New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-02-08

VAST AND DANGEROUS DISCRETION ASNLD FUR
THE POsTMAsTER-GENERAL.
Washington Feb (SpeciaD.-A matter when
is exciting some interest here s the provision in the
Postoffce Appropriation bin for :diiwiy pOstd'-ear
service As the bill passed the House ii contained
this item For railway postofice car service -
10000" The Senate increased the amount soo'v'O'
This alone would not have been AT all reinafhdo'e'
\ much larger increase would not nave peeh S'"'
ing. even in a year when the treasury l. bankrupt
for the Senate almost always adds TO the sums APP
propriated by the Hous Bui the provision went
further 1t reads follows
said snail be ,>pended andeI me a iFser,
and in the discretion of the Posinlsies I,en h
and any provision Of existing law III cohhc' "V''
with r. hereby repealed
In all such matters a. the Southern fast mail ''e'
Cause is usually added leaving discretion III ''e
postmaster-General put IL is safe t. say thdt h'
such large discretion this is eyer given IN MAJ
ter of such moment. The provision was hse'''' O'
Chairman Villas. !; would seem that h'N"s o'''
been Postma General ana having theh "'S"e'
the use of extraordinary powers in dealing WIN fa"-
roads he favors as legislator the bestowa Of VAST
discretion on that officer y leading member OF
Congress said to-day;
This provision is mos, extraordinary such power
was never before inserted in these measure IL IS
a power vague and vast. Under It ne G'veit,ivu'
could stop renting ana go 10 nr' ,n t,nnilistc
thus affording the entering wedge fo' tne opH'
dogma Of owning and running ia 49, ,bev
probably opposed by me rair0ans ,d no, secnr,
fear that under its provisions htH "ou ,jors CON
or Right not fair rentals and regulations LII
OF
that this apprehensOn far AS the pr'"'h' 81 hrH
nrobahle conduct Of the department * conc'Ii'u' J
~ and countless Tine trouble - that s1lre
time under an Administration elected under pet"iia
circumstances the POstmasier-Gencrdl mlfh' III
these large legislative powers in thoroughly ia Az
cal manner II the injury Of pubic inttIes.S. ~.
provision Ought not 10 stand as Is IL shIi'r a,
least be more narrowly defined ihAn H. u II any
further discretion given. The ruth Ir, ~, i~
as il stands clothes the Postmaster wan "
needed authority He does not use l..
The amounts appropriated in 1895 ior the entr'
railway service Of the country were as follows ROC
the railway postoffce service S.WHl""' lh"hl
,r,,s,or,ation by rail routes. $I5.jN."D: railroad
nosofice c,erks NsoGN; special facilities on trHn
,ines Sio56l4: miscellaneous So AS IL pis-'l W.
House the appropriation for the fiscal year c,ItnH
I,ne 20 1896 -. For postoftce car Scrf &C. lr'',
006 for railway postocs c.erks. t+1"p' i)i Ipg.s'
F,s, mail facilities. tle66li. msceliHht Gus i,nE'
sSoN ;The Senate Committee on Postoffces an io
Toads struck out the fast mail provision ana al'..'
a. sbovn above 10000 the car service. N, 'l-
Cor, viii be made in the Senate when ne ntI y,
,sken nm for consideration. u restore IN si'D"'
facilities and strike out the ds.Ic'io,n,u ,
iat.e mower inserted by the committee u me -
,ed DTovton should be permitted - stay ~ me
measure II is hardly probable mar II can ID" h.
navel afterward in conference. although II may D.
modified