The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-19
THE SENATE ROUTINE.
The Postoffice Appropriation Bill
Considered at Length.

The Senate yesterday took up the Post
office Appropriation bill, and after the
hrst reading a point of order was raised
against the provision for S5No,Ooo for
pneumatic tube service
Inc bill aDpropriates S124 ,3OS,OsS, being
an increase of S525, 400 over the bill as
passed by the House and of $l0,649,S5O
over the appropriations for 1901 and be-
ing an excess of 1855, ,046 over the esti-
mated postal revenues.
Mr. Wolcott. Chairman of the PostofIice
Committee. made a statement as to the
hgnres and explained that the increase
over last years expenditures came from
leW items. rural free mail delivery. sala-
RES oil postmasters growing automatieal-
iy with increase Of business. railway mail
pay salaries of postoiiice clerks. and ad-
dltlonal cost of letter carriers.
Inc committee amendment appropri-
aung $sG0OO0 for pneumatic tube service
ana repeating all laws prohibiting addi-
tlonal contracts was the first contested
item in the bill. Mr.. Wolcott said that he
was opposed to the amendment, Dut that
as chairman of the committee, he would
ask some members of the committee who
favored 1t to take charge of it.
tube system and a point of order was
raised by Mr.. Allison. The Chair (Mr
Beveridge) agreed with Mr.. Allison and
Mr.. Mason then proceeded to speak in
the interest of the tube service before
asking tire Senate to vote on the point Of
order.
The question was argued at considera-
BILE length by Senators Chandler. Mason,
and Cullom in favor of the amendment
ana by hr. Allison against it. Finally it
went over till today without action.
MIR. Butler moved an amendment reduc-
ing The appropriation for railroad trans
portation from $34. 700, 900 to $32, 900 600
ana directing the Postmaster General to
readjust the compensation by reducing it
b per cent per annum and to make fur
ther reduction on certain basis-the
aggregate reduction being about per
cent.
In the course of long speech in which
MIR. Butler criticised the action OF the
Postoffce Commission he called for the
reading of some sixteen pages of the ma
Jorlty report. He was remonstrat ID with
by MIR. Wolcott and Mr. Chandler for
such waste of time of the Senate and he
compromised by calling for the reading
or smaller portion of the minority re-
port, which, he said. bore out pra 'tically
everything that he had contended for in
his efforts to reduce railway mail pay.
While the report was being read the
absence of quorum was suggested by
Mr.. Pettigrew, who said that the disputed
paragraph contained Il bigger subsidy
than the Ship Subsidy bill. A quorum Of
Senators having responded the reading
was proceeded with.
The bill was then laid aside without ac-
tion and the House bill for the St Louis
Exposition was laid before the Senate and
referred to the Committee on Appropria-
taons.
The conference report on the Military
Academy Appropriation bill was pre-
sented.
Mr.. Daniel condemned the provision dis
franchising cadet who may be dismissed
for hazng from ever holding a commits
sion in the Army of the United States. He
denounced it as "an extreme and cruel
punishment" worse than the original Of
fence.
Mr.. Sewell, who presented the report.
said that the provision was in the bill as
it passed the Senate and that therefore
the conference committee was not re-
sponsibie for il.
Mr.. Daniel said he would not vote for
any bill having such provision in it.
The conference report went over and the
Senate at 5:5j went into executive session
and afterward adjourned