New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-12-07
shst BY the Let Of January the Illinois Central will DO
completed and that by the Lat Of July the Ohio add


enhance the importance Of e stesmboa,
route between Cairo end New. Orleans Moreover, IL
il reasonable 10 anticipate such an increase OF trade
and travel in the came direction ~ will go very far
toward sustaining line Of boats-thus reducing the
cost Of mail service
AZ pesert the principal il rot the only support Of
the line would be from Ihis Department. and have,
therefore deemtd it ny duty Dot 10 enter into a con
tract now but 70 await Developments, 90 soon to De
expected enabling me TO negotiate terms much more
advantageous both to the public and this Depart
ment.
In the meantime, mails are regularly conveyed as
heretofore by the trip, between Louisville and Nay
Orleans, and ST. Louis AMI New Orleans.
have also contracted for ssparte service be-
t~een New Orlea9s and Ycksbursh, Nicksburgh,
Napoleon and Memphis oo., so,,.,0h., ,.s.
239 railroad routes; taer aesrsea'. aatar,s,ion
l6 6elI miles and the cost of msl tIahspof'a1ion
,bereoo was 81 g23 747 40. Add to TINS the sums
paid to mail messengers, route ana locai ases' a. anu
The whole cost of this service viii De " iSo,<1' o.
In adjusting the rate per mile to De pa'd Ihese Ia
Sa 81 az dif;culties continue 10 exist. The princl.
ne which should regulate their pay seems 10 Oe afeed
ppnon. The companies allege that the GOgefnment
sbould not ask or expect them to perform LOT any
arvce Mt ess rate than that paid by ndlYidu4ls 10Y
similar services This principle has never been uehieu
nv the Post Office Department; but, on the contrary,
i'm. always Northumberland tins has Oeeu ever tue
-, cause Of difficulty between the Department auJ
communicated the Government mas Oech chareeu
n having mucb greater prices than those paid by IN
nyiduals Whether this be or not Is matter that
could be easily settled by computation ana "uen
the Post. Office Committee OF the House OF hepreoen
taty.g AT its last session proposed bill mag CERTAIN
rates ner mile for mail transportation on the roads IL
il could have shown 10 them that the rates thus uAei
were too low considering the weight OF the ina, i.s
importance and the facilities and space gwen lOr us
trans port alton, | am satisfied they would nave ~
once increased It's rates What is required Is to hx
fair and lust prices, companies performing sIhhal
services TO receive the same pay, when Is NOT
now the case, and all OF them 10 Dc pau nc
cordiDg to the bulk OF the mails, inc spoeu WIN
which thew are being conveyed, and the accom- no1s-
tiOns required. The sums PAID Dy express couP1n'o9
would be very unfair criterion by when 10 regeiale
mails Controlled by no competition excepting such
as il il in the power Of the railroad companies them
selves TO prevent, they can pay any prices wnich
may be demanded Of them and assess II upon their
customers. 1t would be unjust, too to found cal.
cnlaiion upon the assumption that the mail car was
twenty.fve feet in length fifteen for mail room,
and ten for a post Office, and then 10 estimate ana
charge both for weight and car and m ais at fourteen
tuDs. Accommodations such as these are repaired
both for the security of the mails and to enable route
agents properly to discharge their duties AMI 10 TINS
fact early drew the attention OF the cOmpanles but
these accommodation have not been gwen Many oil
the railroads DESTROYS of properly serving the public
devote car exclusively for mail purposes but 10 the
great majority Of cases car is divided between the
government and the express companies or space Is
appOrt0ned off for the route agent, the man oelDg
placed with the Baggage in the one and the balance
of the car appropriated for a smoking'room. Inc
calculations which | have made and those which
some of the companies make drher most
widely and show that they are receiving for
the mail much more than for frst-cass freight; but
the question whether the calculations of the Depart
ment or the companies be correct could be readily
settled by q committee Of Congress; and II the com
panies wish Government 10 pay them only such p'lces
as they receive from individuals the whole ma ter is
one of easy solution In the opinion that this Gov
erIment is paying much more for railroad man ser
vice than it ia worth have been confirmed by the
prices paid for similar services IN E9giand E[anee,
Germany and Canada. With the Great western
Railroad Company in the latter country the Depart
ment in March last entered into contract to carry
the United States mail from Suspension Bridge New
York TO Detroit Michigan for the sum OF thirty dol
lars n mile The same cars carry the local Canada
| mail; and il the Cansdian Government allow TINS
company thirty dollars mile ia addition to the sum
received from this Department, this important trunk
road will be receiving sixty dollars mile
! IL is of very great Importance that kind relations
should always exist between the Post Ohice Depart
mept and the different railroad companies, because
when such is the case the public interests are always
better served. 1t has been, and will ever be, my
effort TO preserve these relations. Exorbitant de-
mands for services, no ever, will always be reiused
and when sehedcle is arranged not by tne depart
ment alone because it has no such power but oy the
Joint concurrence OF the Department and t1e CoInpl-
nv who always have regard to the local business OF
the road public officer would be derelict IN his
duty who would not exact conformity thereto. IN
lees such tie case there would be no order or
regularity in the mail system, and business IN It's
thousand ramii cations would be seriously disturbed
When fine is laid, if afterward good cause be sho En
il Is ALWAYS RENTED; but il is not too much TO say
that every delay of the mail causes embarrassment II
not injury, TO hundreds, and therefore every excuse
/ should be carefully examined. The merchant, manu-
facturer, and farmer rely upon the mail principally
for their remittances. All classes of our citizens anx
ously await the arrival of their letters and newspa
pers and it, through the nattenton or neglect of the
railroad companies their agents. delays take place
hatO aQnh Q al Wh
net be treated as other contractors
BY the act of I'd July, 1886 it is provided that con-
tracts shall in all be awarded TO the lowest bid
der. In order TO guard the Department against
fraud and imposition the form of bid is prescribed
by the regulations. guarantee is likewise provided
from the act, by which two responsible persons un-
dertake that if the party bidding be accepted, he
shall enter into the contract for the service proposed,
with good and sufficient securities. certificate is
then required TO be signed by Postmaster, Judge,
or Clerk of Record, who ceres to the suhcieacy OF
the guarantors. Notwithstanding these ecautions,
irresponsible men frequently become bidders, hav-
ing no design Of performing the service but with the
sole object of selling out their bid Failing to find
purchaser they refuse 10 enter into the contract and
/ when inquiry is made into the suficeney OF their
Ruarantors in order TO institute an action against
them, il is discovered that they pecunarIly
worthless. On failures of this description they
awarded 10 the next lowest bidder but he is not
bound by his bid after the acceptance OF the lowest
bidder il very frequently happens that he declines
its acceptance and the Department thus obliged TO
| pay much more for the service than II could have
been had for, or than il is really worth. Sdch in
stances occurred frequently at the last lettings, which
have increased very much the cost of the service.
Some dscre ton should be lodged in the PoStm 4ser
General TO prevent such freuds; but, in its Absence
have determined at the next lettings to designate
certain PostmasteTs in each State in which letting
to be had who alone will be authorized give the
required certificate.
The proper distribution Of mail mstter in country
so vast as ours with so many mail routes and many
Post Offices is subject attended with great difficulty
and 70 which the attention of nv predecessors has