The Savannah morning news., 1902-07-04
TO COUNTRY HOMES
RURAL FREE DELIVERY WILL
SOON CARRY THE MAILS.
so SAYS COL. r. E. LESTER.
ROUTES WILL BE ESTABLISHED AS
SOON AS CAN BE INSPECTED.

Congressman From First District
Assured of the Speedy Start of the
Operation of the Rural Free DeIiv-
cry Service-COI. Lester Not I'm
pressed Seriously by Senatorial
scrap Between Bailey md Bever-
idge-They Do Things Better over
in the HOuse-PeOpIe of cuba Not
Greatly Damaged by Failure OF Re-
cfprOcity DiII-A MOney-Spending
Congress.
Congressman Rufus f. Lester. who
returned to Savannah from Washing
ton yesterday morning, doesn't think
there is any doubt that free rural
mail delivery will be established in
Chatham county in the course of a
very short time.
Before l left Washington said Col.
Lester, Il had a conversation with
Supt Machen, of the rural delivery
service, during which he promised to
give the matter immediate attention.
Indeed, while 1 was in his presence
he wrote and dispatched a telegram to
one of the inspectors of the service
directing him to proceed to Savannah
and inspect the routes about the city.
AS soon as the routes have been in
spected, approved and officially laid
out, it will not be long before the
mail man will be delivering letters,
newspapers and parcels at the doors
of the people along the line
Col. Lester seemed to be somewhat
surprised that the inspector had not
yet turned up in Savannah.
II thought he would reach here be-
fore me- he said.
Bailey and Beveridge.
Col. Lester evidently was not very
seriously impressed with the difficulty
between Senator Bailey and Senator
Beveridge which occurred in the Sen
ate chamber day or two ago, when.
according to the varying accounts of
the incident, Senator Bailey attacked
Senator Beveridge and tried to choke
him, but didn't.
We'll. boys will be boys" he said.
They don't know how to behave them
selves over at the other end of the Cap
itol. We manage things better in the
House. They are both young and they
both like to talk, but for myself l don't
like the fashion that Senator Tillman
set, and that his younger colleagues
to fight they ought to go out in the
yard"
Don't Think Cuba Has Suffered.
Col. Lester was asked his opinion of
the failure of Congress to give the in
FAINT Cuban Republic the promised rec
iprocity.
II don't think the people of the ISL
and have greatly suffered" he answer
ed. With the House amendment re-
moving the differential duty on refined
sugar, l believe reciprocity would have
been a very considerable benefit to Gu
ba, but with the only reduction in favor
of raw sugar the only material bene-
ficiary would have been the sugar trust
1.-THE Sugar Trust did not like the
removal of the duty on refined sugar.
which would have permitted such
sugar to come into this country in COM
petition with it's products, and it's ad-
Vocates in the Senate would never have
permitted the House amendment to
stand. To my mind, therefore, the de-
feat of the entire bill is not a matter
of much regret on the part of the Gu
bans. The bill was lost. despite ev-
erything the President could do in it's
behalf"
More Than n Billion Congress.
The amount of the appropriations
made by Congress at it's recently con-
cluded session did not seem to fill the
heart of Col. Lester with glee.
why said he, "a few years ago the
country was talking about the Bill
lion Dollar Congress- but that exploit
has been cast into insignificance. In
a single session Congress has appro-
priated $1059, 900 900, of which vast
amount $500. 00O, 900 was in actual cash.
The remaining $259, 600 900 was to meet
the expenses of authorized contracts.
It's just an instance of the fact that
the country is forgetting itself. We
spend money without thinking and
without caring. We've come to think
we own the earth and that 1t doesn't
make much difference how soon we get
rid of our patrimony. A few years ago
the appropriation of so much money
would have been greeted with a howl
all over the United States, now it is
suffered to pass with only very weak
and casual comment"
For one appropriation, however, Col.
Lester had no criticism-that which
supplies the funds to give Savannah a
2S-foot channel to the sea.
1.-THE money is available to-day" he
said, land is ready for use as soon as
the work can be begun"