New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-08-15
THE NAILS IN CALIFORNIA.
To the Editor Of The ~ Y. Tribune.

! T. The Editor Of The N. y Tribune.
SIR: Under the above head you publish, in last Sat-
prday's TRIBUNE, communication which sets forth
the fact that citizens of California place reliance
upon the mails for obtaining, promptly either letters
or newspapers from the Atlantic States; shows that
the public are, at the same time, promptly served by
the expressne en- though at charge of not less than
| twenty. five cents for letter, or paper even very
plainly intimates that friendly business arrangements
may subsist between postmasters and expressmen;
and concludes by calling upon the propretors of The
"TRBuYE to use their influence induce the Govern
ment to send special agent to inquire into the mat
ter"
That the charges of your correspondent are we'll
founded every Californian knows full we'll No resi-
dent Of that State resident Of San Francisco even
ever subscrbes for newspaper with the expectation
of receiving it till at least twenty hours after the
expresmen and newspaper vendors have received from
the postofice their papers, chtcA, also, are brought
by mail.
That there is an arrangement or understanding of
some kind between the expressmen and some OF the
newspaper vendors on the one part, and the Post
Office authorities the other, no one can doubt,
when it is seen that Pomasters in country towns deal
in newspapers and the accredited agents Of Ex-
press Companies aud while in the cities San Fran
CISCO for instance the lobby of the Post Office is
| rented out to expressmen and newspaper vendors.
Tbese things have been the subject of complaint to
the Post Office Department for years, ana yet they
ara tolerated and connved at 10 this day. In his fret
annual message in 1888, Postum ier.Gcnera L SNIP
bell recognized the fact, and said: TIE POSTMASTER
| "hos farored the EEpressmzH an Caigor"ia IN ne
"arompt del.rery Of has letters, a"d las receired IN
",eturn a COMPENSATION much larger per letter than
"ony commission .erer alIored Inn by The G0rer"-
| "neat Once commenced the habit Of the
"Diner in RELYING on the expresses is continued long
latter the POST Office and mail route has reached bis
neghborhood. Different Influences combine to pro-
duce the result. The principal one as is alleged, IS
"utter failure or refusal of the cenra Postmaster at
"whose Office bis the miner letters come from the
| States to forward them i'll the mail. The
| present ncumbents of the large offices have been
especially instructed regard to these vicious prac-
"tces and have given assurance that they shan be
discontinued"
| will be seen from the above that the Department
is not ignorant of the abuses compaincd Of AMI yet,
during the whole of Postmaster Genera Camp5elr'
administration, and up to the present day, even, tue
lobby of the San Francisco Post-Ohice has been
rented out to the agent Of express company, and
10 newspaper vendors, practice which did not exist
under Mr.. Campbels prede cessor.
As to senopg special agent to look into these mat
ters as your correspondent suggests, it might be re-
marked that the Department has Lad, for years, q
Special Agent in California, whose principal function
seems TO be to draw his alary-sOme 50 600 to $4,000
per annum The Special Agent is cOgnizant OF all
the facts con planned of and many more. When
citizen calls his attention TO the sane, he will tell hun
that che has no power in the premises that should
he interfere Postmssers might say it was an act OF
supereI ogaton on bis part ana that hey were ap-
pointed by the President higher power than that
from which he derived his authority sc. Let the
citizen write 10 the Postmaster General and some OF
his subordnates will state in reply that the matter
has been referred to the Special Agent of the De-
partment for investigation and report ard that
will be the last it, If this Special Agent makes any
invest. atiop it will be wholly an paTfe one, the
party complain d. not having the opportunity to be
heard in the premises to introduce single witness
in support Of his allegations. THIS the Department
knows Letters its files will subsantiae tue fact
Notwithstanding the derelctOn Of this special sgent
and not Tthsandng his interests 70 be as fully
identified with the Express Companies the in
teress Of the Postmaster he has recently been reap
pointed and the citizens of California who in proper
ton to their numbers pay double the postage ,hat
paid in Massachusetts, and upward Of for times what
il maid in Pennsylvania, will probably be compelled
|
Congressional investigation can be had. That suce
an investigation has not been called for may perhaps
he s,t,ibued 10 the fact that the Postmaster of San
Francisco had brother in the United States Senate
the Hon. John b. Weller.
Iwould suggest that your correspondent avail HIM
self Of the right Of petition Let him place an anthem
cated statement of such facts as he collect 10 the
hand. of Senator Broderck. His peculiar relations
toward the Weller wing of the Democratic party may
possbly be turned to account for the beIeht OF the
public. CAlifokSiA''
| See Senator Welers speech, Fob. q, 1851