New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-10
NATL ;sERVICE\ABUSES'
ABROAD COMPANIES TAKE ExCEPTioN
TO THE LOUD BILL.
ruey THINK THE -PosTMAsTER-dENERAh oooAO
REMEDY THE MATTER WITH The "'O
OF BILL WHICH PASSED THE
SENATE LAST WEEK

REMEDY THE MATTER WITH iHT ~
OF BILL WHICH PASSED THE
SENATE LAST WEEK
fly TELEGRAPH 10 THE rRIBuNEI
vsbincton March 9-Representatves oi III,
New-york Central, Pennsylvania. Baltimore anu
Ohio Illinois Centrel. Chicago. burnn 81
Quincy and several other leading ra'Iroao ' =.
MES appeared before the Postohice Con'".''. ~
IN. House OF Representatives. to-day ana SUNNI.
argrmeats against the Loud bill, when
that certain kinds OF official matter wn'cn 10 Iii
t,,nsnorte1 In the malls at fourthclas rate" s"a
hereafte. be sent by freight or express .. nos
or express rates The several kiho' VI 100
which 1t Is proposed to transfer from p's.a,
to freight and express cars INCLUDE hea'y PA"
NJ hubble documents furniture and carpets, e'eS'
motors. locks and other HARDWARE eass .r,,
6ts Of surveying parties including scientnc ins''"
ments and great variety OF other matt, ,co
OF the packages thus transported "eis" i''"' " 49,
pounds each. and In some cases IL mas ~ 49,,
impractlcable to load them without taHins oi Wv
doors and widening the dorways OF pos'a' COS
The representatives Of the railroad co"p..
d,v admitted that the abuse which the Dill Is Nc
signed to cure has assumed enormous piol n
but they contelded that the Postmastcr-"e"e -
ample authority under existing law 10 co'ie' "
That official however holds contrary vie" III
letter dated February II to the cna'rnia' u ~
Postoffice Committee of the Senate fos,'" rs..
General Wilson said: "As matter or fact 'he roS'
master-General IL not disposed TO assume l""' :"
is within his preroSa;ive to dictate 10 other Dep
mcnts what they shall consider TO De o'i''a' M
tor, II seerrs to me a question Of judgment 10 De
determined by the head OF each Department WIN"
is not defined by any particular statute 49,
II came out In the course OF the hearing to-oi'
TINT ALL the material for the Government Exh'oi''
at the Worlds Columbian exhibition d. |'t'ae
and the Atlanta Exposition OF 1873 was ta"'po. w
TO those places from Washington. and from mus
r,aces to Washington again. In postal cars "'pio"'
expense 10 the Government, and also that OH o''e
occasion the sum of s2oc0O.0o0 in gold was tnuS
transported from San Francisco 10 Ne"-iorh i'' ~
Treasury Department without expense 10 VIC wv
eminent 1t so happened that the material a',"
gold were transported after one Quadrehh'a' "''e,
ing Of the malls to determine the amount per n''e
due to the various railroad companies had 'ane"
nIace and before the time of the next reweghihe
for that purpose Mr.. Slater. who represented sew
eral of the railroad companies to-day also cl.''o
the btu because IL would be easy for the "o'e,h-
ment officials to hold out the heaVy anu ou~'
plckages during the reweShing winch u ''"
templ,ted IN case the measure becomes law ann
then restore them 10 the mails and force the ran,
road companies 10 transport them fee ioi p''''
chairman Loud was disposed to resent TINS cr ~
cisnn, which he regarded as retecIon uPOi
officers OF the Government but Mr. slater nsis.Su
that il was a fair one. General w ". Dudley who
represented the Baltimore and Ohio ana barGship
other railroad companies. dwelt upon the
to the hitter which would result from me P ro,siS
reuuirnQ public documents 10 Seiit W
or express and he also contendcd that ample au-
thory Is vested In the Postmaster General py ex.
istirg law TO exclude from the mails other nea.y
and bulky packages such as furniture. caIpets,
tents ard camp outfits. etc He declared tnat t the
railroad companies had always dealt Justly m
deed generously with the Government in the MATER
OF mail transportation, and were entitled 20 IKE
treatment from the Government General dudley
called attention to "A bill that passed the Senate
last week which defines mail matter OF the fourth
class so clearly leave no doubt on the subject
As a representative OF several leading transporta-
ton conipa MES he favored that measure which de-
fines mailabe matter OF the fourth class TO be:
AN matter not embraced In the first, second or
third class which Is not In s form nature liable
to destroy deface otherwise damage the contents
of the mail bag harm the person or any one en-
Eagod in the postal service. and Is not above the
weight provided by law. which IL hereby declared TO
be exceeding four pounds for each package there
Of except In OF single books weighing in excess
OF that amount. and except for books and docu-
m"nts published circulated by order Of Con-
gr.ss or printed written official matter emanat-
ing from any OF the Departments Of the Govern
mcnt from the Smithsonian Institution. or
which is not declared non-malable matter under the
provisions OF Section 3s93 Of the Revised Statutes
amended by the act OF July Y. 1876 matter
I apportanng to lotteries gift concerts fraudu-
lent schemes or devices
Tho hearing Will be continued Tomorrow.