The Portland daily press., 1898-03-19
HOUSE RUSHING BUSINESS.
Conference Report on AgriculturalAppro-
priation Bill Agreed To.

priation Bill Agreed To.
Washington, March 1S.--The House to-
day agreed to the conference report on the
agricultural appropriation bill and then
went into committee OF the whole and re-
sumed consideration of the post office ap-
preparation bill.
Mr.. Barrows, Repu blican of Massachu-
setts, moved to strike out provision to
the effect that not more than 5000 of the
appropriation for cancelling machines
should be expended in any post office for
each $1,000 population or faction thereof
above 25,O 900. The amendment was de-
feated.
Mr., Cooper. Democrat Of Texas offered
an amendment providing that star route
contracts should be made only with per-
sons residing in the states and territories
through which the routes pass. he SAID
the practice of making contracts WIN star
route syndicates should cease. The amend.
ment was ruled out on point OF order' =
Mr.. Moon, Democrat of tennessee
made point OF order against Gne t;c npp,H tyI bs
priat1on of $225.000 for pneumatic tupe
service The point of order was overr ule'
and an extended debate followed upon the
merits of the tube system.
MIR. Loud, chairman OF the commlGHee
defended the appropriation declaring tnao
the system was a demonstrated success
and should be continued.
Mr.. Hepburn, Republican of Iowa,
made a vigorous speech against the appro-
priation principally on the ground that II
involved practical partnership between
the government and q corporation.
Mr. Mahaney. Republican OF New YORK.
pointed out the fact that the New fofk as
post office netted the government prono
of "a 1000, 900, the Boston post oinoe a. e.,
$500 600. They were entitled, he argued,
to every facility for expediting the mails
Mr.. Smith, Republican of Illinois salo
the tube system was in an experimental
stage. He was willing to continue the
contract for year when, II 1T was sue
cess, he thought it should be extended TO
other cities.
Mr.. Livingston. Democrat of Georgia,
supported the appropriation and MT.
Williams, Democrat of Mississippi, lntl
mated that the friends Of the pneumatic
t11be system in New York and the friends
of the appropriation of S171 1000 for special
mail facilities from New York to New
Orleans were standing together.
Mr.. Fowler, Republican OF New Jer-
sew. offered an amendment limiting the
amount of money to be expended Tor TINS
tube service to the aggregate amount OF
the compensation paid for wagon service
discontinued by reason of the establish
ment of the tube system.
1t was lost, "a to SO, as was also the
motion to strike out the entire approprla-
tion. The vote on the latter proposition
stood g. 10 81. Mr.. Hepburn then offered
an amendment providing that no portion
of the appropriations should be used to
extend the pneumatic tube service beyond
the contracts already entered into. This
amendment was carried 81 to 4S.
Mr.. McEwan. Republican of New Jer-
sey, offered an amendment to the appro-
priation of $780, 800, 00C for railroad trans
portation providing that the dates when
the mails should be weighed to furnish
basis for the compensation to railroads
should be communicated secretly to post
masters.
Mr.. MoEwan declared that the chief
difficulty in the post office revenues was
due to railroad weighing OF malls. 1t
was extortionate, dishonest and unfair
and he expressed the opinion that the
fabrication of false weights could be pre-
vented IL the railroads had no knowledge
in advance of just when the weighing
was to take place.
Mr. Grosvenor, Republican OF Ohio,
made a point of order against the amend
ment and 1t was sustained.
Mr.. Loud read a letter from the post
office department indicating the urgent
necessity of specific statute making the
stuffing of the mails during the weighing
period q misdemeanor punishable by
heavy fine. MIR. Loud submitted the
draft of an amendment drawn at the post
Office department.. 1t made 1t misde-
meapor for any person to place, OF cause
to be placed in the mails anything during
the weighing period with intent to in
crease the weight of mails and the com
pensation paid therefor. 1t made the
offense punishable by a fine of not isss
than $500 nor more than $4,000 and I'M
prisonment not to exceed five years.
Mr. Walker, Republican of Massachu-
setts declared that the officials of the post
office department ought to be able to pro
tect the governments against swindling in
the mail weighings, He said every busi-
ness man had.szmuch more difficult
problems to solve. The amendment was
adopted without division.
Several other amendments were ruled
ont on points of order All were directed
at the appropriation tor railroad trans
portation. One proposed to create q COM
mission to investigate the subject of mail
TRANSFORMATION and another to reduce the
amount to $3.50, 900, 600. Without complete
ing the bill the House at 5 p. IN. ad-
iourned until tomorrow.