The herald., 1896-12-09
IN THE HOUSE
Measures. to Improve the Postal Ser
vice-Pensions Considered.

WASHINGTON, Dec. S.-The attend
ance of members was very large In the
house today, but the galleries were al
most deserted. After the journal had
been read there was hurried consulta-
ton of Dingley and other Republican
leaders, as a result of which it was de-
cided to proceed with the regular order
OF the call of committees.
Loud of California, from the commit
tee on postofflces and post roads, called
up the bill to authorize the use of pri-
vate mailing cards of the same weight
and form as postal cards. when a l.
cent stamp is affixed. The bill, he said,
had been approved by the postoftice de-
partment, as it would tend to popularize
postal cards, besides effecting a saving
to the government of the difference
between the cost of cards and stamps.
this year $4O,976, 900. Yet, he said, the
into operation in England. where in six
months the number of cards mailed in
creased from PAS 900. 900 to 334, 100000 The
bill was passed. 1t takes effect July l,
1897. Loud also called up the bill to pro-
vide limit of indemnity for the loss of
registered mail matter. 1t provides an
indemnity not to exceed $40 for any one
registered letter. but nottt to exceed the
actual value of the letter This bill was
also approved by the postoffice depart
ment. Loud said that on the basis of last
years statistics the government could
have a revenue of $500, ,000. with a liability
of only $4,000. There We're criticisms to
the bill on the ground that it trespassed
on the rights of express companies. but
is passed--76 to l3.
Loud then called up the bill of Sperry
of Connecticut to authorize the collec-
ton of delivery of mail In towns and
villages where no letter carrier service
eXtts by the employme Mt, under mutual
arrangement between citizens, and per-
son to perform the service at cost not
exceeding l cent for each letter or pack
age at the expense of the benef1ciaries;
The bill was supported by Smith OF
Illinois and Pickler of South Dakota.
and passed-100 to 103.
The house then went into the commit
tee of the whole on the pension appro-
priation bill
stone (Pennsylvania) briefly explained
that the bill carried 41.26S,SOO, about
$4,000 less than the bill for the current
year. The committee. he said, did not
feel warranted in making reduction
on the estimates for pensions, but did
reduce the amount for attending sur
geons $4,000 and the amount for clerk
hire at various agencies $4,000.
Grow Pennsylvania). the venerable
Of the latitude allowed in the debate on
the bill to attack that portion of Cleve-
lands message relating to the effects
from a revenue standpoint, of enacting
of the present tariff law. The deficit
for the first years life Of the law. he
said. was 25,000,000. for the second $45,-
o00,0 900 and for the first five months of
this year $40,S76.000. Yet. he said the
president had not seen fit. with these
large deficits, to recommend any meas
ure for increase of revenue. The ne
cessity for revenue, he argued. could not
be denied in the face of the figures sub
mitted by the president himself. 1t
was, he declared, purely business ques-
ton He showed that importations
were increasing and revenues decreas-
ing 1t indicated, he said, a lack of busi-
ness capacity in the imposition of duties.
Grow received a round of applause
from the Republican side when he con-
cluded.
When the bill was taken up under the
five minute rule, Connolly Ollinois) Of
fered an amendment to the provision re-
quiring examining surgeons to state spe-
officially the rating the applicant for PEN
sion is entitled to in their Judgment, so
as to make the rating fixed by the exam
ining board binding in the pension Of
flee, If any pension should be allowed.
The amendment was ruled out on
point Of order. and without amendment
the bill passed.
The notice given by Thomas E. Wat
son of contest against j. c. Black of
Georgia was read to the house and re-
ferred to the committee on elections.