The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-04-26
IT LOOKS LIKE BRIBERY
A Congressman Accepted $1,000
From the Company.
ANOTHER HELD STOCK IN THE COMPANY
A Christmas Gift Of Stock Offered to Relative
of Still Another Congressman. The
House Sets Its Heel Upon
the Appropriation.
the Appropriation
(By The Associated Press.)


Washington, April 25.-Tne House
today put its heel upon the pneumatic
mail tube service now in operation III
New York, Boston and Philadelphia,
and if it's action stands, the whole
service will be crushed out. The
Postoffice Committee had recommend
ed an Increase of the appropriation
for this service from S225,00 to $725.-
600. The proposed increase was at
tackled by the Appropriations Commit
tee under the leadership of Mr.. Moody,
(Mass), with such vigOr and success
that i'm the end the House voted 81
to so to strike out the entire appro-
priation from the bill Mr. Moody
created sensation by the manner in
which he assailed the methods of the
Pneumatic Tube Company and the
direct charge that a former member;
of Congress. who was Il member of
the Appropriations Committee, had
been holder of the stock and bonds
of the company. He declined to dis
close the gentleman's name. He add
ed to the scandal by charging that Il
block of stock had been sent as a
new years gift to a near relative of
another member of Congress-, bntato
the credit of the member he said the
dishonoring gift had been returned
to the sender by the next mail. AL
though the tube service was highly
commended by other members. these
revelations transformed the sentiment
of the House which has several times
voted for the service. into a decisive
ma jority against its continuation in
any form. Th remainder of the day
was devoted to the discussion of an
amendment offered by Mr.. Tawney. of
Minnesota. to substitute his bill for
the re-classification 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 or
der. Seventeen of the twenty two
pages of the bill have now been com
pleted
At the opening. William III. King.
who served in the Fifty-fifth Congress
from the State of Utah was sworn in
as representative from that State to
succeed Brigham II. Roberts, who was
denied seat. Without preliminary
business the House resumed consid-
GRAFTON of the Postoffice Appropria-
ton Bill The item appropriating
$725,00O for Pneumatic tube service,
an increase of S500.000 over the appro-
priation for the current year. was the
subject Of over two hours debate lln-
der the arrangement previously made.
Mr.. Little, (Ark.). opposed the pneu
matte tube service. which. he held,
was unnecessary and the charges for
the service in New York. he said.
r-trc, Cutrageously eNorbitant. The
Government was paying $4,000 a mile
rental for six inch iron pipe beside
the cost of operating the machines.
Mr.. Moody, (Mass.), also opposed
the extension of the tube service. 1t
it was entered upon, he said. it would
add in the near future millions to the
already swollen expenditure of the
Postoffice Department. Using this
item as text Mr.. Moody made an ur-
gent plea for retrenchment in publlc
expenditures. Every branch of the
public service. he said was asking for
share of the enormous revenues
which were being collected.
Proceeding. Mr.. Moody. assailed the
whole history of the pneumatic tube
service.
''It is so malodorous from beginning
10 end" said he. that it should die
the death of dog.
''SmOke the raSca1S out cried Mr..
anu we tiIIS Slut VI lllS
House will stay with you.
Mr.. Moody said it was not pleas
ant thing for him to exploit the scan
dial 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 for
mer second Assistant Postmaster
General Nelson under whom the first
experiments in the pneumatic tube
service were made when he retired
accepted from the company $1,000 in
cash and $4,000 in stock for his SER
vices 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 f. Milhol-
land. of New York. he said, was the
president of the Tube Company.
Mr.. Moody's next statement startled
the House and created sensation.
The tube service, he said. had been
constructed by contractors who took
their pay in stock and bonds. The
only asset of the company was its
contract with the Government.
Il regret to say continued Mr.
Moody deliberately. that one of the
principal holders of these stocks and
bonds was member of this House
and a member of the Committee on