Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1928-10-12

parcels post legislation once and for all.
That mention was enough to show that he
could have given the facts had he desired
so to do.
Since he did not 60 further and quote
Senator Underwoods speech and thus tell
the whole truth about the matter, | will
quote portion Of il as was reported in the
Baltimore Sun:
My acquaintance with Mr.. Lewis began
with the opening of the Sixty-second Con-
eress in April. 1911. Almost at once dis
covered that he had specialized in express
company transportation and the parcels
post. He made several addresses befote
the House and before committees of the
House and Senate and his exhaustive
labors on these agencies of transportation
made him his reputation in Congress.
"ln August. 1912. we had the PostolIice
appropriation bill in the House. The SEN
ate had tackled on section with rigid
and inelastic parcels post provision that
was not in accord with the sentiment in
the House. although the House favored
parcels post legislation and there was
danger Of the whole matter going out Of
the bill by reason Of the differences between
the two Houses of Congress.
"'When the bill came over to the House
| suggested to Mr.. Lewis that he prepare
a parcels post section, which would be
experimental and allow of improvement
and progressive development, as a substi-
tute for the Senate provision.
"'Mr. Lewis then prepared the provision
and submitted it to me and those in charge
Of the Postoffice appropriations bill in the
House. 1t was accepted and thus drawn
and the chairman of the Postoffice Com
mittee offered it as substitute for the Sem
ate amendment relating to the parcels
post. and it was adopted by the House.
"'In the conferences that followed on the
part Of the conferees of the House and the
Senate portions of the House substitute
were dropped, paragraph providing for
the payment of the railroads for the parcels
post handled and some other features.
but the substantial features of Mr.
Lewis draft of the House substitute we're
agreed to and the present parcels post
system, with its fifty pounds weight limit,
its reasonable rates, the inclusion of books
and farm products. the insurance of the
shipment, the C. o. d. and the vital prin-
ciples allowing Of other developments,
none of which was contained in the Senate
provisions. were all based on the draft Of
the amendment prepared by Mr.. Lewis
This is the true and undeniable account
of my participation in the launching of the
parcels post, Mr.. Lewis continued. IN
the face OF the fact that it was on my
draft that the provision that finally passed
both houses was framed, how can Mr.. TAFT
say in good faith that had little or moth
ing to do with the founding of the parcels
post.
II could quote other members of Con-
gress to the same effect, but he (Senator
Underworld as party leader at the time
the legislation was put through is the one
who knows best what happened and who
was responsible for the bill
ANY true account of the subject would
show that proved the proposed system
of Senator Jonathan Bourne, of OREGON, to
whom Mr.. TAFT gives credit for the bill, to
be impractical and expensive Some of
the rates proposed in the provision he
drafted were four times as high as those
in my bill, which was the one that went
into effect and is substantially the one
from which the whole country is deriving
benefits running into millions of dollars in
the present year.
Mr.. TAFT quotes me as saying that | did
not favor parcels post at all. The full
context of the discussion in which that
statement was made will show that what
! meant was that did not favor limited
parcels post such as Senator Bourne pro-
posed, but what was then called an ex.
press post, which is what we have now
under the name of parcels post
Il did suggest buying the express com
panies because foresaw the loss that ha:
come to their stockholders. In few year,
it is not at all improbable that expires,
companies will have disappeared
Mr.. TAFT is right in saying that neither
introduced the bill nor was a member o
either of the committees that official,
considered it. But those facts becom,
rather insignificant, to say the least. wher
1t is considered that wrote the bill.
Nov, understand that Mr.. ZihlmaI
was present at the meeting at which MI
TAFT uttered these half truths and distor
tons. II Mr.. Zihlman accepts response
bility for his statements shall be force,
to call him personally to account for dis
honest campaigning