New-York tribune., 1918-06-14
Defeats Proposal, 1872 to
1873, with 81 New York
ers in Favor of Ii
Moons Opposition
Starts Hot Debate
Calls Property Rotten
Junk" and Assails News
paper Lobby
tSpecinl Dispatch to The Tribune

OF representatives held out to-day
against the purchase of the pneumatic
mail tubes by vote of 1872 to 1913. The
blow was bitter one for the tube in
tcrests. The Senate voted to acquire
the tubes at price the Postofticc De-
partment considers little short of q
hold-up. The House had refused. in
passing the postofice appropriation
bill, even to appropriate any money for
the maintenance of the tubes. To-day
the conferrees, seeking to adjust the
differences between the two houses, re-
ported to the House that they were
unable to agree on the mail tube ques-
ton and asked for instructions.
The tube interests hoped to-day that
the House would instruct its conferrees
to yield, which would have settled, be-
yond al doubt, the bargain under which
the Postofiicc Department would take
ever the tubes.
.Thirty-one members of the New York
delegation voted in favor of buying the
tubes. One member-George w. Fair
child. a Republican--voted as the Post
office Department desired. Of the four
teen members of the New York Demo
cratic delegation who voted for the
tubes thirteen were from the greater
CITY. the other being C. B. Smith, of
Buffalo.
The debate was extremely hot. There
we're frequent mentions of the pres
ence OF a lobby. The most specific of
these, were made in the concluding
speech by Chairman Moon of the Post
ONCE Committee. who urged the House
to support the Postmaster General.
Mason Favors Tubes
Ex-senator Mason, now member of
the House from Illinois, had made a
strong speech in favor of the tubes.
JSudge Moon produced telegram which
MI Mason sent to Postmaster General
Surieson on October /, 1915, as fol-
lows:
Replying to your telegram of the
5oth to Senator Lewis, / represent
John h. Milholland and thank YOU for
extending hearings until the GOTH"
Milholland is one of the prime mov-
ors in the tube interests.
Representative Moore, of Philadel-
phla, interrupted to say that Mr.. Ma
son was not member of the House
land interests and it was not fair to
leave the Inference that he was
why this is nothing on earth but
bold and daring attempt of these pri-
vate corporations to foist their rotten
and worthless junk upon the govern
ment of the United States," Judge
Moon declared.
ut has been said that 100000 has
been set aside by the tube companies
to force this measure through Con.
gress. ! do not know whether that is
SO or not. do know that if they wanted
to get an upset price of s4,432,00O they
could. readily afford to pay S1,000,0O(
to lobby the measure through. They
are asking this large price now TO,
the tubes. One of them could have
been bought for 100000, am advised
by paper before me-"
Charges Newspaper Lobby
Later on Judge Moon paid his re.
spects to the newspaper lobby.
ihere are certain newspaper mer
in the United States" lie said, econ.
trolling large syndicates of papers
who are writing daily and weekly ir
the interest of this pneumatic tube
system. These very men live in the
winter on the money of the pneumatic
tube people, l am told. in the city OF
Washington and occupy cottages owned
by them at the seashore in the North
during the summer months"
Judge Moon declared the tubes car
ried less than IL per cent of the mai
and continued:
"Any intelligent man who will lool
over the testimony will find that it is
clearly established that the tubes are
old and worn, that the day of theil
service is nearly past. that the gov
ernment can carry this mail overland
at 30 to 90 per cent less than they car
carry it by tubes under ground ant
they can carry it at every Office in tn,
United States in from two to thirty-twt
minutes less time than it can be car
ried by the tubes"
declared there should be searching
investigation of the whole question b.
the Interstate Commerce Commission
Wants Thorough Inquiry
Representative Moore, of Philadel
phia, asked Mr.. Madden if he did no
know that the Senate amendment al
ready provided for an investigation b.
the Interstate Commerce Commission
which would determine the price.
"An investigation of two weeks" sal,
Mr.. Madden sarcastically. "No, wan
the Interstate Commerce Commissio,
to investigate without tying the gov
Representative Juul, of Illinois, in
CURED if the property of the tube com
panies did not revert to the cities il
some instances.
"In Chicago it does in five years,
replied Mr.. Madden.
what have the tube companies t.
sell then 2" said Mr.. Juul.
Representative Heflin then told sew
eral funny stories illustrating the pre-
dicament in which the advocates Of tn
tubes would find themselves at election
time.
Retorting Representative Donovan
Of New York, told the story Of the tw
New York hunters who were informe
by guide that in the thicket jus
ahead were one doe and one bull, an
asked them which they would shoot.
"I1l shoot the bull" said one of tn
New Workers., "for have some expert
ence in that linc''
THAT is also the line Of the gentle
man from Alabama, Mr.. Hehin," sal
Dir. Donovan.
"The point in this discussion is no
whether the tube system is expensiv.
IT Is a question of whether the com
munities in which the tubes are war
70 keep the service. They want 1t es
tended"
Oliver Pleads for 1t
Representative Oliver, of New Yorl
also made . plea for the "progressiv
and up to date" tube system Of trans