Omaha daily bee., 1898-01-20
DISCUSS OUR MAIL FACILITIES.
Senators Give Some Attention to Post
office Department Affairs.

| ONCE Department Anairs. ...
| WASHINGTON, Jan. ia spiri ed debate
WIS preeipitated in the senate today by the
Introduction OF resolution by Mr.. Hear Of
| Massachusetts, providing for IN inquiry by
the committee on postotIices and pas.roads
| concerning the recent order OF The pos mas
ter general regarding the force Of letter car
| 1ers in several cities of the, country. Mr.
Hcar declared that the order had the effect
| Of q dynamite bomb in creating consterna-
| zion ancng business men throughout the
country while apparently all Rat was needed
| by the PcstoiliCe department was an appro-
priation of $l5O,00O to fully maintain the ef-
| ficency of the carrier system.
| Tho debate tCek wide range, Mr.. VOL
| colt, chairman of the committee on post
| cfIiceS and Lost roads, insisting that many
| New Eqsl.nd people represented by the SEN
| ator from Massachusetts were responsible for
| tins deficiency in the funds OF the Postoftic2
department. because they insisted that the
government should carry second-class mail
at an enormous loss; and Mr.. Allen of Ne
braska charging that the government was
unnw,ly defrauded out '0f milliCas of dollars
through the underweignirg " mail matter.
The resolution in a modified form is still
pending
Mr. Vest gave notice tha. me would move
tomorrow to take up for consideration the
resolutlcn reported by the finance committee
providing that bones of the United States
may be paid in standard silver dollars. Mr..
Vests notice seems to indicate an intention
on the part of some senators to d!splace,
temporarily, the Hawaiian annexation treaty,
as 1T is evident, as Mr.. White Of California
said, that the considera ion of the resolution
would ''pcecipitlte some slight discussion"
Aztec the reading Of the journal
in the senate Mr.. Vest of Mis-
souri, gave notice that he would, at the
conclusion of the morning business, move to
take up the Teller resolution which was
cd h,yt ha fra.
A bill authorizing the attorney general, the
secretary OF the treasury and the secretary
of war to compromise and adjust certain
claims cf tIae United States against the state
of Tenrc1see and the state of Tennessee
against the United States was passed
A joint restitution providing for the appoint
ment of commission to make a survey of
ship canal from the lower part OF D2ke
Michigan to the Wabash river was offered
by Mr.. Turple Qud) and referred TO the
committee on commerce.
Mr.. Hoar offered a resolution relative to
the recent order of the postmaster generdl
reducing the number of letter carriers in
some OF the large cities on account of
deficiency in the free delivery appropriation,
the appropriation providing that the commit
tee on postoffices and post roads should i'm
mediately ascertain what amount was neces-
sary to protect the free delivery service of
the country. For his resolution Mr.. Hoar
asked immediate consideration.
Mr.. Wolcott, chairman OF the committee
on postoftices and pest roads, objected TO
the reference of the resolution to his commit
tee He said the committee was utterly
poWerless to afford relief for the trouble at
which the resolution was directed, He
thought the resolution ought by all means
go to the committee on appropriations. The
committee on postoifces and pest roads he
added, is anxious to extend and make moro
efficient the letter carrier system, but it was
pOwerless.
Mr. Hoar thought the question was II most
important one, affecting, as it does. hundreds
Of thousands of people who receive mail
This order OF the Postmaster general" de-
clared Mr., Hoar, created CONSERVATION
among business men. The order was based
upon deficiency in the appropriated for
free delivery Of about Sl5D0OO.
IAN tha' ~ needed to remedy the difficulty
encountered by the Postotfce department
and which corronts tine business men OF the
country Is a small additional appropriation.
1t ls absolutely intOlerable tha this great
branch Of the public service should stop or
be crippled Many OF the smlller cities OF
the country ale TO be deprived practically Of
the mail delivery facilities. and It, is time
somoh hing be done W avoid serious business
embarrassment" .'
Mr.. Allison urged that the postmaster gem
eral be sent a resolution inquirng why the
issuance OF such an order rs had provoked
this discussion was necessary and what
remedy was needed No suggestion had
hegn made to the committee on appropra-
items that the postmaster general has not at
his disposal sufficient funds to meet the needs
OF his department.
At this point Mr. Woleott said he desired
to call the senate's attention to the real
bas IS OF the trouble with the financial affairs
of the Postoiice department. "It Is well
understood" said Mr. Wolcott. that the
second-elass mall of this country absorbs
65 per cent of the expenses of the Postoi flee
department and supplies only about per
cent OF the revenues, This is the serious