The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-02-21
PNEUMATIC TUBE QUESTION
1t Caused a Rather Sharp Debate II
the Senate.

ZIG OCn@tC.
washington February 20.-The senate
spent the day on the postofflce ammo
plo'ioh olli' making some progress, bur
not completing 1t. The amendment Of Mfr
butler IA. c., proposing reduction Of
ABOUT per cent In the pay for railway
postal service was defeated Late in tha
any sharp controversy on the ppcumntic
tooe question was precIpitated by an
amendment offered bv Mr. Mason, extend.
Ing that service TO Chicago. and one by Mr.
vest extending It to st. Louis
Soon after the senate convened Mr. pa,
igrew Is. d. offered a resolution. which
was agreed to, directing the committee on
printing TO ascertain why the public prlpt
err had not delivered TO the senate the In
structions and papers sent to the parl,
peace commission.
Consideration OF the postoffice approprin
tion bill was resumed ut the conclusion
OF routine business. The pending question
was the amendment OF Mr. Butler (N. ca
to reduce the pay of railways for carrying
the malls an aggregate OF about o per
cent Inc North Carolina senator continued
his speech begun On Monday. Mr. Butler
contrasted the cost Of railway mail pay
IN Europe and In this country to the dis
advantage Of the United States.
Mr.. Depew interrupted TO say that the
wages paid by European continental com
panies was only about one.fourth of the
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.
Butler, that the American railways are
losing money!"
81 do not mean 10 say they are losing
money" responded Mr.. Depew II mean
TO say that If they had anything like the
rates charged for freight in continental En-
rope they could carry the malls free and
In addition pay a large revenue to the gov.
eminent
"No railways in the world have larger
profits than those of the United States"
asserted Mr. Butler.
The capitalization of the railways In
Europe" responded Mr.. Depew, sis much
larger than It is here. In Great Britain
it is about s33oo0o mile. If that capt
talization he reduced to the average capl.
talizatlon In thc United States. you will
find that the profits of the English roeis
are enormous"
rhe amendment by Mr. Butler making
an aggregate reduction Of about per
cent in the railway mail pay was rejected.
IS To 81
The amendment approprinting $4,000
for the transportation Of malls by pneu-
matte tubes and repeating the law which
prohibits future contracts for pneumatic
tube service, together with the pending
point of order against it, was called mp
The president pro TEN (Mr, Frye submit
ted the point of order to the senate and
II was sustained without division, thus
being stricken ont.
Mr. Mason then offered his amendment
appropriatng 100000 for the maintenance
of the pneumatic tube service in cities
where 1t now Is In operation and for It's
establishment In Chicago.
Against the amendment Mr. Hale raised
II point of order saying it was clearly
general legislation" which on appropria'
tion bills was obnoxious to the senate
rules.
The amendment was held 10 be in order.
81 to 10.
Mr.. Hale interposed further point
OF order on the ground a committee had
not passed the proposition, The senator
added some severe remarks on The "gigan.
tic lobby" behind this pneumatic tube
plan. He thought 1t had been smitten In
the teeth by the action OF congress two
years ago. But now the lob" was here
again and the streets leading to the capt.
tol were fairly lined with people impor
tuning senators from the time they left
their homes"
Mr. Mason replied In vigorous terms
that this was an insult 10 the postmas-
ter general, who had recommended the
plan.
Mr.. Vest moved an amendment that st.
Louis be Included In the provision for
pneumatic tube service.
At this point Mfr. Wolcott said; 81 have
just been handed a Communication Of rath.
er imperative Characteristic most iIppe-
ratlye that ] recall in twelve years. He
then read a request addressed to him by
large plumber OF the senators OF the
postofdce committee, reading please
cali Immediate meeting Of committee on
nosfoffces and post roads to consider
pneumatic amendment"
Mr.. Wolcott said that with such an In
peratIre request before him he would
call the meeting In the meantime he
asked that the subject be laid aside aud
that the senate adjourn.
shift Of affairs and at 5:25 n. N. the
senate adjourned.
---zEznu----------
-