Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-05-17
ON POST OFFICE BILL
Senate Discusses Payment of Carry
ing the Mails.
TESTIMONY COLLECTED BY COMMISSION
Discussing the ACCESSIBILITY OF Its
Continuance.
FOR RIVERS AND HARBORS

The Senate today agreed to further con-
r.r,.r,,.. an the District of Columbia appro-
priation bill.
\ conference. was agreed to on the naval
a1,propriatian bill and Mr.. Hale CMeo. Mr..
Perkins ,CalD and Mr.. Tillman IS. c. were
named as conferees
\ hill was passed granting a pension to
Ger Robert G. Dyreuforth of $50 month
MIR Jones CArk) offered and had adopted
a resolution calling upon the Secretary oil
War To inform the Senate how many Fill
piros have been killed and wounded since
thu beginning Of hostilities, ana also how
many have been captured and are now in
our possession.
y hill was passed to provide for the re-
funding of certain moneys Illegally assessed
an collected in the district of Utah.
MIR platt tConn.1. chairman OF the com
r;ttcc IN relations with Cuba. sad he
would seek AT - " opportunity 10 reply 70
the speech III Mr.. Bacon (Gal delivered
Yesterday not in opposition to the resolI-
ton but to correct some statements made
by Mr.. Bacon
The Post Once Bill.
Mr.. Wolcatt (ColJ called up the post
office appropriation bill and its reading for
amendment was begun.
y committee amendment was agreed to
providing that in case the Postmaster Cen
eraI shall rent canCeling machines and mo-
tors he shall pay therefor, as an annual
renal. a sum not exceeding ID per cent OF
thu cost thereof
When the committee amendment appro-
priatiug >7..c.oo for mail transportation by
pneumatic tubes was reached Mr.. WolCott
asked that i be passed over. as II was Ger
tain To create much discussion. He said he
differed from the committee on the PROPOSE
tio,i MIR. Nucutt also said h" opposed the
southern fast mail subsidy and he subsidy
ftNrg 1..a#vt =
Ci'y and Newton. Kan. No Postmaster
General. II" said. mad ever recommended the
subsidies
\ committee amendment struck out
part q: the paragraph relating To the rail
WY maII service and provided for 1.'s:2
clerks AT Sl.@V each. 500 clerks at $1,000
each and l..'>I clerks at ShD each.
Cost OF Carrying the Mails.
The final section of the bill was a Senate
committee amendment providing for the
continuance of the commission to investi-
gate thu question Of whether or not excess
i've prices are paid TO the railroad COM
paIlsS tpr the trans ortation of mails and
rs "a compensation for postal car service
ana al sources of revenue and all expendi-
lures 81 The postal service.
Mir Pettiers v questioned the ACCESSIBILITY
If continuing tn. commission, as it had not
y-t made a report upon any subject.
Nj WolCOtt. chairman Of the commission.
made an explanation Of the difficulties en-
crUut-:-d by the commission in obtaining
tho Information desired.
Ii said more than 1000 printed pages Of
testimony had hen taken by the commits
S.ur "a NJ parts Of the country, and much
OF il Was very valuable. Every expert in
tn. matter had been welcomed by the COM
mission. and IN effort had been made 70
GO al a fair basis Of compensation for the
railroads. l. had been said by some that
I-c.rr letter Iu~-als,- could he reached, but
h did not think - per cent of the mail
matter 81 the country could be carried at
small per cent of the cost and that /
cent letter pps;agr adopted at the same
tinl--- IL said the commission had pro-
ceedrd. perhaps not rapidly, but thoroughly
and he though; by the end of the present
year the Commission would he prepared TO
rop,r o: the $1,000 appropriated for the
commission $N.'~p were still in hand. con-
s%uueuily there had been waste Of the
public money. In the unfinished state of
th,- commissions work he thought no man
could submit fair report or a logical plan
- the compensation Of the railroads. No
man wanted To- pay them more than they
da-erved and none less than they earned.
Mr. P-ttilsrcw opposed the continuance OF
tn commission. because. he said. it stood
in the way ii reducing the compensation
OF the railroads by at least $1!,rp.un
year. The amendment was passed over
temporarily.