The National tribune., 1902-03-13

The regular order of business all of last
week. in the House of Representatives,
was the Loud Bill reported from the Com
mittee on Postoftices and Post Roads pro-
posing that rural free delivery service be
abolished so far as delivery by Govern
ment carriers is concerned, but that the
same service be performed by contractors,
similar to the present star-route system, by
which the mail is carried to country post
offices by stage. 4 very large number Of
members displayed great anxiety to speak
ON the question, upon one side or the
other, and the gist of the argument taken
all together might be summed up briefly as
follows:
The opponents of the pending measure
and friends of the present service urged
that there was 10 popular demand for the
change that the people were satisfied
and in fact delighted; that the best proof
of the high character of the service was
the thousands of petitions pending in the
PoStofiice Department, asking for the es-
tablishment of new routes; that the pres
ent carriers were Government employees,
subject to discipline like city carriers, and
that no such discipline as to conduct, per-
sonal behavior. and details of service
simply performed a prescribed duty under
Il bond. Many of the Southern Members
were clearly anxious that the bill should
be defeated, because. as they put it, the
present carriers were gentlemen" and
they did not want the system changed so
that irresponsible characters might be put
to driving stages from farm house to farm
house, when the men of the family were
apt to be away n good share of the time.
In other words, it was a cropping out of
antagonism TO colored men.
The friends of the measure who wish to
displacc the present carriers by Star-route
contractors claimed that the service could
thus he performed cheaper, because it
would be let out by competitive bids. that
the present service was building up an
army of carriers who would come to Con-
gress and demand one raise of salary af-
.ter another until. when the system had in
creased to 10000 or 10000 men. it would
equire from SG0.O00.0OO to S15.0OO.0O0 to
support the service. 1t was pointed out
that the carriers had started at $500 n
year. had been raised to $500, and that
recently n bill had passed advancing them
still further to $500. and that this would
continue until they. received, as indeed
they should receive. the same pay as city
carriers, including the allowance for their
horses. So that probably before many
years they wonld be drawing from 81 900
to $1,000 a year, each, for the service,
and that the service could never be self
supporting. er #,
These aIarmists foresaw financial ruin
to the Government as the result. Along
these lines the battle was waged all week
and ran over until Monday of this week.
when Il vote was taken. resulting in the
defeat of the contract provision by a vote
of % to 40 An amendment was adopted
providing for a maximum salary Of $500
without extra allowances, and to permit
the carriers to do an express business.
On Tuesday of last week the House
found time, however, to adopt the con-
ference report on the Philippine Tariff
Bill. the main feature of which provided
that all goods coming from the Philippines
to the United States shall have - per
cent. reduction off the rates in the Ding
ley Bill" the rates fixed by the Philip
pine Commission upon goods imported into
the Islands stand.
The Senate. like the House, had long
discussion on hand, the subject being the
Frye-Hanna Ship Subsidy Bill, which is
still under discussion, and probably will
De IOf some time 10 cOIle.
Early in the session on Wednesday be-
fore beginning the subsidy debate, the
Senate disposed Of the big Legislative, Ex-
ecutive and Judicial Appropriation Bill,
which is the second of the large annual
supply measures acted upon at this ses-
sion.
On Friday the discussion of rhe Sub
sidy Bill was interrupted, owing to the
unavoidable absence Of Senator Vest, OF
Missouri, who is in bad health. and Mr..
Mallory, of Florida, who had expected to
speak. The Diplomatic and Consular Ap-
preparation Bill was disposed of, and then
the Senate took up the bill for the pro-
lection Of the President of the United
States, and it was agreed that it should
become the regular unfinished business af-
ter the Ship Subsidy Bill had been dis
posed Of. Adjournment was taken until
Monday.
The House, however, being deeply in
terested in speech making on the Rural
Delivery Bill, met on Saturday and con-
tinued the program.
The House on Monday adopted reso-
luton providing for the erection of n
statue in Washington to Benjamin +.
Stephenson, founder of the Grand Army of
the Republic, and appropriating $4,000
for the purpose.
The Private Pension Bills passed the