The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-05-18
Mr.. Mason Wants 1t for
Chicago.
Attempt to Reduce Compensa-
ton Of Railways Fails.

cally the entire session Of the Senate to-
day, the post office appropriation bill
was under consideration. The measure
was read and aIlIof the committee amend
sssnts wers agreed to except that relating
to the extension Of the pneuuatic tuhs
service. This created some debate and
was being discussed when ths measure
was laid aside far the day. Mr.. wolcott,
chairman of the committee on post offices
and post roads, vigorously attacked the
committee proposition to appropriate
s57o. coo for the pneumati csstuhs service.
declaring the extension Of the service was
Unnecessary ana the appropriation q
waste OF public money. MIR. Mason OF
Illinois. quite as vigorously supported the
az propristion. asAn amendment CT Mr..
Butler of North Carolina to reduce by
ten per cent the amount 60 be paid the
railroads for the transportation Of mall,
uas rejsctet, II to 4,
The Senate agreed to further confer
enos on the District Of Columbia spprc-
priation bill. oonferonos was agreed
to on the naval appropriation bill and
Mr.. Hals OF Maine, Mr.. Perkins OF
California and Mr. Tillmsn Of South
Carolina were named as oonfsrses,
Mr.. Jones Of Arkansas o cred and had
adopted resolution calling upon tho
secretary OF war to inform the Senate
how many Bilipinos have been killed
and wounded since this beginning OF hes
tilities. and also how many have teen
captured and are now in our possession.
Mr.. Piatt OF Connecticut. chairman OF
the committee on relations with Cuba,
said he wouldsseek an early opportunity
to reply to the spsech Of Mr.. Bacon OF
Georgia, delivered yesterday, not In op-
position to the resolution, but to correct
soma statements made by Bacon.
Mr. wolcott tf Colorado called up the
post office appropriation bill and Its read
ing for amendment W. begun.
A committee amendment was agreed to
providing that In case the pest master
general shall rent oanosllin2 machines
and motors he shall pay therefore as an
annual rental sum not exceeding 10
per cent OF tbs COST thereof. when the
committee amendment sppropriAting
$3.50, 600 for mail transportation BY pnsu-
asked that 1t be passed over as It was
certain TO create much discussion. He
said be differed from the COMMITTEES
OF tbs proposition. Mr.. Woloott also said
he opposed the southern fast mail subsidy
and the subsidy for ths carrying Of mail
between Kansas City and Newton, Kan
fas. No postmaster general, he said, had
ever recommended the subSidtes.
A COMMITTEES amendment struck out a
part Of the paragraph relating to the
railway mail service and provided for
l,es2 clerks at 81, ECO each; 3,605 clerks
at $1,000 each. and 1,gs1 clerks at $500
each. ~
The final section of the bill was Ssn-
ate committee amendment providing for
the continuance OF the commission to
in vestig gate the question whether or not
excessive prices are paid to the railroad
companies for the transpor tations Of the
mails and as compensation for the pos
tai car services and all sources Of revenue
nd expenditures OF the postal service.
MIR. Petttisrew questioned the advisa-
biiity Of contin uing the commission as it
had not yet made report upon any sub
ject. Mr.. Wolcott, chairman Of the COM
mission, made an explanation OF the
difficulties encountered by the commits
sion In obtaining Information desired.
He said that more than 5000 printed
pages of testimony had been taken by
the commission In all parts Of the cour.
try. An effort had bsen made 60 get ct
fair basis OF compensation for the rail-
roads. It had been said by some that
one cent letter post age could be reached,
but he did NOT think 90 per cent OF this
mail matter of the country could bs
carried ct small per cent of the cost
and one cent letter postage adopted at
tha same time. He thought that by the
end OF the present year the commission
would be prepared to report OF ths
si5, 600 appropriated for the commission,
u, 600 was still In hand. In the unfinished
state of the commissions work he
thought no man could submit . fair re-
port or logical plan for the oompensa-
| ton OF the railroads.
Mr.. Pettigrsw opposed the oontinuanoe
of the commission because, he said. 10
stood In the way Of reducing the oompsn-
sation of the railroads by Mt least sl5. 600.
COO o year. The amendments was passed
over temporarily.
| Mr.. Butler Of North Carolina offered
| an am endment reducing the amount ap.
|