Evening star., 1897-05-13
THE POSTAL CONGRES S
Stronger 1nAioasious Of Lively Times When
fpaM ~ Body HsssA
The s-sreA sst-ou.aan< the B..i-
.e.' 81 ,ss A-,ner'nr Extended
Over News efkts Social Features.

The indications are growing stronger that
the sessionsSof tine postal congress to be
shortly held will >Se extremely lively in a
variety Of ways. The Beigians and the
Engiishmen seem to have locked horns
over the respective questions of fntermedi-
ate transit through countries lying between
the dispatchins point and destination OF
overland mails and the transportation Of
mail by water. The intermediate transit
proposition. 1t is said, will provide for q
percentage reduction Of rates for a term of
SIX years lowered proporsionately at the
end of two. four and six years, the reduc-
tion aegregatfng Is per cent
The proposed reduction on maritime rates
Will be recommended to reach the same
ngure A fight is imminent on both, with
chances strong for rejection The commit
tee on ways and means has finished the
consideration Of the verbal changes In the
existing regulations. and today has been
considering the question of q universal
postage stamp. the, proposition to reduce
the rates for mail In transit and the pro-
posed establishment of gold standard in
the settlement of postal balances between
members OF the International Postal Union.
III any reports favorable to these PROPOSE
tfons are made 1t Is believed that the
proceedings of the congress itself will be
even more interesting than Is now antici-
pated.
Entertainments In Prospect.
Mrs. Calvin 8. Brice has invited the
members of the postal congress and the
functionaries attached thereto to a garden
party at her residence, H street and Con-
necticut avenue. Saturday afternoon.
The British minister, Sir Julian Paunce-
fote. will entertain the postal congress at
the British legation May 90 The occasion
Will also be garden party.
The delegates to the postal congress will
be taken to Mt. Vernon tomorrow after
neon on the steamer River Queen, and
afterward be given a planked shad dinner
at Marshall Hall.
A Queer State Of Affairs.
The veil Of secrecy which Is presumed
to have beHn thrown over the actual pro-
ceedtngs Of the postal congress and its
committees seems to have been caught up
by the leading officials Of the United
States having direct charge of the congress
and Its ends are being almost torn to pieces
ooua IN tns endeavor end to cover up even the social
movements OF the congress. Newspaper
men are compelled to seek from foreign
delegates any information of this character
ihe facts OF the entertainment mentioned
ABOVE, instead of being developed through
oeie8ates, could have very easily been
furnished to the newspaper representatives
by the very efficient secretaries, Colonel
Chaille-Long and Mr.. Robert StockweIl
Hatcher. had they been permitted to do So
They were interesting features Of the con-
gress, which had no hearing on the sub
jects under business consideration, and
showed that the necessity of giving the
delegates some attention has been i'm
pressed upon residents of Washington
The delegates In a quiet way to acquaint-
ances. but With much vigor among them
selves, have9xpressed surprise at the way
they have fbeen ,cp cpeglected. They have
not even been taken through the public
buildings or given an opportunity to see
Congress in session. and they hesitate to
go individually batause Of their ideas of
the eetiquettd.thatishould be recognized on
the occasion of spch a gathering Of the
representatives of all the civilized nations
in the world. go
Consequently. 1t Ifs regarded as extremely
singular by the newspaper men and the
delegates themselves that, such a cloud of
mystery should be male to envelop the
mere social 7aoveMents Of the congress.