The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-12-20
rhs post ONCE Department and the Richmond Rail-
rond

General II shows why the mail is transported by the
Chesapeake Bay route instead OF the Richmond rail-
road The Richmond Railroad Company perempton-
y refused carry it after the 10th OF December M
slant, unless the Postmaster General would give them
$500 mile per annums whilst he is satisfied that
The law prohibits him from giving more than 1887
So 1t is TO be depored that this state OF things
should have taken place. and that the company should
have to unfortunate conclusion as to hing the
mails off their road and put the public to the loss and
confusion they subjected to- for pay consider
alton as some So ZOO difference If against law to give
the amount they claimed it was OF course, impossible
for the Postmaster General to do it, no matter what the
consequences. He willing, appears from his let
ter that the service should continue along, without
contract give time for the further action Of Congress
But no. he was summoned to make instant surrender
of his own conscientious convctions-and not his alone,
but those entertained by every Postmaster General since
the law was passcdor the mails be flung of the
railroad it needless to say that Mr. Johnson did not
violate his oath OF Office and the law, and submit TO
this decided demand of the Railroad Company He provi
ded other means of transportation those OF the company
being refused him:
PosT OFFICE DEPARTMENT, Dec. 20, 1917.
SIR: In the inquiries made in your letter.
which received too late Saturday evening for reply
That the price 10 be paid the bay line is $4,000 per
annunl distance of $50 mes-beng less than 500 per
for the supply of Richmond The wo-horse carriage
veyancc FROM this city 70 Richmond and back for local sup
ply, costs $l3.0U--making In all S47,OOo
The service superseded by these contracts cost as fol
lows:
The railroad and steamboat service from this to Rich
Local supply between Norfolk and Baltimore and
Ralance of service on horse routes discontinued 1906 90
Service between Richmond andl Petersburg, to 80
be discontinued o,SlS 10
!, J.. .,.,.,. 49,, ns75 As
The lowest demanded by the company from this to
The sum offered by the department 29,4so
difference 2,72
The demand of the company S22 so per mile per
annum upon the railroad which 75s miles ongmore
the department The acts of Congress
greatly by the short notice given by
pany of their determination TO throw of the mails and by
oh che in the wnter The refusal Of the department to
make an illegal has, however resulted in small
Whole railroad service in the United States is taken into
consde Had made such contract, regardless Of
department, and the uniform decisions of all predeces
everything indeed, but the ipensaton president
road in the United States could have been denied similar
violation OF law in behalf and similar increase of pay
are fortunately located the Of government! Or
to those who bold enough 1.-THE law is not bent at their
upon the accommodation and rights OF the public? may
remark. that it confidently believed That there is
railroad in the service oIhe department that cannot SHOW
greater hardshps in lis mail arrangements as reason Tor
Increase of conn ensation. than the Richmond company
On this road, the service Is perorne IN the day; the
hours suit its travel the connection OF s trains, and
its connexions win other roads 10 what extent my weld
of mail transportation railroads throu ghout the United
yad have boHen down all legal lions and de-
ranged the system Of compensation established under the
The time allowed the bay line for delivery of the
mail in Richmond is twenty five hours-that is from IL
o'clock. D. M until II the next night The local mails
from this city Richmond in twohorse carriages, by Fred
ericksburg, tweny-three hoursthat is, from a.
! each day until o a. m. the next day
The mail from Petersburg going south is to depart upon
the arrival of the boats but moi to delay later than II
ment, mail departed o. p. M, from Petersburg by
the summer schedule, and b. p m, by the winter The
by engagement the part of the contractors
expedite their to make the time OF arrival
at Charleston the the schedule 1t is
confidently believed that, when the bay line properly
regulated it will be, the departures from Peters
not furnish so sasac ory service as the Richmond railroad
But obliged by the Richmond Railroad Company it.
sell to place the great southern mail on some other route
They refused utterly take it their road from and a
the 10th OF December unless would make with them
compensation forbidden by law.
The exacng spirit of monopoes could not display itself
in despotc form than is exhibited In this case The
opinion OF the officer whose duty Is by lay TO interpret
diate predecessors sanctioned and confirmed they
the OF 1889 and 1915 and acquesced In by this very
company from 1889 1913 all aside and disregard
ed and the of S2 772 than could be paid insisted
before the public could be accommodated And this is
followed up by refusal continue the service at the
very high price ofered-for the accommodation and con-
veDence Of the people who existence to the cor
poraton and who deeply interested in its successful
management, until Congress could review the law, and
| settle its construction.
SO anxious was to have the service continued on that
road, that not only offered them the maximum price
($237 30 per mie) for single daily servce but consented
upon the application OF Others to permit the service TO be
continued without contract had been the case for many
months before as 10 give the company time TO apply to
Congress for exposition of the laws for increase OF
pay but this declined by their president The service
this road is day The service between this city
and New York is twice daily, and the pay averages $3.50
per mile per and for single daily service For the
service the roads between New York and Boston, and
Albany and Buffalo, the pay less than 800 per
mile. On other roads, less tavoTaby circumsanced, hav
ing heavy mails convey and bat little travel and COMPEL
ed perform the whole service in the night the Of
SlH 80 per mile the highest price paid for single daily
When these circumstances considered there
had been legal restrictions railroad pay. can
justification for giving higher price for mail transportation
the Richmond road Nor can readily believe that the
of Virginia themselves, owning, understands
two-fhs of the stock of this road would justify in
than paid the roads in the other States of the Union
/ G. JOHNSON.
! Hon. w. l.. GoGaIN,
Chairman Com. p. o, and p Roads.
For the Union
II ;pnortanf that the people of the limited States