The Savannah morning news., 1901-02-21
MAIL PAY
rxaTE DECLINES TO MAKE A RE-
DUCTION.
PNEUMATIC TUBE SERVICE.
.r<AroRs DISCUSS 1T SOMEWHAT
SHARPLY.

Oepev Contrasts Conditions of
r-nronean Railroads with Those of
.,erica - Pay One-fourth the
wares and Charge Four Times the
rreirht of Roads i'm This Country.
,,r Hale Charges a Gigantic Lobby
nohind the Pneumatic Tube
scheme.
r.sbiugton, Feb. 2o.-The Senate spent
-, aav on the postoffice appropria ton
49,, making some progress. but not COM
-,..,re if. The amendment of Mr.. But
ior Of North Carolina, proposing a re-
,,,.-on of about per cent. in the pay
r,iwav postal service, was defeated,
g ia, 81. after a debate in which Mr..
new answered Mr.. Buffers criticisms
~ the large profits made by American
roads.
Late in the day sharp controversy on
che pneumatic tube question was precip-
;.ated by an amendment offered by Mr.
,,ssou. extending that service to Chi
..7o and one by Mr.. Vest extending 1t
10 ST. Louis.
,r. Butler contrasted the cost of rail-
..orntrv TO the disadvantage of the United
Statee
Mr.. Depew interrupted to say that the
wages paid by European continental rail-
roads were only about one-fourth OF the
rate of railway wages in this country,
while the freight rates in this country
were only a little more than one-fourth
Of what they were in Europe.
Does the Senator mean," inquired Mr. 4,
Butler, that the American railroads are
losing money!
Il do not mean to say they are losing
money" replied Mr.. Depew. Il mean to
say that if they had anything like the
rates charged for freight in Continental
Europe. they could carry the mails free
and, in addition. pay a large revenue to
the government"
No railroads in the world have larger
profits than those of the United States
asserted Mr.. Butler.
THE capitalization of railroads in Eu-
rope. responded Mr. Depew, lis much
larger than il is here. In Great Britain
it is about $4,000 a mile. If that capi-
tauzation be reduced to the average cap
n talization In the United States you will
Il find that the profits of the English roads
are enormous"
MI Buffers amendment was rejected,
IS to 81, as follows:
Yeas-Bate. Berry, Butler, Caffery.
Chandler, Clapp. Culberson, Harris, Heit-
field. Jones of Arkansas, Mallory Morgan,
N Pettigrew, Rawlins Teller, Turley, Tur-
ner Welington-1S.
Nays-Aldridh, Allen. Bacon, Bard, Bur
rows. Carter, Clark, Clay CockreI, Gull
Vi ON, Daniel, Deboe, Dillingham;, DoAver
Ekins. Fairbanks, Foster. Frye, CALM
ger Hale, Hanna, Hansbrough, Hawley,
Jones OF Nevada, Kean, Kearus Kyle,
Lindsay, Lodge, McComas, McEnery, Nc
l.aurin, Mcmillan Martin, Nelson, Per-
y Inns. Platt of Connecticut, Platt of New
FORK, Pritchard, Proctor, Quarles, Scott
seweu Shoup, Simon, Spooner, stewart,
Tahaferro, Vest, Warren, Wolcott
The amendment appropriating $500 0}0
for the transportation of mail by pneu-
matte tubes and repeating the law which
Prohibits future contracts for pneumatic
ube service, together with the pending
pint of order against it, was call d up.
The point of o. der was sustained by the
anate without div sion, the amendment
aus being stricken out.
Mr. Mason then offered an amendment
pproprating $4,000 for the maintenance
# If the pneumatic tube service in cities
ghere it is now in operation, and for its
establishment in Chicago, provided that
i'll future contracts fer the establishment
If the service be advertised pub icly
Mr. Hale raised the point of order that
he amendment was general legislation"
Fhich on appropriation bills was obnox-
BUS to the Senate rules.
Mr.. Wolcott, in charge of the bill, ex-
r. Iained that 1t did not contain any APP
q propriations for the continuance of the
service anywhere. The cen racts would
8 expire on July l, next, and Congress had
Erected that they should not be re-
lewed
In response to a statement by Mr.. Gu
ON that the existing point of order, If
sustained, would exclude any other city,
than those now enjoying it from the pneu-
matte tube service, MIR. Thurston insisted
hat it not only would do that, but it abb
solutely would put an end to the service
in every city in the United States.
The Senate was held to be in order, u
70 IS.
Mr.. Hale then made a point of order
hat committee had not passed on the
proposition. The Senator added some Sc
we're remarks on the Gigantic lobby"
behind this pneumatic tube plan. He
lad thought II had been srnitten IN the
teeth by the action of Congress two years
ago. But now the lob" was here again,
aud the streets leading to the capitol were
iaiTly lined with people importuning SEN
ators from the time they left their homes.
Mr.. Mason controverted the allegation
as to Job" and said it was an insult
10 the Postmaster General, who had rec
ommended the plan.
He declared that Mr.. Hales point of
oraer was made for hlibustering pur-
poses.
Mr. Wolcott humorously announced
-nat on the imperative request of num-
erous senator's" who had quickly oircu-
latea the call, a special meeting Of the
oll'Inlttee on Postoffices would be held
l.lne aia ely and he asked that meantime
me subject be laid aside
ms sudden shift of affairs raised gen.
eral laughter,
"A resolution was agreed to. directing
une Committee on Printing to ascertain
WY me public printer had not delivered
- vac Sepate the Instruct ous and papers
70 the Paris peace commission.
"a 90 p m. the Senate adjourned