foot cars to perform
service at high cost when it could be done
lust as satisfactorily and much cheaper in
cars Of. twenty-five feet in length. But that
is what they say in effect. To meet their OBJ
jections Senator Frye has introduced bill
providing as follows:
Be it enacted, etc.:
That the Postmaster General be, and he is
hereby authorized to allow compensation to such
railroad companies as had furnished apartments
in cars for use as railway post oftices OF less
length than is prescribed by section four thousand
and four of the Revised Statutes, in cases where
such apartments had been furnished In pursuance
of an agreement or understanding with the Post
master General, the Second Assistant Postmaster
General or the Superintendent of the Railway
Mail Service, that special compensation Shoulu DC
allowed therefor; such allowances TO pc proper pI
toned to the length of the apartments furnished;
and not exceeding a pro rata OF the price allowed
for forty-foot car and for the time unpaid for up
to the date when the company was notified by the
department that such payment could not be made
because not warranted by the present law
This bill will undoubtedly pass, and the
railroads will get their pay for the service,
they have already performed, but they will
have no guarantee that they shall receive
anything for similar service in the future.
Close Time for MackereI.
Congressman Reeds bill, prohibiting the
landing of fresh mackerel from March 1st to
June 1st each year, will be taken up tomor-
row. Mr.. Reed said tonight that he could
not tell what its fate would be; that the New
York and New Jersey members were strong
ly opposing it, and he should consider it a
piece of good fortune if it went through.
Mr. Hewitt of New York will speak in oppo
sition to it. The passage of the bill is gen
orally desired by fishermen on the New Eng
land coast
The Subsidy Amendment.
The vote of 17S to so against the Senate
ocean mail subsidy amendment to the post
office appropriation bill today was surprise
to both friends and foes of the measure alike.
1t was generally supposed that the House
would vote to non-eoncur, but it was thought
the majority would be small, and that it
might get through on a conference. In view
of the large majority against them, the Sen
ate will probably not insist upon their
amen 1ment as strongly as they would other
wise have done, as the majority is too large
to be overcome by conference.
MIR. ManIey's Mission Successful.
Mr. Manley has been successful in his mis-
sion. He informed your correspondent to-
day that Senator Logan had consented to
take part in the Maine campaign, and would
go to Maine Immediately after his return
from the Grand Army Encampment at San
Francisco. Senator Sherman has also con-
sented to take part in the canvass.
Naval Appropriation Bill.
The House committee ON naval affairs to-
day practically completed the naval appro-
priation bill, and it will probably be reported
to the House tomorrow The bill appropri-
ates about $11, 100000, while the estimates
submitted by the Navy Department contem-
plated the expenditure of $3O,S36,357.
Fears That Another U. S. Vessel Has
Cone to the Bottom.
Considerable anxiety is felt by the friends
of the officers and crew of the Nipsic, on ac-
count of the failure of the department to
hear from her for so long time. She left
Uruguay several months ago, which is the
last that was heard of her. Navy officers
say that shew good screw steamer of $50
| tons burden, and believe that she has put in
| to some port for repairs. This, however,
does not relieve the anxiety of those inter-
ested
YALE COLLEGE,