New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-12-08

death ls2 change Of stc, 81 wnefe tae fostaN, II.
moved away. and 2321 removal Of prior incumbent
being 567 Postnasers appointed during the year ending
close Of the fiscal year ending on the Goth day Of
June last there were in operation within the United States
eos mail routes their aggregate length 2i77i3 miles,
and 55s3 contractors were employed thereon.
The annual transportation Of the mails those routes
wa 81 500 5i2 miles the annual cost thereof sii9595s
being about seven cents two mills per nile.
Ofthese miles OF annual 9s6 7o5
miles are required to be performed railroads at cost
Of an COZ 3ae being about twelve three mills per
mile s6s5C65 miles in steamboat, cost Of s6532,
s6s. being about nine cents four mills per mile
q 316 miles in coeches al cost Of el2o695s, being
about five cents six mills per mile aud 20 500 40 miles in
modes no specified, at cost Of sl,Oj5S9 being about
five cents per mile.
vb compared with the service At the close Of the pre-
cedng year shows increase OF 3 80 miles in the length
annual ransporltcn, IA OF SJ,o IN the annual cost Oh
on such increase Of transportation the railroad and
steamboat service amounts To 2235,593 miles, a. in
creased cost of Sf5C2 being an Increase Of ~ % 100
per cent in the transportation and about % % 100 per
cent in tie aggregate cost the coach service to OBI 3o6
mcs az an increased cost Of s92 being an increase Of
about leo per cent in transportation and 10 per
cent in aggregate and the transportation in modes
not specified $685. miles at an increased cost Of 2j653
being an increase of about - leo per cent in anspor
tation and 80 100 per cent in the aggregate cost
Tie annual transportation in California Included in he
foregoing esmael at the close OF the fiscal year was
5s5 miles at annual cost Of sli3sl4. being an in
cent Of annual transportation and sl4334 or II ls1Oo
per cent. in the cost thereof.
The annual transportation in Oregon at the close of the
fiscal year "a miles at annual cost Of si552
OF about - cents per nile OF this service 1878 miles
performed in steamboats, at annual cost Of $1,000
and the residue OF 90996 miles in modes not specified at
cost Of e. 500 about 81 cents and mills per mile
There should be added TO the other cost Of tranpOrta
top as above stated the compensation OF route agents
slG522f IS; mail messengers s56,33i 0Ji and local
agents, sll49s 4c-making in all s253o57 ADDITIONAL IN
.tu diugf he ma q
In table attached TO the report of the Second Assist
ant Postmaster Genera marked d. the length Of railroad
each company The sums paid TO these Railroad Companies
fixed under the acts Of 9TH July 1893 January % 1892
and I'd March 1915. Under the last mentioned act II is
made the duty Of the Postmaster General 10 arrange and
divide the railroad into three classes and to pay
them according to the size of the mails the speed with
which they conveyed and the importance OF the ser
vice Considerable difficulty has always existed with this
branch Of the service Sums demanded from the De
paren which in justice to the grea, public interests ii
cannot to pay The importance Of the service to
the public is the great question OF consideration for the
head of the Department but he and the Presidents and
managers of the Railroad Companies, do not view its i'm
porence alike, the mail is thrown down, and the publc
caused thereby most gTieyously TO suffer This il done
sometimes too in the most summary manner, without any
notice being given by which the Department could
be prepared to put on other service and when this
il done. whether designedly not, the Department
is sure TO suffer The citizens Of the different States
are deeply interested in this question and they wish to
continue 10 receive their letters and newspapers az cheap
dictate TO the Department their own terms In some ofthe
States of the Union provision has been inserted IN the
charter Of the Railroad Companies providing for refer
ence in of disagreement between The Postmaster
General and the Companies In neither OF the acts which
have cited any power given TO the Postmaster General
agree any such reference and there we're should
very much doubt it, policy. In England this agreement
refer has acted unfayorably TO the Government and
see no why Congress first giving each Company
full opportunity of being heard, should not fix the sum
which they are respectively to receive.
In England also in France and in the other continental
States the time for arrivals and departures is so fixed By
the Post Office Departments as best to suit the public in
terests
In our own ordinary mail contracts the time for arrival
and departure is entirely subject 10 the order Of this De
partment by which IL il enabled TO maintain unbroken
link of connection but in the great majority OF cases,
though contracthave been drawn and submitted to Rel
road Companies they have not chosento sign them Tie
consequence has BEEN that though receiving the paw,
they may be said be entirely beyond the control of the
DEPARTING and the public Interests have thereby greatly
suffered After entering upon my duties as head OF the
Department complaints made of the insuicency of
the mail cars and OF the want oproper accommodetions
and garing these defects, in instances that
the mail agents unable properly to discharge their
duties now becoming daily important owing to the
increase of the way distributions To remedy this evil
had prepared model of mail car which had transmit
ted the Presidents of the different Railroad Companies
but in very few instances have my wishes been complied
with In those where the contracts gave me the
power 10 build mailcar when the one in use was un.
suited to the purposes, have ordered to be done and
the cost charged the companies but in that class Of
cases in which they have declined becoming parties to
any contract, | EN- remedies.
While such have been Of the difficulties which the
Department has had 10 encounter with these Railroad Com
panies that service, with it, necessary attendants mail
agents and mail messengers has absorbed more than
third of the entire derived from postages
On the 30h Of September last there were in operation
within the United States e02 railroad routes their aggre
gate length il03 miles and the cost of mail trans
ponation thereon sl6i5439 33-being at the rate of
$40 &c 40 per mile Include the pay Of msil messen
gers route and local agents the whole expense of this
service is increased to sls69s6i 7s or s59 80 Clio per
mile.
On estimating other kinds Of service in the
upon the aggregate length of routes, is discovered
that the average cost Of steamboat service is s3i IS per
mile coach service, s22 IS per mile and Of modes not
specified "a SO per mile.
Such being the condition OF this branch Of the service,
and the prices paid for it, the attention of Congress per
ticularly requested TO this subject.
BY the nth section OF the act of Congress establishing
poet roads, &C. approved Aug 81. 1852 II made the
duty Of the Postmaster General TO issue proposals and
contract for the transportation of daily mail between
Memphis and Memphis and New Orleans, and to supply
such intermediate points he may order from time to
"time, on suitable and safe steamboats,"
In compliance with the provisions of this law adver
sement prepared with much BY my predecessor,
dated Dec 81 1852, and published in the papers of Wash
ington, New York Pittsburgh Cincinnati Louisville 81.
proposals for daily express line between Louisville and
New Orleans, touching at points and running down
in Fix days and up in seven and also for way lines be-
tween Louisville and Evansville, Evansville and Cairo,
Cairo ard Memphis, Memphis and Napoleon. Ma ooleon
and vicksburg Nicksburg and St. Francsyne ST. Fran
cisyile and New Orleans be in close connection.
and supplying intermediate Offices and also connecting
line between st. Louis and Cairo
The notes appended TO this advertisement provided that
the mails must be conveyed in safe and suitable
boats of the very best class that they should carry the
mails and passengers only that the whole number re-
qured for the service must be provided before the contract
would be considered as commenced that they would DO
subject rigid inspection by agents appointed by the
Department that none could be Withdrawn without the
consent of the Department. and ones admitted
Will the like insnection and Assent