The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-04-11
CHARGED
BY SENATOR IN
AIR MAIL FIGHT
Sponsor of New Bill Says
Selfish Firms Made
False Charges.
BY THE HON. WARREN R
AISTIN
United states Senator. Vermont

United states Senator. Vermont
WASHINGTON, April 11.-Im-
mediately after the election in
November, 1882, those who did not
have air mail contracts formed a
society for the purpose Of securing
cancellations Of the existing con-
tracts and the opening Of them to
competitive bidding for the purpose
Of taking away from those who had
contracts and letting to those who
did not have contracts.
Propaganda and lobbying by the
members of this organization and
their attorney resulted in the ap-
pointing Of a special senate in
vestigating committee, and in the
enactment Of resolution authoriZ- /
ing the President to cancel con- !
tracts upon sixty days notice, pub
lie hearing, and the awarding and
payment of damages therefor. 1t !
should be noted that these can
cellations were not made under
this law.
Then began hearings by the spe-
cial committee Members of that
society participated in the hear
ings A camouflage of the opera
lions of this society consisted in
the pretense that their objective
was to fly the mail for less money
than the government was paying.
HIT tUpeircar;fx3J &c No.
This sham is exposed by pointing
out that the poStmaSter-g general
had arbitrary power given him
in the law to fix the price from
time to time as he saw fit. The
1nSincerity of it as a defense by the
postmaster-general is exposed by
the fact that he had used this
power but once.
On the contrary he had asked
congress for an appropriation in
creased by one million dollars. 1t
is my opinion that the charges of
fraud were trumped up as a smoke
barrage to conceal operations under
the plot Of the society referred to
and certain members Of the post
Office department.
On Feb. 9, 1894, all of the con-
tracts were Cancelled effective as
of Feb. 10.
Then followed the ill-considered
\ use Of the army TO fly the mail
with its CHASTITY loss of human life.
Says President Was MisIed
The President was misled into
support of this policy by representa-
tionS in writing made by the So
licitor Of the postoff1ce department
and an attorney of the department
of justice.
These representations give the
false impression that certain con-
tracts were extended in time for
six months without authority of law
and without readvertising for bids.
They allege that route certificates
were granted without authority of
law. A fragrant misrepresentation
was made that 'the entire system
of the United Always was built up
by the certificate or extension |
method" The fact is that it was
built up by the competitive bid
method.
These written representations did
not inform the President that the
transactions of the "spoilS confer
ences" were done under provisions
of the McNary- WatreS act and q
declared policy of the government
which required such meetings. The
representations gives the false i'm
preston that all extensions made
were agreed upon at these meetings,
whereas some of them were not
even mentioned.
Says His Bill Is Remedy
Yesterday there was introduced a
bill by Senators James Davis of
Pennsylvania, Warren Barbour of
New Jersey and myself, which would
compel the poStmaSter-ge general to
issue a route warrant to any carrier
who held a route certificate which
was Cancelled unless upon fair trial
by three-judge court the applicant
has been found to be disqualified
under Section 1850 of the revised
statutes.
This bill, il enacted into law,
would restore a great institution. It
would lend encouragement to indus
try generally by assuring industry
that a contract still has value and
binding force in this country; that
the old-faShioned idea of trial by
due process of law is a certain bull
wark of our safety from sudden i'm
petuosity of our government. that
We really have rights as citizens
whether as contractors with the
government. or as beneficiarieS of
contracts with the government.
Let this chapter of the air mail
tragedy strike down government by
men and uphold government by
laws.