The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-03-08

wanted accompanies the report. Minority members urged that debate and vote on the resolution should be deferred as the / had not had an opportunity to read the report, So an agreement was reached to postpone further action until Wedncs- day and 1000 copies of the report was ordered printed.
 The postoffice appropriation bill Was then taken up and MT. Moon (Tenn ) arraigned the present system employed in the Postoffice Department and made an appeal for a general investigation of the affairs of the Department. MT. Cow herd tDem., Mo-. followed with an analytical review of the charges made in the Bristow report, which he referred to as a shameful story of fraud and mis- administration.
 When the House convened today a communication from the Postmaster General was read in which it was stat.d that the Department was burdened by lot of useless documents, and Messrs. Bates of Pennsylvania and Bassett of New York. were appointed a committee to make recommendation as to their d.5- position.
 Mir. Pinckney (Texas), was appointed member of the Committee on Expen- dltures in the Interior Department m place of Mir. Candler of Mississippi, who resigned from that Committee.
 MT. Overstreet made an explanation of the provisions of the bill and dwelt at some length on the reasons for increaS- ing the pay of rural free delivery car riers. While MT. Overstreet was speak ing messenger brought in and laid on the doorkeeper's desk a bundle of the reports accompanying the Hay resolu- tions. Members crowded around the desk and business was suspended until every member had procured a copy of the re- port. MT. Overstreet said the Commit tee In the interest of the service had re- commended that rural free delivery c1r- riers no longer be permitted to solicit business for merchants.
 Mir. Moon (Tenn.) the ranking miner ity member of the Postofice Commit ae, disavowing any political purpose in view Of the evidence at hand. urged it to nc the duty of the House to look closely into the affairs of the Postofice Department The system of administration, he sa.., was weak, and an investigation miEtr enable the House to revise and strength en the system. The slime, he said which had been found in one branch may have permeated other branches; . He said the names of 15O members had been linked with the wrongdoing in the Fostofiice Department not justly, he said. except in very few cases. but he asked how this would be viewed. He exonerated the Republicans from any de- sire to protect wrong-doers in ofice but said they were derelict in not providing better system. It was not a partis.. n matter but an issue that must be mel. Mir. Moon concluded by condemn1ng the railroad mail subsidy carried in the bi,, In response to Mir. Grosvenor he said it was the votes of a majority of both par- ties that kept the subsidy In the bill
 MT. Cowherd (Mo) said that in critIciz- ing the administration of the Postof1ce Department, he wanted first to nav his compliments to the PostofTice Committee
 It had worked hard and its chairman had shown great zeal and ability. The estl- mates Of the Postoffice Department wora
 not, however, to be relied upon, and to correct the evil Congress should order
 an investigation with view to getting
 rid Of maladministration that had obtain
 ed during the past few years. The pro-
 vision In the bill for a purchasing agent
 to buy all supplies for the department
 was commended by Mir. Cowherd. He
 declared that NJ. W. Louis had been m,
 Into the service by First Assistant Post. master General Heath as cashier of the