Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-03-31
fORTY-NINTH CONGRESN.
First Session.
SENATE.

SENATE.
WASHINGTON, March 80,
The bill to increase the efficiency of the
army was taken up. Mr.. Logan took the
floor and continued his remarks in support of
the bill.
MIR. Logan continued at some length and
was followed by Mr.. Teller During the lat
ter's speech controversy arose between HIM
self and Mr.. Logan as to whether the re-
mark made by Mr.. Logan recently had been
correctly quoted in the Record.
The hour of two o'clock arrived and the
inter state commerce bill, which was to have
been taken up by special order, was laid over
informally until the Washington Territory
admission bill, on which Mr.. Platt had the
right to the floor, shall have been disposed
of.
Mr.. Platt then resumed the floor in favor
OF the Washington Territory bill. He con-
tended that Washington should be admitted
as a state because she filled every require
ment therefor, and her people were entitled
to full rights of citizenship. He said the
territory had the largest coal fields, excellent
iron mines, great water ways, and most mag.
nihcent body of timber existing today in the
civilized world. The timber alone would
make it one of the richest states in the Union.
Its agricultural lands were as fertile as any
In the United States, and all susceptible of
profitable working. Its yield of wheat aver
aged "A bushels per acre-the highest in the
United States. The yield of oats averaged Al
bushels per acre-the highest in the United
States, and q yield of barley 80 bushels per
acre. All crops and all fruits cultivated in
temperate latitudes could be successfully
cultivated there. Shipbuildine was thriv
ing industry in the territory. Wooden ships
could be built there at one-half the cost in
Maine.
At the close of Mr.. Platts speech. Mr..
Voorhees, introduced bill for the admission
of the territory of Montana, in place of the
bill originally introduced by him. As now
introduced Mr.. Voorhees, siad it was enoblng
the act, while the first bill provided for the
immediate admission of territory.
Mr.. Vance gave notice that after the
morning business tomorrow he would call
up his bill for the repeal OF the civil service
law, for the purpose of addressing the Senate
upon it.
At AIS p. NJ. the Senate went into exc Gu
tive session.
At 40 the doors were reopened and the
Senate adjourned.
HOUSE.
In the morning hour the House resumed
the consideration of the bill to regulate the
compensation of United States ATTORNEYS,
marshals and commissioners.
Mr.. Herbert of Alabama said that the fee
system has proven failure and earnestly
advocated change from that system to the
salary system as proposed by the bill.
Mr.. Springer of Illinois took the same
ground.
Pending further discussion the bill went
over and resumed its place on the calendar.
MIR. Cox of North Carolina, on behalf OF
the committee on civil service reform, called
up the bill to secure the equitable classi6ca-
ton and compensation of certain officers of
the United States, but the reading of the re-
port lasted until the morning hour expired.
The House then went into a committee of
the whole on the post office appropriation
bill.
Mr. Taylor of Tennessee defended the post
master general from the criticisms made upon
him by Mr.. Burrows of Michigan for not in
creasng the salaries of the fourth and fifth
class postal clerks and quoted from the Record
to show that this subject of increase had been
left by Congress to the discretion of the post
master general.
Mr.. Dngley of Maine said that the ques-
ton involved was not one of substituting
American steamship lines but of giving them
a fair compensation for mail service. There
was no proposition to initiate England which
paid her steamships three and quarter mil
lions annually, million aud a quarter dol
lars more than the postage, or Germany
or Italy or Spain, which paid their
mail steamships a million each. The bill
appropriated 1915 900 for the Transportation
of our foreign mails, but $500, 900 OF this wa.
to go to foreign steamships and only S75 ,00C
to American steamships. 1t was said thai
foreign steamships were paid by us five times
as much as American steamships becanse
they performed so much more service. This
might be so if by service was meant the mum
Der of pieces transported without regard tC
distance. The trouble was that our basis Of
payment which considered simply the weigh
of the mail, was unjust and favored foreign
lines which occupied transatlantic routes
where the mail was heavy, while the Ameri
can lines occupied routes on this continent
and the Pacific where the mail was light. We
paid the British Cunard and White Star
lines 38 cents per mile for mail service OF
their outward trips last year, but American
steamships were paid only four cents p r mile
| lowed would only give eight cents per mRe
We paid the line to china and Japan only
three and one-half cents per mile last veal
| and the Venezuelan line only one and one
third cent per mile one way ard the amour
| proposed by this bill would only allow thre'
and three-fou this cents per mile to .he lint
next year. At the same time we proposed Il
pay the Cunard 80 cents per mile we had NJ
| difficulty IN paying our cOartwise steamship
i a reasonable compensation. Why was IL
We allowed ourselves 10 discrImlnate agains
our own lines in foreign trade when someone
who seemed afraid we should interfere witt
Engand's prestige on the ocean cried OUT
''subsidy." The last Congress appropriated
a sufficient amount to enable the postmaster
general to pay the existing American steam
ship lines as much per mile as he paid tht
| Cunard line and t. secure the establishment
| of a new line to Buenos Ayres. But tina
official declined to execute the law and it wal
denounced as subsidy" If this policy wa
| to be continued we would in due time see tb'
| last American steamship in foreign trade
| To FIJI the chapter of injustice, it was nov
proposed TO compel them to carry our mail
! for whatever compensation the pOstmaste
general pleased to give. British steamship
I could come and go as they pleased but Amer
| lean steamships in foreign trade were to bC
detained until they consented to carry ou
/ mails for sums insufficient to pay expenses
! The owner of the stage coach was free 4
make a contract or not to carry mails, bu
| the moment Americans became owners o1
steamships the government proposed to com
| pei service for an inadequate remuneration