Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-06-03
POST OFFICE AUTHORIZATIONS.
The Bin Still Occupies the Attention of the

The Bin Stin Occupies the Attention of the
House.
After some morning business the House went
into committee Of the whole on the post office
appropriation bill, Mr.. Buchanan Cva-) in the
chair
The pending amendment was that offered by
Mr.. Blount CGa.) reducing BY o., s4s, 900 the APP
propriation for transportation by railroad
routes and providing that the Postmaster Gen
eral be authorized TO roadiust the compensation
to be paid after July /. 1888. for transportation
OF mail on railroad routes by reducing the
compensation to all railroads for the Transporter
hshed on the basis OF the average weight fixed
and allowed by the act of June II, 1878.
THE AMENDMENT OPPOSED.
Mr.. Hatch (Mo.) opposed the amendment
which he declared affected the entire postal
system, and which, il it were proper at all.
should have been brought into the House as a
separate bill, when it could receive careful in
vestigation and consideration. He opposed the
proposition, not in the interest of the rail-
roads, but in the interest of the people and of q
good postal service.
ment, contending that il would in no manner
cripple the service; and Mr.. Newberry Qll) re-
garded II as an eminently business-like propo-
sltion- The government received for the trans
portation Of second and fourth-class matter
less than the transportation actually cost. The
reduction OF 10 per cent of tine compensation
to railroads would enable the government TO
transport this class OF matter without loss
The railroads were making far more money
than they did in 1876 on postal transportation
and the railroads did not seriously object 20 the
reduction. The railroads had seconded the
Postmaster General in his attempt to secure a
magnificent postal service and that service
would not be impaired by the proposed re-
duction.
Mr.. simpson CKan.) also favored the amend
ment, which Was earnestly opposed by Mr..
Bingham (Pa).
Mr.. Fellows On. W antasonized the PROPOSE
ton. The people did not demand the iegisia-
ton contemplated by the amendment. There
was a popular demand for increased mail facil-
ities, not for decreased facilities. reduction
OF 10 per cent more than destroyed the margin
OF profit to the railways. The people having
the advantage Of fast mail service would not
consent to its impairment.
There was no force in the argument that
freight rates having been reduced there should
be a corresponding reduction in mail rates.
No comparison could be instituted between the
slow freight service and the cometlike mail
service.
Mr.. Blount (Ga.) closed the discussion with a
few earnest remarks in support of his propo-
sition, coutending that it would not in any way
cripple the postal service.
MR. HooKERs AMENDMENT.
Mr.. Hooker (Miss.) moved 10 amend the
amendment by adding the following proviso:
THAT hereafter no discrimination shall be
made in the rate of postage on books trans
miIted through the mails by publishers and au-
thors, but all such mail shall be transported at
the rate provided now By law for books trans
mitted by publishers" Agreed to.
MR. BLoUST's AMENDMENT REJECTED.
Mr.. Blounts amendment as amended was re-
iected; 57-l24