The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1896-02-29
Letter from Congressman
Jenkins.

In reply to Col. C. c. Pope. chairman
Of the committee on State and National
legislation, of the commercial Club, re-
garding the port of Superior, Congress
man Jenkins writes as follows:
Ny dear Colonel
Inasmuch as it appears to
me that for the present nothing further
can be done to advance the interests of
the port bill, and you having written
me as chairman of the committee on
state and national legislation of the
Commercial Club, | will make report
to you of What has been done on be-
half of the measure. After having OBJ
tanned many valuable and important
communications from Superior, | pre-
scented the matter orally at considerable
length to the department and was re-
quested to leave a written statement
embodving the substance Of hat | had
said orally, and that an answer should
be made to all of the positions urged.
l was anxious to find out as to the
proposed consolidation and also as to
the proposed change of all the districts
and in addition to my argument | so
framed my letter as to call forth ex-
pressions from the department on all
OF the points Of interest to us. | felt
satisfied at the time from replies made
to me that the department did not look
with favor upon our bill, and did not
propose to leave anything undone on
my part. So after getting the views of
the supervising general agent present
ed the matter very fully to the secre
tary and now have his reply, and for
your better information | enclose to
you copy of my letter to the secretary
and his reply to the same. The answer
is as full as | expected. | understa nd
that | was to have letter that would
fully explain all of the reasons why the
bill ought not TO become law in case
the department adhered to its deter
mlnatlOu 10 oppose the bill.
After the supervising special agent
had reported against our bill the sec
rotary called attention to one matter
that seemed to be in his judgment CON
elusive against US and | will give you
the figures as given by him for the
fiscal year ending June 80, 1895, the
aggregate 1ceipts at the port of Superb
or was 81 OPP O., and the expenses of
collecting the same, 81 .372.11, the ex-
penses exceeding the receipts $40, $40
10, costing 81 .93S to collect 81, that the
cost of collecting tie 81. gradually in
creased, and it was impossible to keep
the expenses within the receipts. that
1t would simply mean the appointment
of several more employees and the ere
alton of more offices without any cor
responding benefit to the government.
Such statement coming from such a
source has all-powerful weight with the
committee, and while the committee
declined to give me any information as
to the correspondence between the de-
partment and the committee | was
satisfied that the department had fully
communicated its views to the commit
nous report against the bill.
Ofcourse upon such a showing you
will appreciate that it is very hard to
satisfy the committee, that under
the circumstances a bill like ours ought
to become a law. | was also informed
thst the ruling of the dep trtment was
uniform, that the same ruling had been
applied in different section of the
country, where united democratic
delegation asked for similar favors and
| was told generally that the business
did not demand it, that individual
interest did not require it and that the
department could not make any
recommendation in favor of such
measures.
Even if could get favorable report
from the committee | could not get con-
sideration for the bill in the house. l
am satisfied from my interview that the
department is fully advised on the
subject of the proposed change in the
districts and is very favorably inclined
to it, and that if the change is made it
will be very radical and wholly in the
interest of business. | requested the
committee to let the bills rest for the
present.
Very Respectfully,
JOHN j. JENKINS.