The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-01-31
LIQUIDS BILL.
INTERESTING HEARING BEFORE
THE SENATE COMMITTEE.
Last Opportunity For Those Who
Objected to the Bill to Be Heard,
Unless Further Action is Taken
by the Committee.

washington, Jan. 3O.-A hearing was
given this morning by the senate COM
mittee on postoffices and postroads to
persons interested in what has come
to be known as the Loud bill. recently
passed by the house of representatives
and applying to the postage on second
class mail matter. Ten o'clock was the
hour fixed for the hearing, but the only
member of the committee then on for
the next half hour present was Mr..
Chandler, acting chairman in the alb
sence of Mr.. Wolcott.
Governor CIeaves addressed the COM
mittee. The act. he said, would affect
many of the interests and would with
draw many of the great privileges now
enjoyed by the people of the United
States. The pOstoffice department was
! nearer to the people than any other
branch of the public service. The peo-
pie recognize the United States mail
as part of the great government to
which they owed and gave allegiance.
They recognized the benefits conferred
upon them, carrying to them since 1779
their mail, practically postage free
carrying to them good books. good
magazines and good newspapers. This
privilege was nearly equal in import
ance to the common school system. 1t
was said, however that bad books and
bad publications were going through
the mails. exercising a corrupting and
debauching influence on the youth of
the country, and that that should be
stopped. Even if that were so, con-
greSS had the power TO correct these
abuses under the present law without
revolutionizing the whole postal system
and destroying the whole fabric be-
cause there were one or two rotten tim
bers found in the structure.
Governor CleaveS said there was no
doubt congress had the power to repeal
this law at any time but there were
equitable rights which should be re-
spected. A liberal construction of the
postal laws, he believed, would meet
the approval and condemnation of the
whole American people.
Mr.. H. n. Wheeler said the proposed
act would grant subsidies to the eX-
press companies. In some Of his re-
marks, he came in conflict with Repre-
sentative Loud, who was present. and
who questioned some of Mr.. Wheeler's
statements.
Patrick Farrell of New York, repre-
senting the American News company,
urged Senator Chandler not to insist
on his first amendment striking out the
words .'or when sent from a news
agency, or to ether news agencies and
he also suggested such an amendment
of the bill as would allow news deal
ers the return privilege" on untold
copies.
Mr. Finley Acker, of Philadelphia,
chairman of the Postal committee of
the national board of trade, presented
resolutions of that organization in
favor of the Loud bill.
Replying to questions Mr. Acker said
the national board of trade favored
penny postage. but had no desire to
carry it until some of the abuses were
eliminated from the second class mat
ter.
Senator Chandler remarked that he
had offered an amendment to the Loud
bill for one cent postage for the pur-
pose of suggesting the question whether
it would not be better to carry letters
at cost than to carry second class mat
ter at less than cost.
Mr.. John Elderkin, of the committee
of New York publishers. opposing the
bill, made a remark as to the national
board of trade which he spoke of as
''one-horse affair."
Secretary Bryant, of the American
Newspaper Publishers association.
stated that the association had adopted
a resolution endorsing the Loud bill,
and that there had been no dissent to
that resolution since.
The meeting was closed with a brief
address by Mr.. Williams. of the Iron
Age, in support of the bill and with
the presentation of some statistics in
opposition to it.
Senator Chandler stated there would
be no further hearings on the subject
unless by order of a majority of the
committee.