Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1835-04-02
THE POST OFFICE.
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE,
On he Post Office and Post Roads,
CONTINUED.


| TO be run. Was different advertisement sent
| abroad to inform, or was IL to mislcad those who
wished to become competitors for the contract
and thus enable favored individual 10 bid il of
as advertised at a rate so low that he would
avoid all competition, and afterwards 10 place in
IN his hands at an improved bid, at a rate far a
| boye what would have been practicable ifthe IN
! tended mode OF transportation had been pointed
/ out and actual competition inyitcds II will he
recoiiected that the bid to carry pursuant TO the
/ advertisement was at $1,000 year daily. in
four horse post coaches from Philadelphia 10
/ Pittsbnrg, through in three DAYS and nine hours
changing at all the way Offices. The improveJ
oid which became in effect the contract from the
beginning, was TO carry the mail twice day from
/ Philadelphia TO Pitisbnrg, and once n day from,
| FIttsburg by Washington TO Wheeling al G97
ooo year, which was estimated at S25 900
year 10 Pittsburg. The plan was TO divide the
mai; carry the way mail IN one line without
1 any exactly defined speed through in three and
nsii days IN the other TO carry the mail from
Philadelphia TO Pitlsburg, changing only at one
or two intermediate towns and 10 stop M nonc
put those at which the changes were made and
thus by running night aud day TO make The dis
tancc IN about 90 hours. IL was certainly an adj
vantage to the public that the mail should be
mus expedited, and II was an ADVANTAGE 10 the
contractor thath he should be permitted to divide The
mail, and carry the way mail at speed which
might suit his convenience, and in a different
coach from that which carried the principal mail
That 1t was so is proved by the fact that he had
chosen Of his own accord so to divide II hefoy.
he was bound TO do so By contract with the de-
partment. ii is evident, too that by this division
OF the mail and this difference of speed. il ena
bed him to accommodate passengers in each line
OF coaches according TO their wishes for leisure
or expedition. The sum paid for transportation
according to the improved bid is therefore il, The
opinion of your committee much too large aud
that II does very much exceed the exact pro
portion of the original amount TO the additional
duties required Your committee exam;ned
two witnesses upon this subject, from whose tes
timony they have been enabled to arrive pretty
nearly at the proportion which the cost and ex-
pense OF the respective lines bear TO each other
Thus forms some data, though by no means exact
on which TO found calculation of what should
have been the increased allowance TO the con-
tractor for his second daily mail in his rapid line.
Jonn w. weaver was member of the Yves
tern Stage Company, and of course interested in
tins line lie appears to have possessed very
full information on the subject so far as regarded
the western part of the route and as the part of
his testimony strictly applicable 10 the question
now under consideration is very concise and ex-
phcit, your committee here copy the words Of
the deposition.
Question 9TH. What was the comparative
cost OF original stock upon your fast and slow lines
between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh"
Answer. The difference of the cost of stock
would be, according to my calculation, as 10 to
consisting OF the difference in the quality of the
stock. This answer refers only to that part of
the route from Chambersburg to Pittsburg, not
having been interested in the other or eastern
part OF The route"
question oth " is there any difference in the
expenses OF Keeping and running the line ''
Answer. None think"
Question 7. " What is the difference of wear
and tear oil stock on the two lines"
Answer should think that the wear and
tear of the Good Intent over the other line
would be about one fourth more; That is TO say,
IL !, would cost Sooo team and coach IN the
Telegraph line per year, 1t would cost y 700 in
IN d. oDonIon,a, oS -, ,.an no nas peen iong
eastern mart oS this Iina =; 80, s ; oi .ie
naratiye cost of rnnniny The ,a,o liz a. a..
IF the route savs 49, doe No 20 ~ '""' Gnu
IS The Cost Enc IL sey.rer on bo.so 49,, .,
cs considerale would ssv one c,a",t, . .n
ncrhans not en- much ,h 60, ~ ,
a,5 ca.ohos aro ahon, 81. 80 >, W. W 'o'''
Thine II annaars that ~, tho ,yostar, AL ,,
ta;nons half Of the ron,e The COS, ~ s,ooh nun
rand line hore the same nronort;on ~ ,ha, on ,he
slow line that 10 hears 10 7 !. the we,r and ,aa.
of stock. as 10 to s. and The current exnrnses Of
both wore eouol On tb.. aas,ar,, LoIr - ~
route the cost Of stock was the samn an ho,h
lines, and the wear and tear of stock about ,ha
same as ON The western mart Of The limo S,han
we take as the ground OF our comnarisop that al
ement in which there is the greatest excess oC
expense on the fast line over the slow one which
were making the difference between them great
err than the evidence does in fact make il, their
relative position will stand thus;
Cost and expense Of the slow line per
annum, as fixed by the bid at the
lettings in October, 1891 ST 900
Cost and expenses Of rapid line yearly
fixed by the proportion il bears to
TO the slow line, it being in the ra-
ito Of 10 10 7. 10000
-
Which would give 10 the two daily
lines with the increased speed,
yearly GIT, 900
Tbopoh the elemeot. from which nm, estimate
mnst he formed Of the relative yalne oc,hesa ,sno
lines. and Of the nropor,ion which the .erv;ee
nnder the ;mnroved hds hears 70 ,ha ma. AZ
hi nnrs,,,n, 70 ,be adyer,semon, ha No, s,s;a;
80 -