The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-01-29
POOLING BILL DEFEAT.
National Board of Trade Declines to
Recommend 1t.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 28.-The ma
tlonal board of trade, a it's meeting to-
day, received the report of the commit
tee on postal reforms, in which special
attention was called to irregularities Of,
the present rates Of postage. The actu-
al cost Of letter postage was shown to
be SO cents per pound, Of fourth class
matter 1876 cents per pound of third
class 13.1 cents per pound, and of Sec
end class 1920 Of a cent. The commit
tee had held conferences with Chair
man Loud, of the house postoffice com
mittee. Mr.. Loud, the report said, had
agreed with the committee that it was
nothing short of an outrage that the
people of the country should be charg-
ed SAC, 600, 600 year for the cost of hand
ling their letter mails.
The report concluded with resolu-
tions to the effect that as losses on
second class postage are $25, 600 900 a.
year; as it was never intended that
books should be carried at l cent a
pound, and as the present evasions
threaten an advance Of postage for
bona fide newspapers and compel the
payment of double rates on letters, the
Loud bill should be passed as the most
practical means of reform. The reso-
luton was adopted.
The committee was instructed to ap-
pear. next Saturday before the senate
committee having the Loud DILL in
charge.
The reduction and readjustment Of
postal rates on a basis of lie for letters
was approved.
Mr.. F. B. Thurber, of New York.
made the report on transportation.
He quoted from the report of the inter
state commerce commission to the eff
feet that the railroad business of the
country has suffered in the past year
as never before. From the same source
Mr.. Thurber presented a statement
from a witness that in thirty-five
years experience with shipping in the
West, he had never seen fair treatment
for the farmers. They were ALWAYS
Disseminated against in favor of the
large shippers. There is a corn crop Of
240,000,000 bushels this year, QS96.) 1t
was asserted that when the farmers
have been compelled to sell and the
crop is in the hands Of large shippers.
a reduced rate will be given, and the
crop will move. The farmer the wit
ness quoted said is made to pay IS
cents a bushel to haul corn 200 miles.
While the big shippers are given a rate
of &c a bushel to Chicago, from three
to four times as far.
Il tell you," concluded the witness.
this is what is making anarchists
west Of the Mississippi river
Mr.. Thurber said railroad managers
were in favor of correcting this abuse.
but the only possible way was by pool
ing. This, however, was forbidden by
the interstate commerce law. The
railroad committee, Mr.. Thurber said,
was divided on the subject Of an
amendment to the law permitting pool
ing.
After long and spirited discussion
Of the subject, the recommendation of
the committee favoring an amendment
to the interstate commerce act so as to
authorize pooling Of railroads under the
supervision and direction of the inter-
state commerce Commission was voted
down, under the two thirds rule. the
board being nearly equally divided on
the subject.
Mr.. Tucker was reelected secretary.
Mr.. Stewart Patterson, of Philadelphia,
the president of the late Indianapolis
monetary convention, briefly addressed
the board, urging the members to use
every proper means in their power to
bring about the reforms in the cur
rency on the lines suggested by the
Indianapolis convention. The session
al fsurned to meet again In Washing
ton. in December next.