Norwich bulletin., 1912-08-13
RifIed Wisconsin
 Senator's Mail
LA TOILETTE MAKES CHARGES AGAINST POST OFFICE OFFICIALS
CHARGE RIDICULOUS"
Answer by First Assistant Postmaster GeneraI-Accuser Has Letters to Show, as Proof, He Says.

Washington, Aug. 12.-The senate today after five hours work on the postof1ce appropriation biu. reached an agreement to vote on the measure at four o'clock tomorrow afternoon.
 Discussion of the bill was enlivened late in the day when Senator I1aF'ol- lette, speaking on a house provision granting to employees of the postal ser vice the right to organize, deliberately charged officials of the postofice de- partment with riding his mail in an attempt to Gelve into an investigation he was making into the posital serv- ice.
 The Wisconsin senator declared that his mall had been "subjected to an espionage almost Russian in char acter," and he showed to the senators a bundle of letters which he said had been tempered with.
 Not By Department Officials.
 Absurd" and ridiculous" are ad- jectives applied to Senator L.aiF'ollette's charges by officials of the postofflce department. It is declared positively that if the senator's mail has been ri fed the crime was committed by some body not connected with the depart ment.
 Dr. Charles P. Grandfeld, first as sistant, and, in the temporary absence of MT. Hitchcock, acting postmaster general said:
 We never have hesrd until now that Senator LaFollette's mail has bee.. tempered with. l think the senator is quite mistaken when he charges that officials of the postofTice department ri- fled his mail in an attempt to learn the result of an investigation he is making, or for any other purpose. As to the senator's statement that his mail was subjected to an espionage almost Russian in character the charge is absurd, and no one in the postoffice department has the slight est interest in the replies of the clerks to the senator's inquiries. All mail ad. dressed to members of congress in Washington passes out of the hands of the postoffice department when it reaches the senate and house post offices"
 Speaks for Discharged Men. Senator LaFollette, after making his | charges, said that men were removed from The railway mail service flor nc | other reason than that they joined or ganizations designed tea improve labor Conditions in ina serviee." He cited fseveral instance, indf3ding the case | of George W. Nicholas. who, after 22 years of service in the department was suspended shortly after he became a candidate for office in the Railway | Mail Clerks Protective association 1 The senator discussed the gag rules promulgated by President Roosevelt and President Ta9t forbidding post office employees from carrying their grievances to members of congress.
 Parcels Post Zones.
 During the day three important pro visions of the poStofice bill were act | ed upon. The Bourne -Bristow plan l for a parcels post system with a sys- | tenn of graduated charges based or eight zones of distance dividing the country was placed in the bill as a ] substitute for the house parcels post provision which outlined a fiat charge of 12 cents a pound throughout the country.
 A provision in the house bill mak- ing available federal funds to assist the states in good roads construction was voted down. and an amendment framed by the senate committee pro- viding for commission of three sen l ators and three representatives tC study the question was adopted.
 Touching on Newspapers.
 Another amendment written into the bill would compel newspapers us- ing the mails to file with the postmas. 1 ter general the names of owners, pub. fishers, editors, stockholders and hold CTS of bonds and mortgages.