The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1916-09-14
NOW READ THE RECORD
THE BALTIMORE SUN SAYS.

f 1hL DALllMORE OON "a ,.
David ]. Lewis is the Father of the
Parcels Post.
THE CONGRESSIONAL RECORD
SAYS:
! He is not; but the Sun declines to
give its rea 'ers the Record. Here it is.
ION June l, 1911, Hon Jonathan
Bourne, then a Senator from Oregon,
introduced Senate Resolution No. Sc,
authorizing the Senate Committee on
Post Offices and Post Roads, of which
he was chairman, to conduct an inquiry
into the subject of a parcel post That
resolution was adopted June 16. 1911,
and a subcommittee was appointed
consisting of Senators Bourne, Penrose,
Briggs, Bristow. Bankhead, Swanson
and Bryan. Formal hearings were
held by this subcommittee from Nov.
/ Z, 1911, to April %, 1912. Among
others who appeared at the hearings
was Congressman Lewis, of MARYLAND,
whose statement is found in Vol. 2,
of the printed hearings. Mr.. Lewis
presented a written statement entitl-
ed:-A SYSTEM OF POSTAL EX-
PR ESS-ARE PARCEL POST
SCHEMES ADEQUATE. On page
367 of the printing hearings will be
found the text of bill by Mr.. Lewis
Providing for the purchase, etc., of
the express companies of the U. S."
Although the House of Representatives
was at the time in the control of the
Democrats Mr.. Lewis was unable to
secure any favorable action on his Bill.
On May 16. 1912, Senator Bourne in
troduced Senate Bill No. $3.50, which
/ Bill passed both the Senate and House,
after some alteration in the details
recommend by conference committee
said committee consisting of Messrs.
Moon, Finely and Weeks ION the part
of the House, and Senators Bourne,
Penrose and Bankhead ION the part of
the Senate).
On July IS, 1916, Mr.. Moon, Repre-
oCAbaIiNC HUN lcIluSSSSe anu a
Democrat said on the floor of the
House:-"The Senate and House con-
ferees directed the Senator from Ore
gon (Mr. Bourne) to draw a parcel
post law. WE DREW THE LAW
WHICH is ON THE BOOKS TODAY.
There was more work done by Mr..
Bourne in the drafting of the Bill than
was done by myself. | AM HERE TO
ASSERT THAT JONATHAN BOURNE
IS ENTITLED TC MORE CREDIT
/ THAN ANY OTHER LIVING MAN
FOR THE PARCEL POST.
On Feb. "a, 1914. on the floor of the
Senate, Senator Bryan, of Florida, also
a Democrat. said:-"I have seen 1t
stated that nobody knew how the
parcel post Bill originated. | wish to
say that everybody who can read print
ought to know that the bill was pre-
pared by the former Senator from
Oregon, Mr.. Bourne" Gong. Record.
60 Cong. p. 3840.)
On Feb. 25. 1914, on the floor of the
Senate, Senator Bristow, of Kansas. a
member of the subcommittee which
conducted the investigation for parcel
post Bill, said II was somewhat
amused yesterday to hear a Senator
state that member of the House-Mr.
LeWis-was the father of the parcel
post, As | remember. he is net a mem
Der of the Post Office Committee, and
had nothing to do with preparing the
House provision. KNOW THAT HE
/ DID NOT DRAW A LINE OF THE
PARCEL POST BILL AS 1T PASSED
! THE SENATE AND BECAME LAW.
/ If anybody deserves the credit for the
Parcel Post system, it is ex-senator
Bourne, of Oregon.
(Cong. Record. SD Cong, p. 3S88)
On Feb. Is. 1916, Mr.. Finley. of
North Carolina, Democrat, on the
floor of the House aid:-"Let me say
to the gentlemen from Maryland that
he is not the father of the parcel post
idea in this country. The grangers of
this country, long before the gentleman
was born, passed resolutions demanding
it. THE GENTLEMAN FROM MARY
LAND HAD ABOUT AS MUCH TO
! DO WITH THE FORMATION OF THE
/ BILL WHICH PASSED CONGRESS
| AS ANY OTHER MEMBER OF THE
HOTTSF Mr. Moon of Tennessee and
/ Senator Bourne, Chairman of the
Senate Post Office Committee largely
formed the Bill.
Gong. Record, vol SO. p 3740)
! Now we are submitting the above
extracts from the pages of the Con-
gressional Record in contradiction of
the claims of Mr.. Lewis and his friends.
The only reioinder SO far made by the
Baltimore Sun (Which has taken up the
/ L -