The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-03-23
Members Try to Take Away
His Authority
WAS MOTIVE BEHIND IT
canceing Machines VIII No Longer
Be Rented in Postoffice-Other
Telephones Than Bell
Can Be Used.

sentatives devoted the entire day to fur
ther discussion of the postoffiee appropri-
alton bill, but disposed of only one page
of the bill Mr. Butler of Pennsylvania
endeavored unsuccessfully to have passed
an amendment designed to transfer back
to the office of the first assistant post
master general jurisdiction of the free
delivery and rural delivery service, which
caused Mr.. Moon of Tennessee, the rank
ing minority member of the committee,
to administer a rebuke to those members
who are trying to take from the fourth
assistant postmaster general certain
duties given to him under law.
He said there was motive behind 1t all
and that certain members chatting under
the recent report of the department, are
seeking to punish Bristow for discovering
frauds In another bureau of the depart
ment.
An amendment by Mr.. Tawney of Min
neapolis, which was agreed to, prohibits
the postmaster general from ordering out
of postoffices, telephone companies other
than the Bell company An amendment
by C. B. Lands of Indiana prohibiting
the further rental of cancelling machines
was adopted after a spirited debate.
Question of Personal Privilege.
Mr.. Babcock, republican, of Wisconsin,
rising to a question of privilege, calico
attention to an article which appeared
In a New York paper of yesterday IN
which he is alleged to have improperly
used the malls He said the statements he
refers to was copied from a campaign
hook Issued in his district during the
late campaign. which he said was q book
of MISREPRESENTATION and untruth. After
a full investigation of the unwarranted
ISLANDERS and charges, he said the people
of his district rose in their might ana
turned them down.
re said the documents referred to in
the campaign book charging him With
stuffing the mails in the interest OF rail-
roads had been sent out in the course or
ordinary business and that he knew moth
ing OF the official weighing. He also
emphatically declared that he never III
his life issued railroad pass to any
body. He denied he led the fight to give
80 900 900 to the Pennsylvania railroad to
build a union station in Washington and
also voted to give away $12S,OOOOoO or
government money for the Pacific rail-
roads. He closed by saying the entire
article was an absolute and unqualihed
falsehood He was applauded as he took
his seat.
A resolution was passed fixing March
IS, after the disposition of the pension
bills, for the consideration for providing
for the election Of delegate from the
territory of Alaska, and making the bill
privileged thereafter.
Goes Into Committee of Whole.
The house then went into committee Of
the whole and resumed consideration of
the postoffce appropriation bill.
Mr. Moon of Tennessee offered an
amendment which was agreed to limiting
to twenty five years the lease Of the post
office building which is to be erected by
the New York Central in New York. with
the provision for renewal at the end Of
that period.
Mr.. Douglass of New York sought to
amend the bill by allowing $4,000 for the
lease of a postoffce building at the Penn
sylvania terminal
Mr.. Sulzer contended for the purchase
of the Pennsylvania site at 000 He
had the clerk read a letter from the act
ing president of the Pennsylvania rail-
road company dated March q. 1904 in
which 1t was stated that the road would
not lease to the government postoffice
accommodations at its New York ter
minal.
Mr.. Douglass declared that the PROPOSE
tion to pay s2.OOO,Ooo for the site was in
iquitous and unjust.
After Messrs. Sibley of Pennsylvania,
and Alexander Of New York. had further
discussed the amendment of Mr.. Douglass
ii was agreed to.
Mr. Tawney of Minnesota offered an
amendment providing that no part of the
amount appropriated for miscellaneous
expenses shall be used for telephone ser.
vice in any postoffice where the post
master is required by order of the post
la -.
other telephone service than that OF the
Bell and telephone companies controlled
by said company.
Deprives Him of Discretion.
Mr. Overstreet made a point of order
against the amendment, saying it depriv-
ed the postmaster general of the dscre-
ton given him under the law. He in
sisted, however. that the principle of ia
voritsm did not obtain In the department.
Mr. Tawney was not willing to accept
this view and said that In St. Paul, the
Twin City Telephone system Installed In
that office had been put out under the
mandatory order Of the postmaster gen.
eral, and the Bell service substituted
although the Twin City company had
given splendid service.
Mr.. Williams of Mississippi, said he had
protested to the postmaster general about
the departments order for the removal
of the Independent telephone companies
instruments In his district in Mississippi,
and the installation Of the Bell service.
The explanation given by the depart
ment, he said. amounted to nothing.
Mr.. Grosvenor of Ohio said the postmas-
ter general had explained TO MIN that the
installation OF the Bell system where an
other system was employed was solely
that the postoffice inspectors might COM
municate by long distance calls directly
with the department.
Mr. Overstreet declared there had been
no iron-clad rule or contract with any
particular company.
The point OF order was overrued, and
Mr. Overstreet continued his opposition
to the amendment.
Messrs. Robinson Of Indiana and Stevens
of Minnesota. defended the amendment
which was agreed to-s2 to 25.
To Transfer Free Delivery.
Mr.. Butler OF Pennsylvania offered ar
amendment taking the entire free deliv-
cry service and the rural free delivery
-