The Indianapolis journal., 1904-04-07
RESTRICTIONS PLACED
ON RURAL MAIL CARRIERS
Committee Amendment to Post
office Appropriation Bill
Adopted by Senate.
OUARLES PLAN KILLED
Further Changes May Be Made
When the Measure Goes
Into Conference.
OUARLES PLAN KILLED
shecial to the IndianapoIis journal.


WASHINGTON, April 6.-The expected
happened to-day when the Senate adopted
the rural free delivery amendment reported
by the postoffice committee of that body.
The amendment is satisfactory neither to
the ''men with Millions nor those who
are opposed to rural carriers acting as
hucksters- 1t is ambiguous, and undoubted-
ly will be materially modified In confer
ence. That the sentiment of the Senate
is opposed 10 permitting rural carriers to
act as solicitors or agents was demonstrate
ed in the debate to-day. The belief is ex-
pressed that the amendment, if il prevails.
will permit the carriers to do errands for
patrons, and at the same time prevent
them from acting as agents for newspapers
or other firms and corporations. The
amendment follows:
Said carriers shall not solicit business
or receive orders of any kind for any per-
son, firm. corporation. and shall not.
during their hours of employment, carry
any merchandise for hire, provided, that
said carriers may carry merchandise for
hire and receive subscriptions for and de-
liver newspapers, magazines and other
periodicals for and upon the request of
patrons residing upon their respective
routes whenever the same shall not inter-
fere with the proper discharge of their
official duties and under such regulations
as the postmaster general may prescribe,
and not otherwise; and provided further,
that no carrier shall refuse 10 deliver or TO
take orders or subscriptions for any mer-
chandise, newspapers, or periodical request
ed by any patron on his route, subject TO
the laws of the United States and the
regulations of the postmaster general"
AS heretofore stated i'll these dispatches
the real fight over the rural snendment
will come off in conference. The House
conferees will insist upon the amendment
fixing the salaries of the carriers at $12O
year and prohibiting them from acting
as agents solicitors
Mr.. QuarleSs amendment for grading
salaries of mail carriers was ruled out on a
point OF order.
Mr. Quarles spoke of the hardships Incl
dent to the carriers life and of the made
quate pay OF the present schedule and said
they should, in justice. be placed on foot
ing in harmony with the carriers in cities
He contended that salaries sufficient &c
relieve carriers from the necessity of carry
ing packages for merchants and others
should be provided, and said that if the
''huckSter'' system was TO be continued ii
was certain to eventuate in serious scandal
He predicted that the time would come
when the carriers would be mere agents for
single firms.
Mr.. Dollirer predicted that unless great
caution was exercised much scandal would
result from the rural free delivery service
hence the guarded amendment of the COM
mittee on postoffices for the regulation of
order-taking and package delivery. He
said there had been cases in which news
papers had supplied carriers with their
complete equipment on the condition that
they solicit subscriptions for those papers
alone He predicted that in a few years
the rural carriers force would number
10000 and that the expenditures on account
of the service would come to be not less
than $50,000,000
Mr. Lodge supported the committee
amendment fixing uniform salary of $50
with limited opportunity for making money
by doing a parcels service. To make any
increase in salaries, he said would add
enormously TO the total appropriation car
ried by the bill. He also spoke of the dan
ger of large newspapers and large commits
sion houses monopoliZing the service OF
carriers, and said il was perfectly clear
that this discrimination by carriers could
not be permitted. lie made point of or
der against the amendment and was sus-
tained. The committee amendment ther
was agreed to.
At the opening of the session, after wait
ing with much patience for many days
Mr. Hepburn found opportunity TO speak
TO the Senate on the subject of pure food
Technically the speech was in support OF
a resolution calling on the secretary OF
agriculture to send to the Senate the re-
suits of the Investigations made by his
department into aduterated foods. but in
reality ii was in support OF the pure food
bill. Mr.. Hepburn contended that a very
large proportion of foods. drugs and lio.
| uors were adulterated. and that manx
| drugs were absolutely poisonous