The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-03-23
THE POSTOFPICE BILL
LOWER HOUSE SPENDS THE DAY
 ON IT.
Moon of Tennessee Rebukes Members for Showing Spleen Toward Bris- tow Because of His Unearth-
 ing Frauds in Department.

few routine matters, t..e House Of Rep resentatives devoted the entire day to further discussion of the. Postofice ,ap- propriation bill. but disposed of only one page of the bill. s'
 Mir. Butler Of Pennsylvania, endeavor- ed unsuccessfully to have passed an amendment designed to transfer back to the office of the first assistant postmas- ter general 'Jurisdiction"of the free deliv- cry and rural delivery services. which caused MT. Moon of Tennessee, the rank ing minority member of the cimmittee, to administer a rebuke to those members who are trying to take from the fourth assistant certain duties given to him un- der law. He said there was a motive be- hind it all and that certain members. chaf1ng under the recent reporE of the department. are seeking to punish Bris- tow for discovering frauds in another bu- reau of the deparement.
 An amendment by Mir. Tawney of Min nesota. which was agreed to. prohibits the postmaster general from ordering out of postoffice telephone companies oth- CT than the Bell company.
 An amendment by c. B. Landis of In- diana, prohibiting the further rental of cancelling machines, was adopted after a spirited debate.
 Mir Moon (Tenn.) offered an amend ment which was agreed to, limiting to 2S years the lease of the postoffice building, which is to be erected by the New York Central in New York with provision for a renewal at the end of that period.
 MT. Douglass (N. Y1 sought to amend the bill by allowing $75. 900 for lease of a postofice building at the Pennsylvania terminal.
 Mir. Sulzer contended for the purchase of the Pennsylvania site at $2,000,000. He had the clerk read letter from the act ing president of the Pennsylvania Rail- road dated March 21. 1904. in which it was stated that the road would not lease to the government postohce accommoda- tions at its New York terminal.
 MT. Douglass declared that the propo- sition to pay $2.OO00OO for the site was in- iquitous and unjust
 After Messrs Sibley (Pa.) and Alexan- der CN. Y.) had further discussed the amendment of MT. Douglass, it was agreed to.
 Mir. Tawney (Minn.) offered an amend ment 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 master general or otherwise to use no other telephone service than that of the Sell or any telephone companies controll- ed by said company.
 MT. Overstreet made a point of order against the amendment saying 1t de- prived the Postmaster General of the discretion given him under the law. He said, however, that the system of favorit- ism did not obtain in the department. Mir. Tawney did not accept this view and said that in St. Paul the Twin City Tele- phone system installed in that office had been put out under order of the Post master General and the Bell service sub stituted, although the Twin City com pany had given a splendid service.
 MT. Williams (Miss.) said that he had protested to the Postmaster General about the order for the removal of the independent compaines' instruments in his district in Mississippi and the in stallation of the Bell service. The ex- planation given by the department. he said. amounted to nothing.
 Mfr. Grosvenor ,COhio) said the Post master General had explained to him that the installation of the Bell system where another system was employed was solely that the postofice inspectors might com municate by long distance calls directly with the department.
 MT. Overstreet declared there had been no iron clad rule or contract with any particular company.
 , The point of order was overruled and Mir! Overstreet continued his opposition to the amendment.
 Messrs Robinson (Ind.) and Stevens (Mlnn.) defended the amendment which was agreed to 62 to 25.
 Mir. Butler (Pa) offered an amendment taking the entire free delivery service and the rural free delivery service out of the hands of the fourth assistant post master generals office.
 MT. Overstreet made the point of order that the amendment interfered with the proper consideration of the bill and was not germane.
 In an elaborate opinion. MT. Boutell Oll.) in the chair, sustained the point of order
 To get around this decision. Mir. Butler offered an amendment transferring to the first assistant postmaster general so much of the free delivery service as was covered by the appropriation of $2O, 0OO for letter carriers in offices already estab- lished. for substitute carriers. temporary carriers at summer resorts holiday, cleo tion and emergency service.
 The chair overruled a point of order against the new amendment. whereupon Mir Overstreet urged that the amend ment be voted down.
 In a vigorous speech Mir. Butler de- clared that he did not think 1t was well to put the whole postoffice department under the fourth assistant postmaster general Tt is not right" he said, "to put 102, 900 under the charge and direc- ton of one officer of the government un- less he is a major general of high rank" If the amendment did not prevail he de- clared, the fourth assistant postmaster general would have twice as many people under him as were in the regular army.