Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1834-07-10

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siiion coach.
Your committee have caused COPY o
this agreement 10 be appended to this re
port, and they are Of the opinion, tina,
as an act. countenaneed. encouraged, o
sanctioned by the department. or any o
its officers, il is, in the above mentioned
particulars, an unjust invasion of privat,
rights.
The express mails which have been no
ticed by your committee. are. as far a.
they can ascertain, nothing moro mol
less than another line of mail, coache,
upon the same route--sent for no spe
cial purpose. or on any special emer
gency-probsbly applied for because i
was found profitable to run a third line 0
coaches for the transportation Of passen
gers, and granted because they were ap
piled for. Your committee look upon tht
expenditure OF money 10 establish thesi
second and third daily lines, in no othe
light than that ola premium pad by the
department 10 one line ofpassenger coach.
es, tending to give II The ascendency over
every other line. 4 striking case, in H.
iustration OF this view, occurs in the agree
ment above referred to. Stockton s. Neil
are the contractors on the line from Wash
ington, Penn. TO Wheeling. Reeside and
others are contractors on the route from
Philadelphia, by Pittsburgh and Washing
Ton TO Wheeling thus running two lines
from Washington TO Wheeling upon the
same road. BY the agreement referred
TO, Reside stipulated TO run that route no
oitener than each alternate day; in consid
Grafton of which, Stockton 81 Neil agree 10
carry Resides mail on each of the other
alternate days. without compensation ex-
cept at the option of Reside. Tho trans
portaiion of the mail is treated as mere
incidental business, not with serious no.
tlce, in contract about passengers and
opposition lines.
Il. G. Stockton and VIM. Neil contract.
ed 10 carry the mail from Cumberland to
Wheeling--from Washington, Penn. 10
Standardization Baltimore to Cumber-
land--from Washington City TO Fredc.
rick, and from Frederick to Winchester,
from tho LIST day Of January. 1882. for
four years, (See Report April IS, 1882,
Doc. 2l2, p. H. at the annual compensa-
ton of $1,000 90
But the contact was in fact executed,
giving them yearly compensation for the
same line, With some variations, at
Sl5,500 90
And forlacreased expedition.
and increased number of
trips, making two lines of
stages daily, which was.
as is believed, wholly un-
necessary for the public
service, they were allow
ed extra, the yearly sum
of 22.962 90
Thus, upon contract for
81 900, made pursuant to
law, the department has,
by means of hypothetical
bids and extra allowan-
ces. transferred TO the
hands Of these individuals
the yearly sum OF S3S,462 90
r. C. Stockton and VIM. Neil were also
contractors for carrying the mail on seven
teen mail routes, stated in the report OF
April l8, 1882. doc. al2, p. 10 at the
annual compensation of $4,000 90
The contracts however appear REPORT
of March 8, 1884, Doc. 1873, p. 2i0, 2ll)
TO have been modified and adjusted after
the acceptance of the bids as to give them
on the same routes the annual compensa
ton Of S50,4l0 90
And they were allowed for
extras, including an allow
ance for tolls and ferri-
age, yearly, 1886 90
Making an aggregate of 90 COG 90
Being an advance upon their
regular legal contracts Of SO. SOC 90
The advance upon the 9th
er contracts above refer
red 10 is aga 90
Making The yearly advance
allowed on the two con.
tracts of s7095S 90
Which during the four years of their
continuance, amount in the aggregate TO
as, 1872
And this is given without advertising
and without competition.
II. G. Stockton (Aprii IS. 1882, Doc
gig, p. s. is contractor for carrying tbt
mail on routes Nos. 1905. iii, 1919
1871, 1879, 1897, 1891, 1895. 1896. 1897
I59s-24 miles daily, 81 miles thrice a
week, % miles daily, SO miles daily. 20
miles daily, 81 miles twice, So miles dai-
ly, "a miles once, Is miles once, so miles
once, at Sl4.950 90
This contract has no schedule attached
10 it, and on its margin il has this memo
randum-"All the improvements in this
contract were ordered by the Postmaster
General, from the beginning; be is there
fore entitled TO the stipulated sum OF 20..
l50 dollars per annum, additional.
Il is also noted Doc 1873, p.l5ll on the
contract and stated in the report Of March
8, 1884, that the express mail from Balti-
more to Lancaster is discontinued; but no
mention is made in that report or else
where as your. committee can discover,
that such express mail was ever establish
ed. The improvements for which this e
normous sum of 2l.l50 dollars was allow
ed, are not indicated in any report made
to Congress 10 the report OF the 18th
Of April, 1903, the contract IS set down at