The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-02-17
THn rosrAL sILI.. ].
House Considers decreased 4compensn-
 tioa for Clerks and Carriers.

f -eSsNr SSosI0CIA Hhtrf4ME0 W 0H Den MU@
 tioa for Clerks and Carrfers.
 Washington. Feb. 16.--The House to- day resolved itself Into committee of |. the whole for the consideration of the postal appropriation bill.f
 MT CTerstree., of Indiana chairman of committee. explained that the biil carries the largest appropriation eyer brought into tho House. aad he ex- platned that the increase had been made necessary by the increased cou- pensntion for clerks carriers in city delivery offices and rural delivery car-. riers. l
 In making provision for increase of compensation to the several classes of postal employees, Mir. Overstreet ex- piatned that reclassifcation of clerks and carriers was necessary, 50 as to put the employees of both services on A common footing. interchan eeahIe tn service and eligible equally for ad-l [ vancement.
 The rural free delivery service. he said. had been placed to normal basis, and he believed 1t would be sattsfac- tory to the whole service. Passing to the reduction recommended by the com mittee for railway mall pay, Mir Over street said the committee had reached the conclusion that a reduction in the railway mall pay was absolutely neces- sary.
 He said that railway iaail pay was business question and one of the most complicated before Congress. He admitted that there was a division in the committee and called attention to the fact that members of congress were being swamped with telegrams from railroads throughout the country ask ing that the reduction carried in tie bill be defeated. He said the railroads were raising a howl because they were not permitted to be heard before the committee. and yet the eommittee was fortified with all the evidence obtain able and on which the reduction was made.
 Now" remarked Mir. overstreet. 'ths railroads are trying to stainpeds the House. yet there is not a scintiiia of evidence to show that the reduc- ton Is excessive"
 Tho postal service, he said, would not be impaired In the slightest degree if the reduction should be adopted and not train would be cut on. not withstanding the less receipts of tlls railway companies.
 "A united press Is more powerful than Congress- said Mir. Overstreet. in dis- cussing the report of the postal con,- mission on seeond.class matter. But. he added, it was with great regret ha had observed an absence of fair imves- tigation on the part of certain news papers in criticizing the findings of the commission.
 "We will never be able. in my judx- ment, to reach any kind of aatfe- factory adjustment of the great problem Of second-c!ass matter of maif unless we can have the co-operation of the great press of the country, daily and periodical. It Is in the interest Of these enterprises that Iegislation iw needed. The an.Iauatcd laws Of today are scarcely enforced
 "A strict enforcement of existing laws relating to second -ciaas mail matter might easily result in great harm and loss to publishers but so tong as the newspapers and periodicals of the coun- try insist upon wholesale, criticism without fair and reasonabfe co oper- alton upon their part. fear we will always have an unfortunate eftHnEle- Ffncnt and contest which will bring | about no fair results. Much FsAainfor- nation has been spread abroad with respect to the action of that commits | sion.
 'If had the time would Be glad to inform this House upon some methods which have been adopted by some pe- riodicals. daily and otherwise. which have been stiusulated and started upon their heilish methods for the purpose of defeating action would point out to thls House where some of these mis- guided and unfortunate representatives of a great and influential press hava even sought to aid the railroad corpor- ations in joint movement 10 defeat All legisiation by Congress relative to the second-class mail matter and the reduction of railway mall pay.
 T think that the great volume of the American press should be exoner- aied from any such criticisms which { have just made in reference to some. l believe In the integrity, the influence and high purposes of that press, and they can subserye splendid motive and aid in cause which has been urged for their benefit by giving better at- ten ton to the efforts of honorable gen. .uement Of Congress in studying and seeking to bring about some NIse laws that will result in their benefit Not until the press as whole can give car at least to fair and reasonable effortk we can never hope for final action upon this great problem"