The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1897-03-25
GIFT TO THE
RAILROADS.
Lions Of Dollars Voted as a Free
Gift By Congress What
is The
( STERI0US INFLUENCE?

.r. Conduct of The Railroads In The
t,., Campa'gu-Thsy Reduced The
Spnbrr of Employees and Reduced
rheir Pay while at The Same Time In
,,s.sinE the Pay Of Their Onicials-
wL,tho Railroads Went Into Politics
rbsy Were the Most Powerful Allies Of
the Gold Trust why This Reckless
waste of the Peoples Money to Help
ue shyiock Campaign Fund some
-DI.Ing Facts and Figures.
pntinued from last week.
u, prasident. that is not all. In
lnor TO the heavy appropriation
d oil TO pay the railroads for
a.r, the mails, there is another
.u appropriating $3 600, 900 to pay
N. r.loads for the rent OF the cars
which the mail is carried. /
kG...I this morning that that was
IV.p. a. much rs all the postal cars
.rr worth. There are not more
.n 5000 postal cars in use. These
r cost only about from $4,000 to
uJ Zach. Therefore the govern.
..r, could buy every one of these
for loss than $2,000,000. These
q, u.l about twenty years, yet this
M proposes to pay $4,000, 600 rent
lnpm in one year. At this rate,
hi twenty years the government
raa.d pay %72 600 600 for the use OF
ars that it could buy and own for
than - 100000. This is the
b,o.t reckless and astounding busi
hess PROPOSITION that / have ever
lcard. Yet. this morning, when l
moved 10 amend this item by pro-
dIur that the Postmaster General
hou,d not pay more rent than III
,r cont. Of the cost ef the cars,
hat did the Senate do? 1t voted
br amendment down. How Sena-
ors can justify their votes to their
orscirnces and to their duty to the
taxpayers Is beyond my eomprehen-
ion. Here we vote away millions
the peoples money into the pock-
Is of the railroads without 3 single
agon or excuse for so doing. Nc
ouator has dared to try to give q
bneIe reason or excuse. 1t is shame
/. it is robbery; but this is not all
Mr.. President, the pending bll
roposes that in addition to the higf
riccs we pay for hauling mail, II
Sdd.ion to the high prices we pa!
or ear rent, we shall pay q specla
Extra subsidy over and above tn
lgh psice we pay per ton for carry
g the mails and the high price W
bay for rent of postal ears.
"A Nix. GALLINGER. This is In tn
liscretion of the Postmaster Gen
bral.
Mr.. BUTLER. Is il? Now let m
tead you what the Postmaster Ger
ral says about that.
Mr.. GALLINGER. But | read tn
>ilO. -,
Mr. BUTLER. But what does tn
Postmaster General say about tn
brovisionR
Mr.. GALLINGER. If the Senate
NIL permit me, it is in the discretio
the Postmaster. General
PROVIDED, That no part of the al
bropriation made by this paragrap
hail be expended unless the Pos
Master General shall deem such 6:
2nditure necessary in order to pro
bo,e the interest of the postal Sc
ice.
Mir. BUTLER. That same arg,
ant has been used here every tin
bis subsidy has been extende'
Iow, what does the Postmaste
euoral say in his last report +
f96l He says:
Congress has appropriated ea'
ear during the last twenty years
pocialty fund for fast mail seryl
om New England and New York
|outhern States, reaching as +
outh as New Orleans. The tot
mount for the current year
poo, GA
There has been difference
piuion as to the necessity for ma
e these appropriations, but
And to this | call the attention
lie Senator from New Hampshire
each Congress has seen proper
blow the action of the former 20
rcss, the Department., while I
commenting the appropriate
as thought it advisable to apply
hnd for the purpose indicated.
Mr.. President, there never b
eeu Postmaster. General, as
| know, who has advised or n
Ff,V.5 nv, .lgl
ever has been even postmast
leaeralette who has recommend
advised it. The Postmasters-G g
pal have advised against 1t,
pCre advice is never taken by u
ress, and for some reasons e.
bar it made the appropriate
lille the Department protested,
last the Department stopped p
(shDc, and now the POstmas
eneral simply says, 81 pay 1T
tcause we recommerd you not
bpropriate it, and you must "
|e to pay it out or you would
Ppropriate it. Therefore l SUPP
am carrying out the direction
|ongress.
Mr.. President, let us see W
bms Of the Postmasters Cen
aye said about this. will
ith Postmaster G eneral Wauan
!, and | could read from this (
pr twenty years.
la my judgment, the ordinary,
ensation now allowed by law sh
eeure from railroads hearty
peration with the Department IL
Establishment OF such schedule
Ill accomplish a maximum am
: / good mail service, and when
bis is done the compensation IS
b be advanced, occasioned by
atural increase in the quanti
lails transported.
The railroads associated
ii large cities and trade center
be country have an interest,
endent of the compensation all
lreetly by the Government, II
perating with the POst-Ohce