The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1914-04-09

treaty against e1empting our own
vessels from tolls and that the best
interests Of my constituents and the
country 1t large require my voting
against the repeal Of the present law.
People Of the western country have
been looking forward with keen antici-
patton to the completion of tho Pana-
ma Canal. believing that water com.
petition with the trans-continental rail-
roads would make it possible to mar
lnet their products with less expens ,
and thus bring greater profit to the
producers. A carskal consideration Of
the treaty c0nvinces me that its pro
visions are not being violated by
insistance that coastwise vessels shall
pass through tho canal free Of tolls;
aud in view Of the fact that we con.
structod the canal with our own
money at an expenditure Of $500, 000,-
600 upon land absolutely in our con-
troll, for the benefit Of our own peo-
pie l can find no good reason for
not maintaining the absolute control
thereof. While have the greatest
respect FOR the opinions of President
Wilson and Senators Root and lodge,
regarding the provisions of tho Hay
Pauncefote Treaty, cannot overlook
the fact that just as intelligent and
capable lawyers and patriots, such
as former presidents. Roosevelt and
Taft. Former Secretary of State Knox
Former Secretary ct State Olney, un-
der the Cleveland administration,
former Senators Foraker of Ohio,
Town of Mimi, and Turner of Wash
inston, and the great LADDERS in the
present Congress- Speaker Clark, Mr..
Underwood and Mr.. Mann, take the
opposite view. l fail to see where
the vessels of the British govern
ment will be benefited by the charg-
ing Of tolls to our coastwise vessels,
nor whepe the exemption of tolls will
against them to their dis
and therefore believe that
the suggestion Of the British Gov
ernment that the present law be re-
pealed is an unwarranted interf srence
with our domestic affairs, which
should not be tolerated.
Star Route Salaries To Be Adjusted
Reprcse ntative Burton L. French
has introduced a House Joint Resolu-
ton directing the Post Ofiid, Depart.
ment to adjust the compensation of
star route carriers upon the basis Of
actual increased expenditures required
of them in meeting the service that
has been imposed under the parcels
post law.
Mr.. French has had this question
up with the Department for several
and urgeethat as screen washn
contractors in cities have been com
pensated for their services upon the
basis of actual expenditures necessary
in meeting the parcels post law, star
route carriers ought to receive tina
same COMPENSATION.
Mr.. French has received numerous
letters outlining the disaster and
ruin that is being worked upon star
route carriers and their bondsmen in
attempting to comply with the law. A
star route carrier en- one of the i'm
portant routes in south Idaho notified
his bondsmen last fall that no had
mortgaged everything that he owned
for every cent it was worth; that he
was FLAT broke" and called upon his
bondsmen for assistance.
The star route carrier on the
Stites-Elk City route from August
18th, 1913, TO January LIST, 1914. re-
ceived from the Government daily
$22.4O, but it cost him daily $48.00.
or in other words he was complying
with his contract at a loss of $3.50
per day. Since January LIST he is
paying out 800 per day in addition
for men and wagons to haul the mail
and at the time he wrote to Mr.Frent b
there were five tons Of mail matter
at Sites to be delivered and five
tons Of ore at Elk City 10 be shipped
out by parcels post
Mr.. French has presented the mat
ter fully to the committee on Post
Office and Post Roads and is urging
that the Congress instruct the Depart
ment to r,lieve the situation by pay
ing star route carriers upon the basis
Of the expenditures they have under
gone in complying with their con-
tract
Senator Brady has asked the Chair
man of the Committee on Public
Buildings and Grounds to refer to the
Treasury Department and to the Post
office Department his bills making
appropriations for public buildings
at Payette and Pocatello. AS soon as