The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-19
TO PREVENT STUFFING
IMPORTANT AMENDMENT TO THE
POsTOFFICE APPROPRIATION BILL.
People Who Attempt to Load Up the
Mails During the weighing Pc
riOd to BE Punished.

WASHINGTON, March 1S.-The House
spent another day on the postofice appro-
priation bill, but only disposed of two pages
of the bill. Most of the day was devoted
to debate on the merits of the pneumatic
tube mail service in New York, Boston and
Philadelphia and the advisability of con-
tinuing the existing contract An effort to
strike out the appropriation of $225, 600 was
defeated, but the opponents of the appro-
priation succeeded in securing the adop-
ton of an amendment providing that no
additional contracts should be made. An
amendment was adopted making it mis-
demeanor for any person bstob pad" the
mails during the period when the mails
are being weighed to determine the COM
pensation to be paid to the railroad for
their transportation. The amendment was
recommended by the department.
When the bill was taken in committee of
the whole Mr.. Cooper Dem, Texas) Of
fered an amendment providing that star
route contracts should be made only with
persons residing in the States and Terri
tories through which the routes pass. He
said the practice of making contracts with
star route syndicates should cease. The
amendment was ruled out on point of
order.
Mr.. Moon (Dem., Temp made point of
order against the appropriation of 1925, 900
for pneumatic tube service. The point of
order was overruled and an extended de-
bate followed on the merits of the tube
system. Mr.. Loud, chairman of the commit
tee, defended the appropriation, declaring
that the system was a demonstrated sue
cess and should be continued. The appro-
priation finally was retained.
Mr.. McEwan (Rep., N. ID offered an
a a M q n o.
600 for railroad transportation, providing
that the dates when the mails should be
weighed to furnish a basis for the COM
pensaton of railroads should be communi-
Gated secretly to postmasters.
Mr.. McEwan declared that the chief de-
ficiency in the postoffice revenues was due
to railroad weighing of mails 1t was extor-
tomato, dishonest and unfair and he ex-
pressed the opinion that the fabrication of
false weights could be prevented if the
railroads had not knowledge in advance of
just when the weighing was to take place.
Mr.. Grosvenor (Rep., o. made point of
order. against the amendment and it was
sustained.
Mr. Loud read letter from the Postof1ce
Department, Indicating the urgent neces-
fling of the mails during the weighing
period a misdemeanor punishable by a
heavy fine. Mr.. Loud submitted the draft
of an amendment drawn at the PostOffice
Department. 1t made it a misdemeanor for
any person to place or cause to be placed
in the mails anything during the regular
weighing PSilou With lnlenI " MI odoe tlIe
weight of the mails and the compensation
paid therefor. 1t made the offense punish
able by fine of not less than $500 nor more
than $20O and Imprisonment not to exceed
five years: The amendment was adopted
without division.
Several other amendments were ruled out
on points of order. All were directed al the
appropriation bill for railroad transporta-
| ton. One proposed to create committee
| to investigate the subject of mail trans
portation and another to reduce the amount
to SIS, 100000. Without completing the bill
the House at p. m. adjourned until to-
morrow.