Willmar tribune., 1908-07-22
world, and show that it is not un-
denominational but interdenomina-
tiOnal.
ROBBING THE PUBLIC.

Ihe excessive amounts paid to the
railroads for carrying the mails
have long been a scandal. There
would be no need Of any deficit in
the postal department if the rail-
roads were only paid a reasonable
rate for carrying the mails. The
blind u. S. senator of Oklahoma
put the representatives of the u.
is. mail grafters in the Senate
squarely on record last May. In
the Congressional Record, on page
6,396, will be found the following:
MR.. GORE-I desire to submit
an amendment. On page %, after
line 18, move to insert the follow
ing proviso:
Provided, That the postmaster
general shall not pay any more for
the transportation Of mails than
express companies pay for trans
portation Of express of similar
weight and character -
THE VICE PRESIDENT-The
question is on agreeing to the
amendment proposed by the sena-
tor from Oklahoma.
M. GORE-Mr. President, | will
state the reason why l offer this
amendment. In great many
countries in the world the railroad
companies carry the mails free of
charge. That is true in France,
understand, except where the cars
belong to the government, in
which case a nominal charge is
paid, amounting to one cent per
car mile. In Austria-Hungary
and in Germany one car per train
is carried free of charge on other
than government railroads. IN
Italy and Belgium the mails are
carried free of charge. as l am in
formed. Now it is not my purpose
or the purpose of anyone to ask
the railroads of this country to
transport mails free of charge;
but, sir, the charges received by
the railroads paid by the govern
ment are far in excess Of that
which is reasonable and just.
will cite a few determinations
based upon estimates rendered a
few years ago. The charge from
| New York to Boston on first class
freight matter was 80 cents a hun
dred; on express it was SO cents a
hundred, and on mail it was 80
cents hundred. From New York
to Atlanta. Ga, the first class
freight charge was $l.26 hun
dred; the express charge was 81 a
hundred, and the mail charge was
So. SO hundred. From New York
to Chicago the charge was Is cents
a hundred for first class freight
| $l.25 for express, and $356 for
mail. The charge from New York
to San Francisco at the same time
was So a hundred for first class
freight, $6.75 for express and
$l3.2S for mails. Now, sir, there
is no justice and no justification in
Determinations of that character,
and | therefore move to limit the
charge for mail to the charges paid
by the express companies to the
railroads for similar services. In
the dominion Of Canada mail is
classified as freight of the lowest
classification and bears the lowest
rate. This amendment carries on
a proposition OF that sort, but it
seeks to protect the government
against charges which are unreason-
able and unjust. If there is any
justification for paying so much
greater charges for postage than
for express, | should like to see
some senator justify it.
! MR.. PENROSE--Mr. President,
the conditions are so absolutely dis
similar between the character of
express and mail matter that
trust the senate will not agree to
the amendment.
The amendment was rejected.
! MIR. GORE-On page % move
to strike out lines 13 and IA in the
following words: "For railway
postoffice car service, 4,600, ,000."
| THE VICE PRESlDENT-The
question is on agreeing to the
amendment proposed by the sena-
tor from Oklahoma.
MR.. GORE-I move to strike
out those lines because, as | have
suggested, we pay very much more
for carrying the mails than is paid
for either freight or express mat
ter, andsin addition to that we pay
an excessive charge for rental of
the cars in many instances.
therefore move to strike out these
lines.
3 The amendment was rejected.
MR.. GORE-At the end of line
IA, on page % i move to insert
''That the postmaster general shall
not pay more annual rental for
postal cars than 80 l-3 per cent OF
the cost of the car.
| The amendment was rejected.
| MR.. GORE-I move to insert af-
ter line ID, page %: THAT the