Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1913-01-28

extension of the zone system and OF
other provisions of the parcel post
law are necessary, the postmaster gen.
eraI, after consultation with the in
terstate commerce commission. and
on its approval, can make such
changes by executive order as he sees
fit.
1t is known that Mr. Hitchcock is
extremely advanced in his IDEAS of
what the post office department should
have within its jurisdiction. 1t is
said he holds that the express COM
panies for years have been infringing
upon the natural rights of the postal
service, and that therefore the TAX
ing over of the business of the COM
panies ought to follow in order that.
from the Hitchcock point o. view, the
government should have a MONOPOLY
in postofice business of all kinds
which he thinks belong to it.
A bill already has been prepared
and introduced into congress by Rep.
resentative Lewis of Maryland and
Representative Cooke of Ohio looking
to the ultimate taking over of the ex-
press companies by the United States
government Now ii would be per
fectly possible for the government, un-
der the clause in the law which al
ready has been quoted, gradually to
extend the parcel post until the field
of the express companies had been SO
intruded upon that they might be
forced out of business without any re
compense. II seems, therefore. to be
the intention of the proponents of
government ownership, to take auoth.
er course, and to propose that the ex-
press companies business be taken
over, and that they be paid a fair
sum for what they give up, and that
the stockholders shall be reimbursed
for their Investments.
1t seems likely that, if congress
shall listen attentively to the propos-
al for the taking over of the express
companies business, dollar for dollar
will be paid for all the valuable rights
and properties that are received after
a properly constituted board has de-
cided the matter. 1t may be. and per-
haps will be- that years will elapse be-
fore the sentiment of congress viii
allow the government to enter into the
express business wholesale. Perhaps
the day of such q proceeding never
will come, but the plans are laid to
make the attempt and the proposal
has perhaps as many friends as op-
ponents in the two houses Of con.
gress as they are at present consti-
tuted
Useless Tariff Hearings
Representative Oscar w. Under
wood and his Democratic colleagues
forming majority of the ways
and means committee already have
heard the pleas and the protests
on chemicals, on earthenware, glass
ware, metals and a host of other
things and they will go on hearing
the fors' and 'the againsts" on other
imports until the last day of this
month and then they will prepare tar
if revision measures in virtually the
same form as those made ready at
the last session.
1t is probably true that the repre-
sentatives of high protection who are
nov in Washington to he heard by
the ways and means committee fully
realize that their pleas will be Of no
service, for they made the same pleas
at the last session ana then the COM
mittee went ahead and wrote such
bills as seemed right from the Demo-
cratic standpoint, and this is exactly
what is going to be done at the extra
session. The hearings have been
granted for the purpose of giving ev-
erybody a chance to say what he
chooses and to allow no opportunity
for anyone to complain, when the bills
are presented, that only one side of
the case was heard.
No "Cut to the Bone"
AS has been said before, "the Demo
Gratis are not going to cut the tariff to
the bone" This much is assured and
no one here seems to be particularly
scared over the result to business
when the new laws shall come into
force. The high protectionists through
their representatives predict disaster,
but few of the members of congress
seemingly believe the predictions. At
any rate the Washington legislators
of the protection ranks are preserving
remarkable equanimity if they think
that the precipice is just ahead and
that business soon is to break its
bones at the bottom of the abyss.
The tariff hearings in the house
committee on ways and means will
end on Friday, January 81. If Mr..
Wilson shall call congress together
in extra session on March Is Mr..
Underwood and his comrades will
have six weeks time in which to pre-
pare their tariff bills. If it were not
for the clerical work involved the
thing could be done in week, for
secure copying guide is to be found
in many cases in the bills which went
through the house last year.
Protection to Make Its Fight.
1t will not surprise anybody if the
representatives get through with
their tariff debate by the end of the
first week in April The time of de-
bate in the house will be limited, but
Serene E. Payne. Joseph w. Fordney
and some others of the protection
chieftains. will make the most of the
time allotted them to speak in oppo-
sition. The protection members in
the house will not let tariff legisla-
ton be enacted quickly without using
every possible minute of time to get
into the record in opposition. The
house protectionists are utterly at
outs at present with the senate pro-
tectionists in the matter of the wis
dom of strenuous opposition to cut
ting the rates. A
In the senate Mr.. Penrcse, Mr..
Smoot and others who hold the high
wall as sacred as temple are of
mind to let the Democrats do their
worst and do it quickly" Mr. Pen
rose and Mr.. Smoot are perhaps the
only two men in the United States
congress who really think that bust