Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1834-06-24
Twenty-third Congrcss.--Ist scss.
REPORT UfON THE POST OFFICE
In Senate Of The United STATES June 8, 1884.

third, daily line on the same route
when The contracts for regular daily mail have been
advertised and let out pursuant 10 law, your Committee
can look upon these expenditures i'm no oher light than
that OF an enormous waste OF the public funds Take,
Tor example. the case OF the contract from philadelphia
10 PITTSBURGH, aud from Pittsburgh TO Washington,
brought up, have already shown, from $3.50 dol
lars TO 40 100 doarswhile single mail, in each way
daily that ne is all the pubic service or the bust
ness. oil the country does require, has required
Additional lines OF stages there convenient only for
The transportation OF passengers and, whenever the bu
siness OF The country requires them they spring up OF
themselves without the aid OF Government And those
opposition lines which got up by individual enter
PRISE serve the interest of the travelling public WELL
aud perhaps better, than the additional daily lines OF
coaches all subject 10 the control Of the individuals,
which, under the name of additional mails sustained
by enormous bouniies oat OF the public purse.
The monopoly set up by the establishment Of those dd.
dfiondi daily mails aud express mails of The
ncious tendency. They enable the large mail
pete win them IN the transportation OF passengers and
thus, Tor want OF that wholesome competitions which the
natural course oil things would otherwise create are
velIers delivered TO the mail contractors aud their
servants kind of property, be dealt with and dis.
posed Of for the time being, according their good
pleasure.
marks 10 arragn the conduct OF any class of individuals
These men, like all Others pursue their own individual
interest," and many oil them labor assiduousy Tor the
tort and accommodation of the public. Ii is our purpose
TO mark the general tendency o things, and few
les can have failed to observe that the comfort and con
veDience OF the passenger in the mail stage is promoted
by the existence oil an efficient opposition the
route.
But, besides the general effect of these second and
third daily mails 10 put down opposition lines an agree
men of which that is oil the avowed objects enter
into between two large companies OF contractors ZACH
running those additional lines and each in the receipt of
very large extra appears TO have been made
with The appreciation oil the department. and filed among
its archives TO be safely kept and officially enforced In
one clause 1t binds The contracting parties under penal
ty, 10 transport no passengers for less than stpula
price, IL also binds them their efforts to put down
an opposition line which appears be established Oil one
eir rou'es and moi to receive any passengers schO
shall hare been carried on any part Of tie route in an
opposition coach.
Your Committee have caused copy of this agreement
TO be appended TO this report and they are Of opinion
by the department, any OF its officers, it is in the
aforementioned particulars, unjust invasion of private
rights.
The express mails Which have been above noticed by
your Committee, far they ascertain nothing
less 'haD another line OF coaches sent for
no special purpose, or on any especial proba
bly, applied Tor because il found profitable 10 run
third line of coaches Tor the of
and granted because they were applied for Your Com
mittee look upon the expenditure money 10 establish
these second and third daily lines no other light than
that oil premium paid by the department 10 one line OF
coaches tending TO give the
every other line striking case, in illustration OF this
view, occurs in The agreement above referred TO- Stock
ton and Nell are The contractors the line from Wash
ngton, Pennsy lvania, 20 Wheeling and
contractors the route from Philadelphia by Pitts
burg and ahingon, 10 IVheeling thus running two
mail lines from Washington to Wheeling upon the same
run that route oener than each ornate lay i'm con-
seraon OF hicb Stockton ell agree TO carry Rec
sides mail on each OF The other alternate days. without
compensation except at the option OF Reede The trans
portaon OF the mail is treated mere incidental bust
not worth serious notice contract about passen-
gers and opposition lines.
r c. Stockton and WIN. Neil contracted 10 carry the
mail from Cumberland TO Wheeling; from Washington
Pennsyivana. TO Steubenve from Baltimore TO Climber.
land; from Washington City Frederick and from Frede
rick TO Winchester, from The LIST day of January 1882
for four years, Gee Report OF April 1S 1892 Doc 2I2 d.
l2) the annual compensa'ionof $1,000
But the contract was in fact executed, giving
them yearly compensation Tor the same line,
with some variations, at Sl5 500
Aud for increased expedition, and increased
number oil trips, making two lines OF stages
daily; which was, as is believed, wholly IN.
necessary for the public service--they we've
allowed extra the yearly sum OF 22,962
Thus, upon contract for 1000 dollars made pur-
suant 20 lazy, the department has, by means of
hypothetical bids and extra allow ances trans
lerred to the hands OF these individuals The
yearly Of @2s 400
X. c. Stockton and VIM Neil ere also contractors for
carrying the mail seventeen mail routes stated in the
report OF April 49, 1882, doc 2l2 p ~ the annual
compensation OF $50, 900
The contracts, however, appear 10 have been 80 mo-
ded and adjusted, after the acceptance OF the bids IA 90
give them on the routes the annual compensation
OF S50,4l0
an allowance Tor tells and (rrriages, yearly IS 5oe
Making aggregate Of $50 .OO6
Being advance upon their resuIarlegsI con.
tracts of $50 .5Oe
referred tots 81 1852
Making The yearly advance allowed on The two
contracts Of $40 .o6s
Which, during The four years Of their condnu-
auce, amount miihe aggregate TO 1888 s72
Ana TINS gwen whhout advertising and without coupe
tiliou.
tR c. Stockton is contractor for carrying the mail on
routes Noe IO5, LII, 1919, 81, 372 I 3s7
391. 395 1896 ,s97 1893 % miles daily 81 miles
thrice week. 90 miles daily, 80 miles daily 10 miles
daily, 81 twice. 50 miles daily "A miles once is miles
once, 30 miles once, ai Sl1,95O
margin il has this memorandum: GAN the improvements
in this contract ordered by the Postmaster
from IlIe beginning he Is therefore entitled 10 he syu.
lated sum Of $50, 30 per snnum addiiionsl'
II is also noted the contract and stated in The repor,
Of March 3, lS3lt hat the express mail from Baltimore
10 Lancaster IS discontinued but no mention is made in
that report og else where, your committee can discover
that such express mail established The improve.
for which this Of 2t 100 was allowed
are indicated IN any report made Congress In the
report IL the lS April 1892 the eealract set down al
ld $50, and nothing Is any where sad the public 81
amount thus paid ibis contract, without legal warrant
or adequate consideration during its continusnce foul
years is $50 600 besides he 50 $50 year paid for the
express mail Oh The same line
In the above case, II viii be perceived that the con
tract is in The aggregate, for eleven mail fouics so inter
weaving and completing The transaction render II
exceedingly dihcuh uBraYel ~, and 10 find whether
tie bids which ihe routes struck Oh are The mos
favorable for The Department, and still more difficult is
TO ascertain HE reslity Of any alleged improvements az,
their actual value, " they exist The slime ohio elton oc
ours in numerous Improvements are said 10 b.
made by expeditiDg route, changing the scbednT
smother, aud ordering additional trips on third;
that single contract w. 80 Ibis manner rendered 50 com
pick require The labor Of several DAYS 10 reduce il
ifs elements. and ascertain its true cODdifion.