Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-03-04
IN THE HOUSE.

Washington, March 3.-The House,
today began consideration of the bill
to classify the rural free delivery SER
vice and to place the carriers under
the contract system. Only two speech
es were delivered, Mr.. Loud, Cal,
chairman of the committee on post Of
flee and post roads, making the open
ing argument in favor of the bill,
speaking for two and a half hours. Mr..
Swanson, Va, led the opposition.
The debate was interrupted before
the close of the session by the pre-
sentation of the conference report on
the Philippine tariff bill. Payne, the
majority leader, declined to allow the
minority more than 80 minutes in
which to discuss the report and this
offer was rejected. A filibuster fol-
lowed and the House adjourned after
the previous question on the adoption
of the report had been ordered.
Under the order made last week the
House went into committee of the
whole and entered upon the considera-
ton of the bill to classify the rural free
delivery service and substitute the con-
tract for the salary system for rural
carriers.
Loud, Cal, in opening the debate, de-
clared that in his opinion the question
involved more Importance than any
which would come before the present
Congress. Upon the solution would de-
pend whether the rural free delivery
service would cost ultimately $60,000,-
600 or 800 00O, 600 per annum. The rural
free delivery service up to this time, he
said, had been a political one and it
had given many members of Con-
gress their first taste of the sweets of
public patronage. He traced the his
tory and rapid growth of the service
and it's cost declaring that it was the
most extravagant in the public service.
At the inception the carriers received
$500 per annum. They now received
$500. If the salary system was contin-
ued they would eventually receive $500
or 5000. At the present time $3.50, 900
was being spent for the supervisory
force.
The bill was carefully drawn, Loud
said, to provide against the possibility
of a recurrence of the star route scan
dals. Only one contract could be given
to one man, who must live in the dis
trict where the route was located and
who must perform the service himself.
Loud charged that a promise had
gone forth that if the present system
was continued the members of Con-
gress would control the appointment of
the carriers in the future as they had
in the past. Loud spoke for 21s hours.
Swanson, Va, argued that the pres
ent system would be more advantage
Gus to the rural communities than the
contract system. He contended that if
the service were made effective it would
eventually become self-supporting
Swanson contended that the contract
system would allow of the building of
n political machine.
When Swanson concluded the commit
tee rose and Payne, the majority leader
called up the conference report on the
Philippine tariff bill. He explained the
compromise effected by the conference
Richardson tTenn.). the minority leader
demanded permission to take the floor
In his own right to discuss the conference
report, but Payne declined to yield the
floor for that purpose. He refused to
grant more than 50 minutes to the minor
ity. This proffer Richardson declined
whereupon Payne demanded the previous
question. On division the vote stood.
Ayes. q; nays. 81. Richardson made the
point of no quorum and moved an adj
Journment. The motion was lost 81 to ST.
and there being no quorum present the
Speaker directed the clerk to call the roll
The previous question was ordered by a
vote of los to 81. and at 435 o'clock the
House adjourned.