The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-03-08

criticizing the administration of the post office department, he wanted first to pay his compliments to the postoffice commit tee. It had worked hard and it's chair man had shown great zeal and ability. The estimates of the postoffice depart ment were not. however, to be relied upon, and to correct the evil congress order an investigation with a view to getting rid of maladministration that had ob- tained during the past few years The provision in the bill for a purchasing agent to buy all supplies for the depart ment was commended by MT. Cowherd.
 He declared that M. W. Louis had been put into the service by First Assistant Postmaster Heath as cashier of the Wan sas City office, and immediately trans ferred to Washington as head of the sup ply division, because of contracts which were to be let shortly afterwards. Over 50,O00 pounds of ink had been bought at an increased price, when 1t previously had taken only 21,60O pounds. The binding department purchases were also comment ed upon MT. Metcalf, superintendent of the money order system, was mentioned Tn connection with the printing contract for money order blanks.
 Expected Recommendation.
 Did not we have right to expect some
 
 after those disclosures for change in the methods?" asked Mir Cowherd.
 Yet no recommendation came This was his reason for demanding a congress sional investigation of the department. As emphasizing this necessity still fur tner, he called attention to the item of d,0O000O in the bill for separating the malls in third and fourth-class postof fees This item last year, he said, was $l,3OOOOO, and it was in the disbursing Of that appropriation that Bristow charged that Beavers had used it to ad- vance his political standing and to give away to his personal and political friends"
 The expending for rent fuel and light, referred to by Bristow as being extrava- gantly used by Beavers, was another mat ter cited. MT. Cowherd maintained that the estimates in these cases had not been reduced by the department
 MT. Cowherd, touching on the reasons why certain devices were adopted by the department, read an extract from a let ter to Miller, the Washington agent of the time-clock company, to Bradt of that company, as follows:
 Extract From Letter.
 T am satisfied that we have the as- surance and friendship of both parties, General Heath and MT. Beavers, and all that is necessary is to cultivate that friendship, if not by kind words, by dol- lars and cents, and think that the latter will be the most positive. However, the lines we have out now, will result in a change of programme, which means our ultimate success"
 MT. Murdock of Kansas, said the deficit that has grown up in the postoffice de- pertinent was because improvements in the service had been pushed ahead of the revenues.
 He said if there had been a Theodore Roosevelt to cut a canal across the isth- mus so Columbus could sail through and discover the United States on the western coast, the people of New England now would be asking for admission to state hood
 The committee rose and the resolution by MT. Martin of South Dakota, directing the secretary of commerce and labor to investigate the causes for the differences which exist between the cost of live stock and dressed beef, was passed without di- vision or debate.
 A bill was passed permitting the Kiowa, Chickasha and Fort Smith Railroad com pany to sell all its railroad and other property in Indian Territory.
 The house at $40 D. m. adjourned until tomorrow.
 THE SENATE.
 Washington, March 1.-The senate today passed the naval appropriation bill, which has been before it for the past four or five days, and then took up the army bill. The principal question in connec- tion with the naval bill related to the price and method of supplying armor plate for battieships, and it grew out of an amendment suggested by MT. Pat terson, providing for government armor plant. He ultimately withdrew the amendment, but offered several others, all of which were laid on the table. The reading of the army appropriation bill had not been concluded when the sen- ate adjourned.