The Prescott daily news., 1914-11-09
SHORT LINE RAILWAYS
 PASS RESOLUTIONS
Held Meeting in Little Rock Last Fri day and Expressed Disapproval of the Bills Under Considera-
 tiOn in the Senate.

At meeting of the representatives of the short Line Railroads of the Southwest held at Little Rock on Nov ember 5th, the following resolutions were passed.
 WHEREAS, there are two bills. H. R. l7042 and s. 6405 now under con- slderation in the Senate Committee on Post Office and Post Roads. in the United States Senate, the passage of which would materially reduce the mail pay on the short line mail carry ing railroads, and compel non mail carrying railroads to carry the mail. and
 WHEREAS. II. R. 17042 invests the Postmaster General with autochatic power in regulating the mail pay com pensation, the character of the service the form of equipment, even to con- polling the use of steel cars, and pro- vides penalty of $50000 in case of the refusal of any railroad to trans port the mail if so ordered at the rate of compensation he may determine and
 WHEREAS, S. 6405 provides exclu- slvely a space basis to determine the rate of payment in earring the mail and authorizes the Postmaster Gener- al to designate the space and the equipment and also provides penalty of $50000 for refusal to carry the mail when so ordered at the rates of Compensation specified in the Act, and
 WHEREAS, H. R. 17O42 has already passed the House and requires only the concurrence of the Senate to be- come law, now therefore be it
 RESOLVED, that the short line steam railroads operating in the States of Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas most earnestly protest against the enactment of H. R. 17042, also s. 6405, as inimical to their interests in reducing their compensation; also that an exclusive space" or an ex- elusive weight basis is unadapted to the service which requires weight for the transportation of the mail itself and space for the distributing post office service in cars as an incidental factor. The weight determines the actual mail carried; also determines what transportation service is render ed the Government, and is dependent upon no clerks opinion when its vol ume is thus ascertained. It is the very basis upon which the Government accepts it from the public for trans portation, even to a single letter; also that an exclusive space basis would give the employees of the Post Office Department absolute control over the amount of compensation to be paid railroads according to their opinions or inclination and might be used for personal advantage or political gain Now therefore be it further
 RESOLVED, in expressing our dis approval of the pending bills that the chairman of this meeting be requested to appoint committee representing the short line railroads of Arkansas Louisiana and Texas to personally in terview the Senators from those states and impress upon them the importance of their conferring with the individual members of the Senate Committee on Post Offices, and protest against the passage of H. R. 17042 or s. 6405; al SO that each individual railroad in the states named communicate directly with their United States Senators and ask them as a personal favor to see the members of the Senate Committee on Post Offices and use their influence with them to defeat the bills now