Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-30
POSTAL MONEY GIVEN
THE BILL AS AMENDED BY THE
SENATE COMMITTEE.
Allowance for Separating Mails Cut in
Half-Telephone Restriction
Eliminated.

amended by the Senate committee on post
offices and post roads, was printed and
placed in the hands of senators early to-
day. Among the amendments not hereto
fore announced from the committee are the
following:
For separating mails at the third and
fourth-class post offices the appropriation
is reduced from s1,OO0,O00 to 100000.
For allowance to third-class post offices
where the salaries of the postmasters ex-
ceed 81. 900 per annum; to cover the cost of
clerical services, 100000, provided that nc
allowance in excess o s400 shall be made
to any Office.
Telephone Paragraph Eliminated.
The committee eliminated the following
provision inserted in the House: That no
part of this appropriation shall be expended
for telephone service in any post office
where the postmaster is required, by order
of the Postmaster General or otherwise, to
use no other telephone service than that of
the Bell Telephone Company or any OF the
telephone companies connected with or con,
trolled in whole or III part Dy Sdia beii
Telephone Company.
Among the new items inserted in the bill
by the Senate committee are the following
For compensation to seven assistant super
intendents salary and allowance DIVISION,
at the rate of $1,000 year. $4,000
An increase of $4,000 is made for inland
TRANSPORTATION by steamboat and other
power-boat routes.
House bill the appropriation of $1o9,ooo TOT
the performance of mail messenger service
in Chicao by underground electric cars.
Provision is made for the fufllment OF the
existing contract for the ten inch pneumatic
tube in Boston at the rate of Sl6,HF q mile ne
to be paid from the appropriation or $'oo'"oo
for transmission of mail by pneumatic
tubes.
The age limit of fifteen years on cars
used in the railway postal service was
stricken out by the Senate committee.
Railway Mail Clerks Increased.
In the railway mail service the number of
clerks in various offices has been increased
materially as follows: In class six, at
81 800, the increase being from 24I to III;
in class five at 81 400 from PIG to $50; in
class five, at $1,000, from 5l7 to o42; IN
class four at 81 200 from 1,Gn to LID in
class four at SLIGO. from Lbs to 1,..91; IN
class three, at 81, coo from Abb to 4o4S; IN
class two at $500, from 1883 to 2N.'; I'D
class one at $500 from 7S3 to $50. In all
the increase is from S12,9ol 900 to sli,0o9oo'
The Senate committee has limited the per
diem allowance for assistant superintendent
to an amount not exceeding 5000 year
Increases in a appropriations for the Of
flee of the third assistant postmaster gen
eral were made as follows: For manuIac-
ture of adhesive postage ana speciai oe-
500 coo to 1922 900; for the distribution OF
stamps from nine to thirteen thousa and dol
lars: for the distribution of stamped en-
velops and wrappers, from sl5,co0 to s.o,ooo.
New York Postal Facilities.
After two days consideration of the
Post Office appropriation BILL the Senate
committee reported it last night.
The House bill provides for the rental
of the Pennsylvania railroad site in New
York city for post office purposes, but the
Senate committee decided that it would
be better business policy to buy the site.
Therefore an appropriation of $a,ooo,o0o
is made for that purpose.
Among the important amendments to
the bill are the following: The salaries of
rural free delivery carriers are liked at
SI20 year, and the carriers are permit,
ted to carry merchandise for hlre ana
receive subscriptions for and denver
newspapers and periodicals. so long as
this occupation does not interfere with
the proper discharge of their duties. 1t
is stipulated however, that the carriers
shall not discriminate against any news
paper which desires to avail itself of the
privilege of employing them
Senator ClayS amendment increasing
the salary of the purchasing agent Tor
the Post Office Department to S4,o00 and
requiring that all supplies must be
bought by competitive bids, the contracts
to be given to the lowest bidders, and
tnat q ScneuuIe the DlUS must DE sent
to Congress annually, was adopted
The committee adopted an amendment
for the retransfer of the free delivery in
cities to the first assistant postmaster
generals division instead of leaving it
with the fourth assistant. The Senate
committee provides for the purchase or
rental of canceling machines instead of
purchase alone, as provided by the House
bill
Service to Tahiti.
Oceanic Steamship Company at rate Of
81 mile for the carrying of mail be-
tween San Francisco and Tahiti was re-
stored to the bill. This provision has
been in the post office appropriation bills
for a number of years, but was elimi-
mated by the House at this session on the
ground that ii was in the nature of a SUBJ
sidy. The Senate committee has restrict
ed the payments to $40, 900 annually