The Washington herald., 1917-02-16
Plan TO GOUGE PRESS
Is REVIVED BY SENATE
Vote to Reconsider Increased Postal
Rates Amendment.

Advocates of increased second-class
postal rates and l-cent drop-letter post
age made an unexpected and partly sue
cessful attempt In the Senate yesterday
to have these provisions written into the
postoffice appropriation bill now under
consideration.
The action came at a time when there
were few Senators in the chamber or
cloakrooms and precipitated a lively de-
bate when a motion was at once made to
reconsider the viva voce vote by which
the amendments were declared carried.
On a roll call reconsideration prevailed
by vote of 80 to 26 and the matter will
be threshed out in the Senate today.
There we're few Senators on the floor
when Senator Smoot. of Utah, moved an
amendment providing 1-cent drop-letter
postage
Senator Bryan, of Florida, who has
fought for Increased rates on second-class
mall. agreed not to make the point of
order on the Smoot amendment IL the
Senator from Utah would accept fur
ther amendment providing for the second
class postal advances. The amendment
was accepted, and when the vote was
taken II was announced that the amend
ments prevailed
Arrive Too Late.
Meanwhile Senators were coming from
their offices and committee rooms to find
upon their arrival on the floor that the
amendments had carried.
A motion was at once made to rec6n-
slider. Senator John Sharp Williams felt
that the Senate should vote on three aues-
tions involved in the amendment, sepa-
rately. He asked unanimous consent that
the Senate vote reconsideration and then
divide the amendments so that such sep
arate votes could be taken.
rffr nF
Senator Bankhead, of the Postoffice
Committee. said he would like to have
the opportunity to vote upon the pro-
visions In the amendments separately. He
declared he was against an increase i'm
rates for the newspa pers, against 1-cent
drop letter postage, but for increasing
the rates on periodicals.
Senator Hoke Smith, OF Georgia, Wig
orously opposed any increase to the news
papers. He said scientific investiga-
ton would show that they were paying
enough postage under the existing rates
and that the master of rates should be
fixed by the length of the haul.
Reconsideration prevailed and the mat
ter will be before the Senate today for
final disposition. The amendments are
all subject to the point of order
The Increase has already been voted
down by the House and was stricken
out of the bill by the Senate last
Saturday.
Caught Unprepared.
Opponents of the legislation hence
felt it would not be brought up again
at the present session and were thus
caught unprepared.
The Increase in rates proposed would
advance second class rates on period
icals and newspapers from one cent
per pound to one and one-half cents
per pound the first year and to two
cents per pound the second year and
Thereafter.
The drop letter amendment provides
a one cent rate on first class mail
deposited for delivery within the limit
of the postoffice station in which it
is mailed.
How They Voted.
The roll call on the question of re-
ond-class postal rates would be eventual
ly doubled and cent drop letter postage
adopted was as follows:
For reconsideration-Senat Ashurst,
Beckham, Brandegee, Cummins, Curtis,
Fernald, Hitchcock. Husting. James,
Johnson, of South Dakota; Jones, Ken
yon. Lee, of Maryland; Lane, Lodge,
man, Phelan. Poindexter, Ransdell, Reed,
Shafroth. Sheppard. Shields. Simmons.
Smith of Georgia: Smith, of Maryland:
Smith, of South Carolina; Smoot, Stone,
Swanson, Thompson, Vardaman, Wat
son. Weeks, and Williams. Total, 80.
Against reconsideration-Senato Bank
head. Borah. Bryan, Catron, Chamber
lain. Clapp, Du Pont. Fletcher, Hollis,
Hughes, Kirby. La Toilette. Nelson, Nor
ris, owen, Page, Penrose, Pittman, Pom
creme, Robinson. Sherman, Sterling,
Townsend, Wadsworth, and Warren.
Total, 26.