The Twin City star. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1910-19??, 1912-08-03
POSTAL SERVICE
BILL IMPORTANT
Chief Provision Is That Relating
to Parcels Post
HOUSE and SENATE DIFFER
Measure Has Hard Row to Hoe Be-
fore Passase-Shall the Commission
or Of the General Land Office In Alas
ka Have a Motorboat?-A Bill That
interests the Publishers. ~
BY ARTHUR w. DUNN.

BY ARTHUR w. DUNN.
Washington. Aug. 1.-lSpecial. mo
more important bill to all the people is
passed each year than providing for
the postal service. The bill is of I'M
usual Importance this year owing to
the many features it contained when
il passed the house which were en-
tirely new and the changes which the
senate committee has made. When the
bill finally passes the senate 1t will
still have hard row to hoe. as the
house will not take kindly to the
changes which the senate has made.
By far the most important provision
which the bill contains Is that relating
to parcels post. The house proposed
to acquire the express companies and
establish general parcels post service.
The senate proposes to establish zone
system by which charges will be great
er for longer than for shorter haul.
Good Roads Provision.
We will hear from those who are
called the dirt road statesmen" in the
house when that provision is again
considered. The ShacklefOrd amend.
ment has been eliminated and a provi-
sion for a commission to investigate
the subject substituted. The commits
sion plan is the way In which the
statesmen always dodge difficult
problem. 1t postpones action. But the
dirt road statesmen" of the house will
not let 60 without fight. , 49,
Of Interest to Publishers.
The present postoffice appropriation
bill Is Of great interest to all publishers
because it contains number Of pro-
visions which one way or another at
feet the publishing business. The so
called "blue tag system" the sending
of mail by freight, has been discontin-
ued. Special provision is made for the
circulation of fraternal publications as
second class mail. Then there Is the
Barnhart amendment. which as passed
by the house provided that the name
Of every person interested in a publica-
ton should be printed at least once
week or in every issue Of less fire.
quent circulation. The senate has
modified that amendment by having
one publication and the list Of inter-
ested persons filed in the postoffice de-
partment and in the Office where the
publication is mailed.
Boran's Sarcastic Query.
Senator Newlands was discussing the
advantages of tariff board and was
interrupted by Borab Of Idaho, who
asked:
Does the senator think that the tar.
iff board has the capacity to do some
thing and in that respect has the ad-
vantage over the senator
&c.,. The Alaska Motorboat.
BY a yea and nay vote and after
long discussion the senate finally
agreed to provide 5000 for a motor
boat for the commissioner Of the gen.
eral land Office In Alaska. During the
discussion one senator suggested that
It ought to be convertible into an ice
boat, for there would be more use for
II on Ice than water. "a flying ma
chine would seem to be more practica.
ble," remarked Senator Fall Of New
Mexico, IF the motorboat Is to follow
men who cut timber" And then Jim
Reed Of Missouri added a little more.
II am convinced that this boat ought
to be equipped with armor plate and
arms" he said, land we have no est.
mate for that expenditure"
1t Is very doubtful whether the
house will agree to give the commits
sioner his motorboat.
National Parks and "Pork."
It reused the ire of western senators
when the appropriations for national
parks I'm their section Of the country
was referred to as pork barrel" mon
ey. Several came back with assertions
that for years they had been voting
money freely for river and harbor i'm.
proyements In nearly every state save
those Of the Rocky mountains, which
could not benefit by such appropria-
lions. 1T comes with I'll grace for
men along the Mississippi river" said
Myers of Montana. ito talk about
pork In this connection when we
have expended millions upon millions
for the rivers Of that region and are
asking a few thousands to take care
Of and improve these great wonder
spots of the American continent for
tha benefit of the whole people,"