Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-04-17
RANKING ABUSES
TO Be STOPPED.
Claimed That Free Mail privi.
Ieges Are Used for I'm.
worthy Ends.
oyeRSTREET ASKS REFORM.
ue SAYS That shrewd individuals Take
Advantage of Their Opportuni-
ties In This Respect.

washington, April l3,--To save the
government money in the transporta-
,,on of mails, to limit the abuses OF all
kinds as far as possible and to make
tho congressional frank or free car
Rage OF public documents stand for
ans, what It was intended has been the
earnest endeavor of Chairman over
street OF the house committee on post
oalces and post roads. Like every 9TH
or abuse he finds the Thanking priv
peee" abuses thoroughly intrenched,
and those who want to get something
for nothing. who want the government
10 pay postage that they ought to pay
themselves, find many reasons why the
reforms proposed by overstreet and his
associates ought not to be adopted CT
that they would infringe upon the priv
ileges of members. Here In Washing
ton II Is well known that the ranking
privilege il abused, not to the extent
that has been charged, but that the
free use Of the mails has been obtain
cd for matter that ought TO pay post
age
This Is the way Overstreet explained
some OF these abuses: "Shrewd, far
seeing individuals take advantage OF
their opportunities and seek privileges
which they themselves do not enjoy
through the courtesy of friendship.
Organizations for the prevention Of
cruelty to animals may get some per-
son who is In sympathy with their
movement to introduce into Congress
and have printed In the Record an
article touching upon that subject, and
afterWard obtain the courtesy of the
members frank to distribute 1t through
out the country. Similar organizations
for the suppression Of polygamy. for
the encouragement of some industry
or FOR the reformation Of the world or
political organization for political
partisan advantage-may obtain the
same privilege I'm the same way"
MIGHT HAVE GONE FARTHER.
Overstreet might have gone farther.
Crank bills, memorials and documents
upon all conceivable subjects are put
through the congressional hopper and
made into public documents, mem
hers frank IL borrowed and they are
sent broadcast through the mails. The
ideas Of some man which cannot be
circulated through the press or maya
zines because they would be rejected
by any publisher either as news or
Views are disseminated In this way. and
the people pay the postage. There are
organizations In Washington which ad-
vertlse themselves in this way. They
obtain hearing before a congression-
nj committee, state their views and
print letters, and these become frank
able. Then the good nature of some
congressman Is imposed upon and such
parts as Will constitute an advertise
ment are sent forth for that purpose.
But the movement to curtaii this and
other attempts to save money to the
government meet strong opposition.
SENATOR MoRGAN'S oBsERvA-
TON.
The venerable senator from Alabama
had not taken any great part In .he
railroad rate discussion, but he In
dulged In few questions with Senator
Long the other day which were rather
significant.
is there any provision in this BILL"
asked Senator Morgan. (which COM
pels the carrier to accept the rate pre-
scribed by the commission"
There are penalties provided for tho
refusal on the part of carrier, and
mandamus proceeding Is provided to
enforce acceptance" replied Long.
Does this bill affirm" continued
Morgan, that carrier engaged in
Interstate commerce has no right to
stop business II 1t finds Il unproflt-
abe?'
u do not think the bill goes so far
as that" replied Long
~. ~
very slender underpnnng," remarked
Morgan.
WHY THE HYPHEN?
Representative Bartholdt was trying
TO get a bill through the house to in
corporate the National German Ameri-
can alliance and General Grosvenor
broke in with few questions which
supported by protest from Colonel
Hepburn, put the bill TO sleep. Hero
Is The way Grosvenor went at II:
What is the propriety of using the
term German American | have heard
u condemned many a time. and | have
had great deal of sympathy with that
condemnation. Upon what theory is
mat hyphenated designation kept up
AFTER a man has cast his fealty with
'he American people?'
CANAL OR GOOD ROADS.
Representative Lee of Georgia thinks
mat we had better spend money on
hlgtways rather than on canal. He
SAID IN recent speech Forty mil
non dollars were promptly handed out
rom me public treasury to pay for the
privilege OF spending s2O0OO0,000 more
~ dlg datch In foreign lands more
man 1000 miles from home. Not one
-hnndredth of per cent OF our peo-
PIE VIII ever see II; not one In a thous-
ana or our people will ever feel his
burdens lightened or his Joy and conf
iorts OF life increased when It Is IN
Ehed. One half the sum It will cost,
~ lntelligently expended upon our pub
PC highways during the next 10 years,
would give hundred times as many
comforts and pleasures TO a thousand