The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-01-20
THE CARRIER SERYICE.
CurtaiImeat Objected 70 BY Senator
NOar.
MATTER WAS DEBATED IN THE
SENATE YESTERDAY.

Order Created Consternatlon Ahohs JIG
Business Men of the Countrywide Tel
Ier Resolution VIII Re Taken Up
Today.
! Washington, January 19.-After the
reading of the Journal in the Senate.
Mr.. Vest of Missouri, gave notice that he
would at the conclusion of the morning
hour move to take up the Teller resolu-
tion which was reported by the finance
committee yesterday.
| A bill authorizing r.. Dobbins. keep
er of the lighthouse at Moose Point, Me-,
to accept a gold watch from the Cana
dian government for gallant service rem
dered the British schooner Ashton, was
passed
| A bill authorizing the attorney general,
| the secretary of the treasury and the Sec
retary Of war to compromise and adjust
certain claims of the United States
against the State of Tennessee. and the
State of Tennessee against the United
States was passed.
| A Joint resolution providing for the
| appointment of a commission to make
q report on channel from lower point
of Lake Michigan to the Wabash river
was offered by Mr.. Turpie ana referred to
| the committee on commerce.
Mr. Hoar offered a resolution relative
to the recent order Of the postmaster
general reducing the number of letter
carriers In some OF the larger cities on
account of deficiency in the free delivery
appropriation, the reduction providing
that the committee Of post offices and
post roads, should Immediately ascertain
| what amount was necessary to preserve
| the postal free delivery service of the
4 country. For his resolution, Mr.. Hoar
asked immediate consideration.
Mr.. Wolcott, chairman Of the post offices
and post roads committee, objected to
the reference of the resolution to his COM
ruittee. He said that the committee was
utterly powerless to afford relief for the
trouble which the resolution directed.
Mr.. Hoar thought the question was a
most important one, affecting as 1t did
hundreds of thousands of people who re-
ceiyed mail. By the order of the post
master general his own oity of 1o0,o 600
population was startled by reduction of
ten in it's force of carriers. New York,
Boston and other cities had suffered a re-
duction in their forces of letter carriers in
about the same proportion.
This order of the postmaster general
declared Mr.. Hoar, created CONSERVATION
among business men. The order was
based upon q deficiency in the appropr1a. !.
| fion for free delivery of about $l60, 600.
| All that is needed to remedy the difficulty
encountered by the post office department
and which confronts the business men OF
the country is small additional appro-
priation.
Mr.. Carter said that the committee had
considered the subject and reached the
conclusion that what was needed was
simply an increase in the Appropriation for
the carrier branch Service.
Mr. Allison said he had reason to be-
lieve there was deficit In the free de-
livery system. Congress could not say
how many letter carriers should be as
signed to the various cities. That was
solely within the province of the post
master general. "The postmaster general
is anxious to give the people of the United
States a good carrier service" inter
rupted Mr.. Hoar, ."but he has not the
money"
'',Ihe point u.s." resumed Mr. Allison,
tthat the postmaster general has pre-
sented estimates to Congress too low to
cover the expenses of his department.
Mr.. Allison urged that the postmaster
general be sent resolution inqulring
! why the Issuance OF such an order as had
provoked this discussion was necessary
and what remedy was necessary.
/ Alter some good natured sparrlng be-
tween Mr.. Hoar and MIR. Allison as to
| the terms Of the resolution, the former
agreed to change it so that the postmaster
| general should be instructed forthwith to
| Inform the Senate what amount of money
| was necessary to maintain the excellence
| OF the carrier service
Mr.. Allen spoke sarcastically of tho
good times the people of New England
were having under the Dingley law with
their strikes and lock -outs. He thought
have time to go to the post offices to get
their mail If 1t was not promptly de-
liyered by carrier. He thought the great
poinJ involved in the discussion of post
office finances was the charge that there
was an annual leakage of from eight tc
ten millions of dollars on account of the
under weighing Of mail matter. st is
most remarkable, +" said Mr.. Allen, "that
charges of such gravity should be made
in the public prints and yet that the
/ party in power should remain with refer
ence to them as silent as the grave. If
we only had the nerve to eradicate these
frauds we should have money enough to
nut corps of efficient letter carriers in
every city in the land
Mr.. Chandler objected to the use of the
word "forthwith" in Mr.. Hoar's resolu-
tion, as the Massachusetts senator declined
to eliminate it he objected to the resolu-
tion and it went over until tomorrow.
Mr. Chandler secured e. passage of q
resolution directing the committee on in
, terstate commerce to inquire whether the
fund provided for in rules sixteen and
seventeen of the joint traffic association
is lawfully in existence; to examine the
details of itG expenditures as to whether
or not it had been expended for lawful
purposes and whether any illegal or i'm.
proper use Of the funds could be pro-
hibited and punished by law.
Mr. Tillman presented q resolution fol
which he asked Immediate consideration.
F extending the authority of the interstate
commerce committee so that it might in
ouire to what extent railroad companies
, issued passes, whistler the railroads gave
transportation for any other considera
, tion than cash and what arrangements
> they had with the newspapers regarding
: transportation.
; Mr. Cullom objected to the considera
tion of the resolution, as it would involve
long and tedious investigation by tn,
committee which was anxious to get the
: Senate bin before Congress during this
session. He said that the committee now
, had sufficient testimony before it to indi
! cate the need of stringent legislation
Mr.. Vest recalled his notice that he
would move to take up the Teller resolu
, tion today as several Senators interested
| FL,