Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-01
CHATS WITH CITIZENS.
Advice About Necessary Legislation
Given to Congressman.
POSTAL SAVINGS BANKS WANTED.
The Tariff and Land Questions Interest
Masters and Workmen.
R1vERMHSDkMAND FREE NAVIGATION

i
opening of Congress tomorrow, which af-
fords more relief than the opening OF ball
and much less than the opening of boil,
the opinions of some leading citizens were
asked as to whether some Congressional
course which would benefit the country
could not be suggested. The replies were
varied and interesting, some looking to the
interest of our own section of the State,
while others took broader view, and sug-
gested legislation which would affect the
whole country.
Samuel A, Duncan, Councilman of the
Thirteenth ward-There are several things
for the benefit of this country on which Con-
gress should legislate this session. In the
first place, it should restrict the length of
the sessions to three months This would be
q very great relief to the people, and have
no doubt to the Congressman, for it makes
the whole nation tired to listen to or read
some of the eloquence that keeps the public
printer busy, and the Congressional Record,
as well as some other people, full. congress
should adopt John Wanamaker's sugges-
ton, no doubt suggested to him by some
telegraph man, to connect all the service of
the telegraph companies alter P. NJ. with
the postofices of cities of over 10000 popu-
lation. BY this means nj ght messages might
be delivered by mail the next morning, but
the Government should bear the expense OF
wire extension, extra operators, and so forth,
which, of course, would be paid for by those
using the facilities. There are also some
things that Congress should not do, in my
estimation. 1t should let the national elec-
tion law alone, and let the various States
look after their own interests in that par
tieular, but 1 am not all Congress, so shall
forbear.
A PARK OUT OF THE ARSENAL.
E. NJ. Bigelow-I think that Congress
should as sooD as possible pass an act Civ
ing us the Government property in Law
renceville as a breathing place. This is one
of the local needs which Congress should re-
lieve, and which some enterprising member
from this section of the country should ad-
vocate. There is but little likelihood of the
arsenal or its adjacent park being needed
again for its original purposes, and there is
great need in just that part of the city so
rapidly growing up and closing in so
quickly, for park.
w. r. Ford, Delinquent Tax Collector
I don't know many things that I would care
to see passed through Congress, short of a
cyclone when it sits too long. think,
however, that the poor people need postal
savings banks. The need is not so apparent
in large cities as in the smaller places
where no dollar or other savings banks
exist, and where money is lost to the multi
tude by not having a secure depository.
Such people cannot reach cities where the
facilities exist for low sum banking, and the
money is wasted to some extent. Let us
have postofice repositories for small
amounts. I think, too, we ought to have
perfected and thorough postal
I am most desirous to see
established, and that is a 1-cent postage
rate. As Delinquent Tax Collector can
safely say that the passage of such p.ovi-
sion would increase my contributions to
mission work fully 30 per cent and to the
general collections 100 per cent, and the
Postmaster General, have no doubt, being
himself missionary, will realize how much
the spread of the gospel would be increased
by cheap postage. 1t is an educational
monument which pays for itself in the in
creased communication between the differ
ent sections of the country, and people who
in the days gone by would not send letter
because it cost cents, will feel ashamed
now not to send and receive letters at only
cent each.
AN EA-SALOON MAN , WALL,
A saloon keeper who had been refused
license said: 81 dunno what Congress
might do, but know what it ought TO do.
1t should refuse to receive United States
Senator from the Pennsylvania Legislature
until the Brooks law was repealed or some
better provision made for preventing a mo-
nopoly in the license business existing in
this State"
James B. Scott - Maritime commerce
The tariff had much better be left as it is, as
changes in that direction and protracted
legislation will have the effect of unsettling
trade. Better leave the tariff alone and
turn their attention to ships.
Thomas Wightman-Oh, don't know.
Anyway they had better leave the tariff
alone. Tampering with it will only result
in creating an uneaslness in trade and inter-
fere with business enterprise.
John A. Violet am no politician, and
have not given the matter any considera-
ton. The question of tariff is one that will
be continually under discussion, and will
not be disposed of finally until free trade is
established and import duties entirely abol-
ished. When that time arrives, if it ever
does, the next Congress will begin to dis
cuss measures for re-establishing tariff
and so on. All this uncertainty regarding
it only has the tendency to interfere with
commerce, Dut tndG Is cOnQltlOn Oh affairs
likely to continue to the end.
Editor John Ehman-"The forfeiture of
the land grants and legislation which will
be of sufficient scope to prevent recurrence
of the fraudulent system at present rendered
possible. 1t would seem to me that the
telegraph and railroads should be taken in
hand in the interests of shippers as against
the influence of watered stock corpora
tions."
A NATIONAL EIGHT-HoUR LAW.
President William Smith, of the A. F.
G. w. Union, said:
''TheL:tariff is a question that should be
disposed OF with as little delay as possible,
from obtaining fraudulent pos
session of the public lands should be brought
up. am in favor of a national eight-hour
law"
Secretary William Dillon said: ST agree
with Mr.. Smith that the tariff should be
taken up and its discussion, and any proper |
changes in it, introduced in such a manner
as to give representatives full time and Op-
portunity to consider and act upon it 1t |
should not be sprung upon the House in a |
hurry, as the last measure was. would |
like to see national eight-hour law passed, |
but don't think Congress has power to en- |
act such a law for operation among private |
concerns"
WHAT RIvERMEN WANT.
Captain Addison Lysle-"I wish Congress |
would give us money enough to build dams
in the Ohio river, and push the Beaver |
canal. We would be satisfied for this session /
if they would make appropriations to dam
the Ohio river from here to Beaver. The |
National Board of Steam Navigation viii /