The age-herald., 1901-01-22
THE FAST MAIL APPROPRIATION
Commercial Club Adopts ResOIu- tions Urging Its Continuance
WHAT II MEANS TO SOUTH
Alabama Representatives Requested to Use Every Influence to Prevent 1t From Being Stricken Out.
 Interesting Discussion.

At special meeting of the Commercial Club held yesterday afternoon resolutions were adopted calling upon Congress to con- tirue and the Alabama representatives in Congress to urge the continuance of the ap- propriation of $ly7OO Ca year for the purpose of maintaining the fast mail service from New York and the east to the south and southwest.
 When President Kettig called the club 10 order he stated that he had called the meet ing for the purpose of considering several import questions that demanded immediate attention. One of these, he stated, was the question of governmental appropria ton for the fast mail service from the east to the south.
 The Resolution.
 Major F. Y. Anderson offered the follow ing resolution which, on motion of B. w. Barrett, was unanimously adopted:
 Whereas, An effort is now being made in Congress to strike from the postoffice ap propriation bill the appropriation made for the Southern Fast Mall; and
 Whereas. If said appropriation is strick- en out, and the fast mail to the South is abandoned, it will delay the mails from the North to the South from twelve to fifteen hours; and,
 Whereas, The delay of the mail to the South for such length of time would cause great inconvenience and serious loss to our merchants and the business interests gen. eraly of the South.
 Be it resolved,
 1. That it is the sense of the Commer- ciaI Club of Birmingham that Congress should not strike out the aforesaid appro- priation, but should continue the same for the business interest of the Southern States.
 2. That the Senators and Representa- tives in Congress from Alabama are spectfully requested to use all their infiu- ence to prevent the striking out of the appropriation aforesaid. and to do all in their power to have the appropriation con tinued so as to insure fast mails from the North to the South and thus facilitate the transaction of business between the two sections.
 The First Appropriation.
 In discussing the resolution MT. Barrett said that about ten or twelve years ago Congress appropriated $1970O0 to secure a fast mail service from Providence, Boston and New York to Cuba, the route selected being by way of the Atlantic Coast Line and along the coast to Florida where the mail was transferred to steamers for Havana. In 1892 after long discussion the route was changed to New Orleans by way of Atlanta. This brought the quicker service to the in- terior and afforded better mail facilities for a greater number of people.
 A contract was made with the Southern Railway under which the eastern mail left Washington over that line al Il O clock in the morning and arrived in Atlanta about 5 O clock the next morning, and in Birming- ham at noon. Prior to that time New York and other eastern mail did not reach Bir- mingham until about midnight, twelve hours later than now.
 Injury it Will Work.
 If the appropriation is discontinued, he said, the mail from the East will be de- livered in Birmingham several hours later than now, and this fact will work an in jury to the business interests of the South and Southwest. That this would be true can be easily understood when 1t Is known that the Southern Railways schedule time fl om Washington to Atlanta is five hours shorter than from Atlanta to Washington.
 On motion of Major Anderson, Secretary Gibson was directed to wire briefly the ac ton of the club to each member of Con- gress from Alabama, and also to send certified copy of the resolution to each member