The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1900-05-02
SCANDALS EXPOSED.
Congressman Moody Tells Of JobberY
in Nail Tube Service

The House Wednesday put its heel
upon the pneumatic mail tube service
now in operation in New York. Boston
and Philadelphia and if its action
stands the whole service will be crushed
out. The postohice committee had re-
commended an increase of the sppro-
pration for this service from 1925, 900
to $725, 900. The proposed increase
was attacked by the appropriations
committee under the leadership of Mr..
Moody of Massachusetts, with such
visor and success that in the end
the house voted 81 to so to strike the
entire appropriation from the bill.
Mr.. Moody opposed the extension
Of the service. Ifit was entered upon,
he said, it would add in the near future
millions to the already swollen expendi
lures Of the postofice department. Us
ing this item as text, Mr.. Moody
made an urgent plea for retrenchment
in public expenditures. Every branch
Of the public service, he said, was ask
ing for its share Of the enormous reyen-
ues. Mr.. Moody assailed the whole
history Of the pneumatic tube service.
1T is SO malodorous from beginning to
end" said he, that it should die the
death of a dog"
Smoke the rascals out" cried Mr..
Little, ''and we on this side Of the
house will stay with you"
Mr.. Moody said it vas not pleasant
thing for him to exploit the scandal
which had been uncovered by the pos
tai commission Of which he was mem
Der but he considered it his duty to do
so. He declared that former Second
Assistant Postmaster General Nelson,
under whom the first experiments in the
pneumatic tube service were made,
when he retired, accepted from. the
company 81, 900 in cash and $40, 600 in
stock for his services here during the
succeeding year. What that service
could be Mr.. Moody said he could not
imagine. These facts, he said, had been
brought out by the commission. John
E. Milholland Of New York, he said,
vas the president of the tube company.
Mr.. Moody's next statement startled
the house and createda sensation. The
tube service, he said, had been con-
structed by contractors who took their
pay in stock and bonds. The only as
set Of the company was its contract
with the government. u regret to
say" continued Mr.. Moody, deliberate
ly, that one of the principal holders
Of those stooks aad bonds was mem
Der of this house and member of the
committee on appropriations"
"Give his name" shouted Mr.. LiV.
:ngston of Georgia.
II will not" replied Mr.. Moody:
Then he added another sensational
statement to the effect that large
block Of the stock Of the concern had
been sent to near relative Of a pro-
minent member of the house as New
Years gift. But / am proud to say"
said Mr.. Moody, that the return mail
carried back that dishonoring and dis
honorable gift" When the applause
that greeted this statement had died
out MIR. Moody appealed to the house
not to endorse "this sort Of q transac-
tion." Mr.. Moody disclaimed any m
tention of rejecting upon the postofice
committee, which he highly COM
meuded. He was especially glowing
in his praise of Mr.. Loud, the chair
man OF the committee. Mr.. Moody
said he had been appealed to by com.
mercial bodies to aid in the extension
Of this service, but he refused to close
his eyes to his duty in this matter. He
charged that companies in all the large
cities of the country were preparing to
raid congress in behalf Of further extern
sien Of the tube service.