Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-05-18
PNEUMATIC TUBE SERVICE
MIR. wOLCOTT VIGOROUSLY OPPOSED
TO ITS EXTENSION.
Declares the Proposed Appropriation
Would He Wastc-The Debate
in tile Senate.

The post Office appropriation bill was I'M
der consideration In the Senate yesterday
afternoon until adjournment. All OF the
committee amendments were agreed to ex-
cept that relatingNto the extension of the
pneumatic tube service. This created some
debate and was being discussed when the
measure was laid aside for the day MI
Wolcott, chairman of the committee on
post otces and post roads, vigorously at
tackled the committee proposition to appro-
pirate $130,000 for the penumatic tube ser
vice, declaring the extension of the service
was unnecessary and the appropriation
waste of public money.
Mr.. Mason CID quite as vigorously sup
ported the proposition. The amendment of
Mr.. Butler IN. c. to reduce by 10 per cent
the amount to be paid the railroads for the
transportation of mail was rejected, IL to
Al.
Payments to Railways.
After The Stars report of the proceedings
was closed yesterday afternoon Mr. Petit
grew presented an array of figures in sup
port of his position and repeated argu-
ments he had heretofore made against the
present compensation of the railroads for
carrying the mail
In a brief reply Mr.. Wolcott characterized
some of the statements of Mr.. Butler and
MI. 1elllSTeW as Wllu NdSdTieS, winch
would be regarded "as preposterous if they
had not fallen from the lips of SO conserva-
tive statesman as the senator from North
Carolina
Mr.. Clay (Gao resented the attack made
by MIR. Butler and Mr.. Pettigrew upon the
postal commission. He declared simply to
name the Senate members of the commit
tee-Senators Wolcott, Allison, Chandler
and Martin, not To mention the House men,
bers-Messrs. Loud, Moody Catchings and
Fleming-was a sufficient refutation of any
charges against them.
The amendment of Mr.. Butler was reject
ed, II to Al.
The committee amendment extending the
life of the postal commission was then
agreed to without division.
Pneumatic Tube Service.
The committee amendment appropriating
SIo0,0oO for the transportation of mail by
pneumatic tubes was taken up Mr. Butler
made point of order against the amend
ment that it was new legislation and in
violation Of the existing law. The point of
order was overruled by the chair (Mr.
Frye.
Mr.. Wolcott addressed the Senate in OPP
position to the amendment. He said the
entire scheme of sending mail by pneumatic
tubes was covered by patents except the
hole in the ground and that had to be OBJ
tanned from the municipal authorities. The
scheme, too. was monopoly, and the
service in New York. Brooklyn, Boston and
Philadelphia was very limited
The cost in the four cities for the service
varied greatly. In New York it cost $1,000
a mile per annum: in Brooklyn, $124GU; In
Boston about $4,000, and in Philadelphia
$4,000. The service Mr.. WolcOtt declared,
had made Il saving of neither expense nor
OF appreciable time. In New York the
wagon service actually had been increased
since the pneumatic tubes had been put in,
and the saving of time between the general
post office in New York and the Grand
Central station by the tube service was
only twelve minutes, absolutely unneces-
sary except possibly for firSt-class mail.
And for this saving, he declared. the gov
eminent was paying $165,00 year.
Mr.. WOIcOtt's Opposition.
At some length Mr.. Wocott discussed the
efforts Of the pneumatic tube people to Sc
cure favorable action by Congress upon
the pending amendment. He said they had
'swarmed the Senate corridors all winter
like bees In hiving time They did not
want merely the s25o,G00 necessary to sup
port the present service but they wanted
the additional appropriation of 100000.
He declared that the member of the
House who had led the attack upon the
pneumatic tube service had been asSailed
by New York newspapers, and yet he had
refrained from saying many things in OPP
position to the monopoly that he might
have said. He pointed out that the COM
pany controlling the pneumatic tubes had
figured upon putting down eighty miles Of
'
the postmaster of Chicago until recently was
opposed to the service and now he was Just
as violently in favor of it. This was true,
he said, of many other postmasters.
I'VE all want good mail service said Mr..
Wolcott but we do not want it at the eX
pense Of jobbery and corruption-we do not
want to be held up to secure it.
In conclusion, Mr.. Wolcott declared the
government simply was throwing away
money on the pneumatic tube scheme. IF
we appropriate. for this purpose blindly we
shall soon reach a point when we shall be
paying for the service $2o.ND,HD a year at
least. In my experience scheme has
been presented here which opens so wide
the doors of abuse
Mr.. MasOn's Reply.
Mr. Mason made an extended reply to Mr.
Wolcott He presented petitions and me-
MORALS from trade and commercial bodies
in Chicago, showing that the people of the
western metropolis a unit in de-
handing the service. He declared there
was not an official connected with the Post
Office Department who was not in favor OF
the extension of the service. Referring to
MIR. Wolcott he said: He cannot name a
man in the Post Office Department except
the man who has the wagon contract who
is not in favor of the extension of this
service; and l may say that among the
bees buZzing around these corridors this
winter the mail wagon bees have filed
their share of space.
"Out in Chicago, he said. further along,
I'VE want what You have given to New
York and what you have given to Boston
and Philadelphia and other suburban towns
There is no jobbery or corruption possible
because the matter is always easily within
the control of Congress. Those who are
opposing this service are simply taking the
position of those who advocated the reten-
lion of the old stage coach.
Mr.. Mason yielded the floor, promising to
conclude his remarks today. The Sen
ate then, after a brief executive session, at
4 ~ n m adjourned.