The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-26
PNEUMATIC TUBE SCANDALS.
..,,<rtLATED IN HOUSE by MOODY
OF MASSACHUSETTS.

,c.o,,Is in the Tube Company's
srxice-An Effort to Bride IA Con-
r.SSmnn-Charged There Was
scheme TO Raid Congress.
Wellington. April 25-The House to-day
,.,. is heel upon the pneumatic mail tube
,,f.e now in operation in New York,
1osron and Philadelphia, and if its action
s..ods the Whole service will be crushed
out.
r5e Posloffice Committee had recomend-
an increase of the appropriation for
...s service from S225,O0O to $725,0O0 The
,.-,rosed increase was attacked by the
r5rrtations Committee under the
.ra-sbip Of Mr. Moody of Massachusetts
,,+., such vigor and success that in the
ool tl, House voted 81 to 50 10 strike the
entire appropriation from the bill.
Mr. Moody created a sensation by the
manner in which he assailed che methods
If the Pneumatic Tube Company and the
direct charge that former member of
Congress. who was member of the APP
,ronrfations Committee, had been holder
If the stocks and bonds of the company.
71,dec,jned to give the gentleman's name.
+,st , block of sock had been sent as
New Years gift to a near relative of
another member of Congress, but to the
credit of the member, he said, the dis
bonoring gift had been returned to the
sender by the next mail.
Although the tube service was highly
commended by other members, these rev
alafions transformed the sentiment of the
Holee. which has several times voted for
tbe service. into a decisive majority
aaoinst its continuation in any form
The remainder of the day was devoted
- A discussion of an amendment offered
by Mr. Tawney, of Minnesota, to substi-
mite his bill for the recla ssifcatiOn of the
railway postal clerks for the provision in
The bill At the end of the debate the
amendment was held not to be in order.
Seventeen Of the twenty-five pages of the
bill have now been completed.
Pneumatic Tube Service.
Without preliminary business the House
resumed consideration of the postoft1ce
appropriation bill. The item appropriat-
ing $725 100 for pneumatic tube service, an
increase of $4,000 over the appropria ton
for the current year, was the subject Of
TWO hours debate under the arrangement
previously made.
Mr.. Little of Arkansas opposed the pneu-
matte tube service, which he held was I'M
6 y
in New York, he said, were outrageously
exorbitant The government was paying
$4,000 a mile rental for 6-inch iron pipe
besides the cost of operating the machines.
Mr. Moody of Massachusetts also op-
posed the extension of the tube service.
If it was entered upon, he said it would
add in the near future millions to the al
ready swollen expenditures of the post
Office department. Using this item as a
text Mr. Moody made an urgent plea for
retrenchmeut in public expenditures.
Every branch of the public service, he
said was asking for its share of the enor-
nous revenues which were being collect
ed.
Proceeding Mr. Moody assailed the
whole history of the pneumatic tube SER
vice
1T is so malodorous from beginning to
end he said that it should die the
death OF a dog"
Smoke the rascals out" cried Mr.. Lit
tie "and we on this side of the House
will stay with YOU
Moody VentiIates Scandals.
Mr. Moody said il was not a pleasant
thing for him to exploit the scandal
which had been uncovered by the Postal
Commission, of which he was a member,
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 We're made, when he re-
tired accepted from the company $1,000
IN cash and $4,000 in stock for his SER
vices here during the succeeding year.
" nat That service could be- Mr.. Moody
said he could not imagine. These facts,
he said, had been brought out by the com
mission. John f. NIiholland of New
York, he said, was the president of the
tube company.
Mr. Mo0dy's next statement startled the
House and created a sensa ton. The tube
service, he-Aaid had been constructed by
contractors who took their pay in stocks
ana bonds. The only asset Of the com
pany was its contract with the govern
ment.
II regret to say" continued Mr..
Moody deliberately. that one of
the principal holders of these
stocks and bonds was a member of this
House and a member of the Committee on
Appopria ions
Give his name" shouted Mr.. Livingston
Of Georgia
u viii not" replied Mr.. Moody. Then
ne added another sensational statement TO
me eHect that a large block Of he stock
Vi me concern had been sent to a near
iauve Of prominent member of the
house as New Years gift
But | am proud 10 say" said Mr..
Moody that the return mail carried back
mat dishonoring and dishonorable gift"
Nnen the applause that greet ed this
statement had died out Mr.. Moody appeal
ga TO the House not 10 indorse this sort
OF transaction"
Preparing to Raid Congress.
Mf Moody disclaimed any intention Of
reA'e ing upon the Postoflice Committee,
"HoA he highly commended. He was es-
y ally glowing in his praise of Mr.. Loud
we chairman of the committee. Mr.
moody said he had been appealed to by
commercial bodies of Boston to aid in the
extension of this service. but he refused
~ o'oSe his eyes to his duty in this mat
W. he charged that companies in all
.I' dfse cities of the country We're pre-
poilus 10 raid Congress in behalf of fur
Wy extension Of the tube service.
"'N bmsham thought, in view of the dis
o'Su'es of Mr.. Moody, that the testimony
'.H sustained them should be printed
." we RECORD and with Mr.. Moodys as
was agreed to place the testimony
III t0e Record
NI' Hlngham said that Congress was not
,1,i.e,I'i with the question of morals IN
Iu an eX-assistant postmaster gen.
4, uAng service with a corporation, but
w." lAe question whether the tube ser