Bisbee daily review., 1911-12-14
Several Features of It. Notab- ly the Charges by Railway
 Companies for
 Transportation
ALSO THE COMPLAINT
 OF THE MAGAZINES
4 Disposition to Rob Post 0f- flee Department of Great Political Power Il Has
 EXerted
CBy Victor Elliott

readluSlnent, IT not reorganization, of the entire postal system of the United States probably will be re- commended by the house committee on expenditures on the postofice de partment This committee has been engaged for eight months in an in Quiry into the administration of the affairs of this branch of the federal government and it's probe has gone deep.
 I The committee is headed by Rep . resentative William AsbroOk, of Ohio : a democrat. and consists of four ] democrats and three republicans. As ! sociated with MT. Asbrook are Repre- sentatiyes Alexander. of Missouri. 1 Redfield; of New York; Mccoy Of ! New Jersey, democrats; Austin of ! Tennessee; Slemp of Virginia and Towner of Iowa, republicans. This body of legislators has gone 1 about its work with little fuss or furry But the members have worked industriously and are now pre- pairing a report which will be sub mitted to the house within a few weeks at the least, embodying their findings and their suggestions for re forms. They have covered in their investigations practically all of the important branches of the service and they promise a document, when their report is finally made. that will be one of the most valuable con. gressional records of recent years.
 Second Class Mail
 Perhaps the most important fea- ture of the postal work inquired into has been the cost Of transportation of second class mail matter Presi- dent Tafts postal commission, head ed by Mir. Justice Hughes, of the United States supreme court, has prepared a report bearing on the same question. and this will be consid- cred by congress along with the spec ial message of the president. Re gardless of this, however, the house committee has pursued an investiga- tion of its own. Committee experts have been at work and have reached some conclusion of their own which will be valuable when congress is called upon finally to legisata on the subject.
 Magazine publishers have made gal lant efforts to show both the Hughes commission and the house committee that the postal deficit in past years has not been the result of the cheap transportation of second class mail but that the rural free delivery and heavy tools paid to railroads tor all mail carried are responsible for this failure to meet the postal ex- penses.
 Railway Transportation
 While the committee was probing this question of second class mail postage, it went into the costs o{ rail. way transportation of mail. The whole matter has been examined with care. IL has been debated in con, gress for years and no satisfactory basis for railway pay has ever been arrived at.
 There has been a widespread feel ing both ip and out of congress that the railroads were receiving more for their service than they were entitled to. Less than a year ago Post master General Hitchcock said in an official communication to the sen ate that the roads were overpaid and that they are getting at east S9,0O0,, coo a year more than they should have. He complained that the existing law gave the rail lines this unnecessary profit.
 Several years earlier, Murdock, the insuTgent congressman from Kan sas, said in a carefully prepared speech that the country was being robbed by the transportation compan~ ies in handling the mails. This pre- cipitated a fight in the result that the old Cannon machine all-power- ful at that time, became arrayed against the Kansan. That fight was really initiated by the insurgent Mur- dock.
 The Railroads View
 It is maintained by the railroads that they are not receiving enough money. They say that they are under paid by fully S15.000, ,000 a year. This means that there Is a margin of S24,- 100000 between the figures of MT. Hitchcock on the one hand and the representatives of the railroads on the other. The house committee has been trying. therefore, to get at the facts of the case.
 The whole question of fraud as practiced through the use of the mails is being looked into by the house committeeman. Much attention has been given to the famous Lewis case. The committee sat in St. Louis for the purpose Of hearing all sides cI this controversy.
 Appeals tO the courts from fraud orders issued by the Postoffice de- kartment is another problem with which the committee has wrestled. At present the department has arbi- trary power in this respect and the justice oi permitting postal inspect ! ors 10 destroy a business because they happen 10 believe it fraudulent Is one r..- A. .s...ftflr f< -rr.-.rf ,s~xl~,