The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-02-21
RAILROADS ARE UPHELD.
Proposal to Cut Mail Pay is Voted
Down.


Washington, Feb. 2O-The senate
spent the day on the postofice appro-
prlatiCn bill, making some progress but
not completing il. The amendment of
Mr.. Butler proposing a reduction of
about. 3 per cent in the pay for the
railway postal service was defeated. Is
to 81. Late in the day a sharp cOntro-
versy on the pneumatic tube question
was preclpitated by an amendment Of
fered by Mr.. Mason, extending that
service TO Chicago, and one by Mr..
eVest, extending it to st. Louis. Mr..
Hale severely criticised those promOt-
ing the system, referring to Job and
lobby When he made point of or
der that "a committee had not passed on
the amendment, the advocates of the
extension quickly circulated call for
a meeting Of the committee on post
offices, and the session closed with Mr..
/ WOlcOtt'S humorous announcements of
the committee meeting in response to
the imperative demands made on him.
Butler Attacks Bill.
Mr.. Butler said he would rather see
the ship subsidy bill become a law than
to have the pending bill pass, contain
ing the present provision for railway
mail pay. as under the pending apprO-
priation bill a bigger hole would be
made in the treasury than would be
made by the subsidy bill
Mr.. Butler pointed out that accord
I ing to the report of Professor Adams,
the expert of the postal commission,
which he was having read, As per cent
Of the amount paid to the railroads for
/ carrying the mails actually was paid
for carrying mail pouches. He had
often wondered, he said, why the
leather and the locks in the mails were
so heavy.
TT seems" he said. that the rail-
IL
them made heavy because they are
getting the same pay for carrying them
as they are getting for carrying mail
matter"
He thought there would be as much
sense in charging the weight of the
car against he government.
Mr.. Butler cOntrasted She cost of rail
way mail pay in Europe and in this
country, TO the disadvantage of the
/ United States.
Mr.. Depew interrupted to say that
the wages paid by European conti-
mental railroads was 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 what they were in
Europe.
Does the senator mean?" Inquired
| Mr.. Butler, that me American Iail-
roads are losing money"
ing money" responded Mr.. Depew. y
mean to say that if theX 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 Nj Butler.
The Capitalization Of The railroads
in Europe" responded Mr. Depew, lis
much larger than 1t is here. In Great
Britain it is about S350.00O a mile. If
that capitalization be reduced to the
average capitalization in the United
States. you VII find that the profits OF
the English railroads are enormous"
WoIcott Defends Roads.
Mr.. Wolcott said as to European
railroads carrying the mails free, that
in Great Britain the cost OF railroad
mail transportation was little less, if
any, than here. IN continental Europe
the government either owned the rail-
reads or guaranteed The payment of
the principal and interest Of their
bonds. and Of or per cent dividends
IN fItaff stock whether they earned 1T