The morning call., 1893-03-02
WILLCUTT ON LAW.
He Thinks the New Bill
Is Unconstitutional.
MAIL-cARRIERs TO RIDE FREE
They Say That the Measure Recently
Passed in Their Interest is
Constitutional.

Speaking Of the act.passed by the Lsgis-
lature to allow mail-carriers to ride free on
streetcars. which was signed by the Gov
ernor and became a law last Tuesday,
George B. Willcutt Of the Market-street
lines said yesterday:
THAT seems to me to be very unjust
and arbitrary law. and l think unconstflu-
tional.
"0f course | haven't seen the text yet, but
if law compelling street railway companies
to carry mail-carriers has been made IL
cannot be otherwise than unconstitutional,
and l cannot see wherein the Legislature
has the right to pass such an act.
"Tbe slreetcar companies here have all
shown a disposition to treat the postal de-
partment very literally, and all carry free
from one to three carriers in certain dis
tricts. and / believe all the roads carry them
all free from Third street to the ferry. We
carry them free between the ferry and the
Baldwin Hotel.
sit would only be fair for the Govern
ment to pay the streeicar companies for
the carrying OF the service, and In some OF
The Eastern cities il does. Kansas City, for
instance, Is, or was short time ago, city
whose streetcar companies received some
thing like $500 per month for such service,
the companies of course having an arrange
why the companies of this city should be
treated less fairly than those of the East is
beyond my powers of comprehension.
"Why, it would be just as fair and just
| Tor Congress to pass an act, and the PTesi-
dent sign It, compelling the steam roads to
carry the mail aud clerks free.
"Of course, as l said before, haven't
seen the text OF the law yet, and there may
be conditions which will permit of an en-
tirely different Interpretation. l hope SO,
truly"
should future developments in the
matter prove the law to be of character
sufficiently detrimental to the business of
street traffic as 10 warrant litigation, will
the different companies of this city combine
in the matter?" asked The CALL man.
That is matter wholly TO be decided
by future developments, and, of course j
cannot tell but will say, however, that IL
| is matter which must necessarily affect
| all alike"
Superintendent Backus of the Postoffice,
when seen by a CALL reporter, said the
letteT-caTrlers were much pleased with the
pa sage OF the bill, which they had got intro
duced ana had been anXiously watching its
passage. Frank Z. Smith. letter-carrier 46,
who is president of the National Associa-
| tlon OF Letter carriers, started the ag-
tation. and Charles 5. Arms. who was
himself at one time connected with the
POstotfice as superintendent OF Station b,
introduced the bill into the Senate and
watched over its interests during its pas
sage.
A question arose with the trainers as to
its constitutonality, and before its intro
duction several leading lawyers were con-
suited, who gave il rs their opinion that
there was no doubt of it; that railroad
company's franchise was as much subject
to the condition to give letter-carrieIs free
TRANSPORTATION as it WAS to payment for its
privileges.
The San Francisco Postoffics has never
asked the department for an allowance to
pay carfares Of letter-carrers, preferring to
have what money that would be thus al
lowed for the payment of extra letter-car-
riers. The act is therefore direct relief to
letter-carriers.