Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-07-12

mail facilities. The mail contract with
| them was made. originally. under the fol
flowing circumstances Tie proposition
lme from the Special AgenS of the Post
Office Department. 1t was urged by
him that the Department found it
impossible to get responsible men, who
could take tie test-oath, who would enter
into contract to carry the mail from the
present terminus of the road through to
Charlotte, but that inasmuch as corpora
tions had no souls, the President OF the
Company would not be required to take it.
| As soon as the contract was made, however,
the sub contractors were not allowed to EN-
ploy even a stage driver who could not
| take the oath. and the mails were Lot al
lowed to be delivered TO any one who could
not take it. This proved to be Il source CT
never-ending trouble, and was one reason
for the refusal to renew the contract.
In the next place, the officials of the
Railroad could not, from the very nature
of things, exercise that superyl ION over
the service which the interests OF the Com
pany reuuired and the sub-contractors
being compelled to seek their employees
among a certain class Of men, could not
discharge their obligations, as they honest
ly tried to do.
Further, the pay was insufficient for that
portion of the line which required staging.
The Railroad Company had been notified
by many, probably by all the sub-contrac-
tors. that they could not renew the con-
tract at the same rate of pay-the high
price of corn and forage prohibited it-and
the Department refused to pay any more.
The Comp any was also compelled to
seek relief from the course pursued by the
Department in making their payments. -
After the Department had audited, APP
proved and paid the accounts up to the
first of January, 1867 after the Company
had paid some of the sub~contactors, and
became bound to all after some Of those
specially responsible had given up their
contracts and were beyond the control of
the Company s late as May s, 1867,
the Department makes deduction of about
5000, for failures said 10 have occurred, but
! which did not occur, from the lst day of
July to about the last of October, 1866
This is therefore dead loss to the Com
| pany.
But notwithstanding all this, the Com
pany did make bid for the mail from
Wilmington to Wadesboro'. 1t was made
at precisely the same rates paid last year.
| ninl in
person-it was delivered in ample time,-
but neither the President of the Company,
nor the Postmaster here, has heard one
word in response to the bid. Why there
has been no response is not known. If 1t
| be because the bid WAS not made for the
entire line, then the mail will not be car
ried over the Road, for we understand the
Company will not again place itself IN the
power of the Department after the bad
faith shown last year. In fact, the Com
pany is not in a condition to afford it, were
it ever so willing to oblige and accommO-
date the public.
There is certainly no more obligation
existing for this Company to furnish the
| Halls 10 Tie C1EIZf'liS VI w iIlCOOo1O I11tAl
to the citizens of any other point thirty
miles distant from the road, and none is
recognized by them. As a matter of ac-
commodation to the people along the con-
templated line, the original contract was
made-in the same spirit a new contract
will be made, if it can be done on such
terms as will save the Company harmless.
Their spirit of accommodation cost them
! last year very largely, and their inability
to continue the expensive convenience to
the people along the contemplated line
should not subject them to the ill-feeling
of these people, much less should it be
urged as a gross disregard of their inter
ests. The Company is carrying the mail
now as far as their road extends without
any contract, and if we may judge from
past experience, with little prospect of re-
Enumeration. Let us suggest to the citi-
zens of Wadesboro' to make some arrange
ments, either by contract with the Depart
ment or otherwise, to get the mail from
the terminus of the road. 1t seems to us
that this would be better than stirring up
useless and unjustifable quarrel with the
Railroad Company