The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-01-20
THE PAPER TRAIN.
The Appropriation For the Kansas
City Newspapers Knocked Out.

A special to the Kansas City Times
from Washington conveys the informa-
ton that the house has knocked out o.
the postoffce appropriation bill the item
providing that the government shall
pay $4,000 for the continuation of the
newspaper train out of Kansas City.
This was in accordance with the recon-
mendation Of Assistant Postmaster
General ShalIenberger that the postal
service should not be taxed with
an appropriation for this train,
The special and other kilograms give
the following:
I'm committee of the whole the house
today eliminated from the postoffice ap-
preparation bill this item: For contin-
uing necessary and special facilities on
trunk lines from Kansas City, Mo-, to
Newton, KAN, $685. or so much there
of as may be necessary; provided that
part of this appropriation shall be
expended unless the postmaster general
shall deem such expenditure necessary
in order to promote the interests of the
postal service
Mr.. Moody of Massachusetts attack
ed the proposed appropriation vigorous
ly, claiming that it served no purpose
except to carry morning papers printed
in Kansas City to Newton, KAN
"Mr. Cowherd of Missouri defended the
appropriation. There was a long de-
bate following in which Mr.. M cody moved
to strike out the appropriation of $685.
900 for special mail facilities from Kan
SaS City to Newton, Kan. Mr.. Simpson
Pop.) of Kansas defended the appro-
priation, which he said facilitated the
mails for western Kansas and the whole
southwest. The amendment was adopt
ed and the appropriation stricken out.
Jerry Simpson said the mail which
the appropriation gave enabled the peO-
pie of his district to get the Kansas
City morning papers twenty-fOur hours
earlier than they would otherwise. AS
far as the railroads are concerned, said
-1-s e.,
preparation and are not especially de-
SirOuS of it,
MIR. Cowherd had stated that this
fast train accommodated 1900, 900 peo-
pie. 1t was also essentially important
to the merchants of Kansas City to
have this means of getting to the south
and west because by the system in
vogue in st. Louis and Chicago of
holding trains at Kansas City to re-
ceive it. He said this works great in
Justice to Kansas City merchants be-
cause it allowed st. Louis and Chicago
to enter their territory at the same time
with them, although the Chicago-St.
Louis letters were written twelve hours
earlier.
I'm the senate this action of the
house may be reversed. The item will
be reinserted and will come back to the
house for reference to conference
committee"
TWhat lot of bunsombe on the part
of Congressman Cowherd and Simpson.
Both of those gentlemen know or ought
to know the train is run for the benefit
of the newspapers and not the mer-
chants in Kansas City, Kansas, or Ok
lahoma. The train has actually retard-
ed mail for points south and west of
Newton and not facilitated the regular
mails east of Newton. The mail train
which leaves Kansas City at 500 at
night takes practically all the mail in
Kansas City. Very few merchants
write business letters after at night.
That train gets to Newton early in the
morning and since the fast mail was
put 'on has been held at Newton, the
letters and newspapers actually re-
tarded If the government is going to
help the mail facilities of western and