The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1860-05-16
A Letter from The Postmaster General,
Posloihee Department, May ?, 1850.

offer tDdue DS lne EFeatuents OF the kNaielgh L
and CASTOR, North Carolina, and Charlotte
and South Carolina Railroad Companies, TO
convey the mails over said roads twice daily, |
At a compensation Of $3.50 per annam, cou-
pied with notice by them, that unless they
are allowed that rate Of pay. they win con-
sey NO mails over said roads after the first
day Of May. In connection herewith, l
have carefully considered communications
from nearly the entire delegation in Congress
from North Carolina, and one Of the Repre-
sentatives from South Carolina, recommend
ing an acceptance of that offer.
BY the 10th section of the act Of Congress
Uf sd March, 1915, II Is made The ,isty Of
the Fogt.nasterGeuelas .uIistle the iatirusd
routes into three classes. and the maximum
rate of pay which he may allow TO each
class is liked. The principle upon which
that classification mas been made, is as fol-
lows: Routes on which the great mails be-
tween remote sections OF the country are
sonyeyeJ, are assigned 10 the first class;
routes on which important mails between
points less remote are conveyed to the Sc
C0nd class; and cross or side routes Of mi.
nor Importance, to the third class.
The great mails not being conveyed over
the roads in question, and there being no
necessity for placing them thereon. as they
can be conveyed more expeditiously By the
roads Uia Wilmington on which thew are
now transported, there is no ground for pla-
cling them under the foregoing rule Of classi-
fication, in the hrst class. Without. there.
fore, changing the principle upon which the
classification has been made, land which, it
is believed, would be departure from the
he &C AZ. IL y 81,
no authority for allowing TO those roads the
rate of compensation demanded. The high
est rate which can be allowed them is 500
per mile per annam, (the rate now allowed }
with an addition Of % per cent. il halt the
service performed by them is in the night
Any change IN the principle Of classidca.
ton by which those routes would be trans
ferred to the first class, would likewise
transfer thereto large portion OF the rail-
road routes now IN the second class, and
very greatly increase the aggregate cost OF
the railroad service.
The common mistake OF railroad compa.
MES, from which results most Of the dissat-
islaction with the classification made by the
Postofhce Department, consists in comparing
The quality Of the several roads, instead Of
the importance Of the mail service thereon.
The latter is the only view In which il can
be regarded by the Department. That is
the view which was contemplated by the
second section Of the act of 9TH July, 1888,
BIZ which the Postmaster General is restrict
ed, in his engagements with railroad eompa-
mics, to "25 per centum over and above
what similar transportation would cost in
post coaches" That view is enforced by
the act Of 25ih January. 1859. which limits
the rate Of pay to be allowed 10 any railroad
company under the second section of the
this act contained shall be construed so as
in any way 10 impair the Limitations upon
the power Of the Postmaster General impos.
ed by that section II and il Is in substance
endorsed in the act of Sd March, 1915, by
the clause authorizing the Postmaster Gene
raj 10 separate the letter from the newspaper
mail, &C., il he cannot contractwith railroad
companies at the maximum rates cor for
what he may deem a reasonable and fair
compensation within the maximum rates
= for the service 10 be performed"
There are no great commercial interests
dependent on the mails by the central route
through North Carolina save Raleigh, v.
c., and Columbia, 5. e., there is not a post.
Office touched BY either Of those roads,
which Yields net postal revenue amounting
tosl, 100 per annum-few, indeed, at which
twice daily mails would be desired or Of adj.
vantage to any considerable portion Of the
cOmmuniiy. The whole net proceeds of all
The Offices on those roads is barely $4,000
per annum, and excluding Columbia, which
has twice daily mails BY the South Carolina
railroad, about $4,000 per annum while
the additional compensation asked by those
roads amounts 10 sci 900 per annun. These
kiatemehts show that the opinion which has
been advanced, that the increased expense
proposed would br small. ID proportion q
Tie increase Of mail facilities offered, Is moi
properly deduclble from The facts. The
present aggregate annual paw 0n those routes
is SIS, 200, which. If increased 50 per cent
~ demanded, would amount to s64, 500 peI
aaHam.
IN ny late annual report the deliberat,
VplniDa Of the Department kas been express
Cd, that tie rate u compensation allowed By
Law for railroad service il too high. aud . re.
dueilan Of one third recommended. Il would
be an asi Of gross Inconsistency, 10 the fac,
of that opinion, and without an expression
BY Congress thereon, to add ~ per centum
70 the compensation on the routes ia qugs
ton.
Il seems almost ssperHuuBs 20 add, that
IN every aspect 81 the case The Postmaster
Geaefal - pfecladed iron Welding TO Tie
demand under consideration
Should those railroad companies, after be
ing made acquainted with thi. decision
(which wiil be done w transmitting ! copy
bereof 20 the President Of each read inter.
ested) refuse 10 e0n,ey The mails over their
roads, The Department will feel that DE re
sponsibiliiy iOr lhs public Inconvenience and
disadvantage which will result Is wholly ~.
sumed By them, aud that the oniy obligation
devolying on IL. will Be 10 provide sgeh sub
stitute service as the nature u the case vii
admit &c
Very respectfully,
Your obedient servant.