The San Francisco call., 1904-03-24
HOUSE CUTS
APPROPRIATION
Reduces Amount for Inland
Mail Transportation From
$8,1O0,OOO to $7,850,0OO
ENLARGED FACILITIES
Fight Against Extra Service
OH the Trunk Lines Is
Lost by Very Small Margin

WASHINGTON, March 23.-When
the House, adjourned to-day some pro-
/ gress had been made in the reading
! of the postoffice appropriation bill for
amendment, but only six pages were
disposed OF. The appropriation for the
railway mail service was carefully
/ scrutinized. and in the case Of inland
mail transportation by star routes the
appropriation was scaled down from
+ IS, 100000 to $3.50 900. The question as
to the length of time a postal car may
be used before it becomes unfit for
service was settled by the House when
an amendment by Tawney of Mime
sofa was adopted providing that no
part of the appropriation shall be used
for the rental of cars which have been
/ in service for more than fifteen years.
An unsuccessful fight was made
against the appropriations for special
mail facilities over trunk lines south
| from Washington and west from Kan
sas City
To the provision in the bill appro-
( priating IS. 736. 900 for railway postal car
service Tawney of Minnesota offered
an amendment providing that no part
Of the sum shall be expended for use
of cars in the railway mail service that
/ have been used in said service more
than fifteen years. The amendment
/ was agreed to by a vote of 81 to SO.
An amendment by Snapp of Illinois
providing that out Of the appropriation
of 81, 200 900 for mail messenger service
$1,000 shall be allotted to the under
/ ground tunnel system in Chicago was
agreed TO after considerable debate.
Representative Hughes of New Jer-
sey offered an amendment limiting the
appropriation for mail bags so that it
shall not be available for the purchase
or repair of mail bags made in prisons
. or by convicts. Gardner of New Jersey
declared the situation ridiculous.
United States mail bags, he said, were
being made in New Jersey State pris-
ons. At the same time those prisons
contained United States prisoners, who,
under the law, are forbidden to work
p. on Government supplies. Side by side
( with these Federal prisoners were State
prisoners, and these were making mail
bags for the Government. He believed
the amendment to prohibit this should
go in the bill By unanimous consent
the section Of the bill and the amend
ment temporarily were passed over.
Cowherd of Missouri called attention
to the report of the postal commission
( which, he said, had expressed the opin =
ion that the rates paid the railroads
for carrying the mails should not he
reduced, and he made an extended
argument in support of this view. tie
was interrupted by Baker of New York
: who, with some passion, inquired IF
the gentleman maintains that men vino
have railroad passes in their pockets
are not prejudiced in favor of rhe rail-
roads?"
Cowherd replied, amid applause. that
he would leave il to the House whether
he had been so informed.
/ Baker excitedly declared that there
were some members who have been in
formed, which called for rebuke from
the chair, who said that Baker had
transgressed the rules of orderly pro-
/ cedure in the House
Smiths amendment was lost 43 to II .
Hughes then withdrew his former
amendment regarding the making or
repairing of mail bags in prisons and
offered substitute, which was agreed
to, providing, that hereafter no con-
tract shall be entered into by the Post
office Department for the purchase of
material or supplies to be manufac-
tured by convict labor
Moon of Tennessee moved to strike
out the entire provision appropriating
S142,72S for speciasl mail facilities on
trunk lines from Washington to At
lanta and New Orleans, but it was lost.
so to SS. An amendment by Robinson
of Indiana to strike out the provision
of $1,000 for special facilities on trunk
lines from Kansas City to Newton,
Kans.. also was lost, s. to SO.
AT $40 D. m. the House adjourned.