Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-06-14
of, for the time being, according to their good

Ill.
pleasure. =.
1t is not the purpose OF your commlttec, by
these remarks, to arralgn the conuuct OF any
class of individuals. These men, like all others,
pursue their own individual interest, and many
IF them labor occasionally for the comfort and
accommodation of the public. 1t is our purpose
to mark the general tendency of things and few
travellers can have failed to observe that the
comfort and convenience of the passenger IN the
mail stage is promoted by the existence OF an
efficient opposition on the same route.
But besides the general effect Of these second
and third daily mails to put down opposition
lines an agreement of which that is one OF the
avoWed objects, entered into between two large
companies of contractors each running those
additional lines, and each in the receipt OF very
large extra allowances appears to have been
made with the appreciation OF the department,
and filed among its archives, to be safely kept
and officially enforced. In one clause it binds
the contracting parties, under penalty, TO trans,
port no passengers for less than stipulated
price 1t also binds them to use their efforts to
put down an opposition line which appears to be
established on one of their routes and not TO re-
ceipe ang passengers apho shall hare been car
ried ON any pqrt Of the route IN an opposition
coach.
Your committee have caused a copy of this
agreement to be appended to this report, and
they unite in the opinion, that as an act, coun-
tenanced, encouraged or sanctioned by the de-
partment or any of its officers, it is, in the ABOVE
mentioned particulars, an uni uSt invasion OF prl-
vate rights.
The express mails which have been noticed
by your committee, are, as far as they can as
certain nothing more nor less than another
mall or another line of coaches upon the same
route-sent for no special purpose, or on any
special emergency-probably applied for be-
cause it was found profitable to run third line
of coaches for the transportation or passengers,
and granted because they were applied for
Your committee look upon the expenditure of
money to establish these second and third daily
lines in no other light than that Of premium
paid by the department to one line of passenger
coaches, tending to give it the ascendanCy over
every other line. A striking case in illustra
ton of this view, occurs in the agreement above
referred to- Stockton and Neil are the contrac-
tors on the line from Washington Pennsylvania
to Wheeling. Reside and others are contrac-
tors on the route from Philadelphia, by Pitts
burgh and Washington, to UheeRRg-thus run
ming two lines from Washington to Wheeling
upon the same route. BY the agreement refer
red to, Reside stipulated to run that route no
Oftener than each alternate day; in considera-
ton of which, Stockton and Neil agree to carry
his mail on each of the other alternate days,
without compensation, except at the option of
Reside. The transportation of the mail is
treated as a mere Incidental business, not with
and opposition lines.
r. c.. Stockton and VIM. Neil contracted to
carry the mail from Cumberland to Wheeling
from Washington, Penn Observation-Disclosures
Baltimore to Cumberland-from Washington
City to Frederick, and from Frederick to Win
chester, from the lst day of January, 1882, for
four years, (See Report Of April IS, 1882, Doc.
212 p. II, at the annual compensation of
$1,000 90
But the contract was in fact executed, giving
them yearly compensation for the same line,
with some variations, at $15500 90
And for increased expedition, and
increased number Of trips, making
two lines Of stages daily, which was,
as is believed wholly unnecessary
for the public service, they were al
lowed extra, the yearly sum Of 1882 90
Thus, upon a contract for $1,000,
made pursuant to law, the depart
ment has, by means Of hypothetical
bids and extra allowances, trans
ferred to the hands Of these indi-
vduals the yearly sum of $38462 90
-
r. c.. Stockton and VIM Neil were also con-
tractors for carrying the mail on seventeen
mail routes, stated in the report of April Is,
1882, doc. 2l2 p. ~ at the annual compen-
sation of $4,000 90
The contracts however appear TReport Of
March 5, 1884, Doc. 13S, p. 21O, Oil to have
been modified and adjusted after the acceptance
of the bids SO as to give them on the same routes
the annual compensation of $50, 410 90
And they were allowed for extras,
including an allowance for tolls
and ferriage, yearly 1886 90
Making an aggregate of 69OO5 90
Being an advance upon their regular
legal contracts of 99,5o6 90
The advance upon the other con-
tracts above referred to is 31,462 90
Making the yearly advance allowed
on the two contracts Of $40 95S 90
Which, during the four years of their contn-
uance, amount in the aggregate to $273S72
And this is given without advertising and
without competition.
R. c. Stockton April IS, 1882, Doc. 212, p.
81 is contractor for carrying the mail on routes
Nos. 1105 I'LL, 1918, 1871, 1872, 1887, 1891,
1895, 1896, 1897 139s-24 miles daily, 81 miles
thrice week, 9S miles daily, 80 miles daily, 70
miles daily, 81 miles twice, So miles daily, "a
miles once I miles Opce 96 poilac oooo -