The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-12-08

ceeding 500 pounds; and 80 on, ascending by SINH
largest amount or 'oar space found upon any route
reported the rate reached lis cents for every mile OF
transportation; Inc proposed act provided further
allowed for every mile run by . tram specially re-
CURED to be run for the transportation OF the mall
ana two cents per mile for transporting IN the pas
senger cars any agent travelling the business OF
the department, route agents to be transported
free, but at their own risk. Among the
other papers was comparative statement"
purportlng TO show the effect OF the adop-
ton OF the committee's rates upon the whole
which II was made to appear that q dmInuti0n OF
per cent would result leaving out OF the
account al car space beyond the amount required 70
transport the mails as freight allowing cubic foot
for every ten pounds weights and this thirty.eight
per cent, u was suggested By the committee, would
extra car service required for the OF route agents
and postal clerks. 1t was found, however, upon
timaling the car space used upon the first seven
72s5 allowing Six and Onehalf feet for the height
OF the car ceiling, as suggested by the committee, that
the thirty-eight per cent would be insufficient to
cover the amount OF transportation shown upon
those routes alone at the committees rates. To as
certain, therefore, the real effect which the adoption
Of the proposed rates would have upon the annual
cost Of mail transp0rtion on railroad rates, state
ment was made up in the department, predicated
already in use, shown In table E, in the last
nua report by which 1t was found that the increase
OF expense would be enormous. Thus, for illustra-
ton, on the Philadelphia. Wilmington and Baltimore
Railroad mail apartments OF eight different sizes
were reported, which were estimated to average
1850 cubic feet For this amount OF scar spacer the
schedule prescribed In the proposed act allowed
eighty-one cents per mile. The number Of trips on
the route was reported at twenty-elght per week.
Each trip including the run forth and back the num-
Der OF trips must be doubled to ind the amount or
transportation per week ON each mile Of the roads
length making nly,siX miles and this again multi
making B. 912 miles, which, ut eighty-one cents per
mile would give s2,S5s 9s TIE pay per annum for
The dtSnnfIfV other routes would be
s s1iY greater tie rates rqniS S froi SIS e
and more, and from $500 to $4,000 and more. On
ton the 30th OF June, 1867, the effect would to
increase the annual expense from $3,Sl2,600 TO
1921, no. O23-an Of s17,S97 423. The depart
ment fOrbearing. upon such showing to take any
part in presenting the proposed act to the Post Oce
committees OF the two houses OF Congress- has pro-
ceeded with the work or readustng the rates OF pay
on railroad routes upon scale within the limits Of
existing laws and much more compatible with the
resources at It's command.
During the past year an engraved post route map,
In four sheets, has been completed by the tOpO-
grapher and copies issued for the OF the depart
ment, representing the post offices ana mail service
In the State OF New York and its connections with
adjacent States and with the dominion OF Canada.
This map, along with that previously published,
representing the Northeastern States has been found
OF great use in the several branches of this depart.
mept In Its current work, to pOstmasterS and others,
and especially to the clerks of the travelling (rail
road post offices, in sorting and distributing letters
similar map OF the States OF Pennsylvania, New
Jersey, Delaware and Maryland was expected to
work required in compilation has delayed the issue.
The plates are expected from the engraver within
adjacencies is also well advanced in the engrayers
Drawings are being pfspafSa 7oHr the map Of Ohio
and Indiana, and those Of other States, groups,
will be taken up fast the peculiar nature and
the magnitude OF this work VIII allow.
The amount OF fines imposed on contractors and
deductions made from their pay during the year was
$4,000, and the amount RENTED So 795, leaving
the net amount OF fines and deductions s45S14. The
amount expended for new mail bags was $5S,Ol6
RAILWAY POSTAL SERVICE
There are now in operation in the United States 20
railway postal lines, suDdivlded into "a routes
tending In the aggregate over 1919 miles OF railway
and steamboat lines upon OIL miles OF which twice
daily service Ia being performed, making total
equal to 8, 900 miles o! railway postal service daily
each way and an increase OF miles over the SER
vice in operation In 1857. There are employed In
this service 279 men, as head clerks, clerks and
sistant clerks at salaries ranging from 5000 to 400
per annuni making an aggregate cost OF 1922 per
annum, increase Of l19 men, at cost OF $14 500
the old way would require the services OF 2Ss EN-.
plOyes, at a cost OF $33,935, showing saving or
% state that the service is being reformed s
formerly, by route agents on the slow way
mediation trains but upon the fastest express trains
and that by means OF Wards mail bag catcher the
clerks exchanging pouches ut all offices on the
line once and in many cases twice daily each way.
trail Railroads for instance the postal car leaves New
York at eight A. M, performing service at all sta
70 rom ~ R arye a. SIX
rive at twelve, midnight, at all express stops The
night line leaves New York at eleven r. NJ, perform
ing service for all offices ut express stops to Albany;
leaving Albany at quarter-past seven A. NJ, perform
ing the service at all post offices to Buffalo, where
they arrive We at na,lpast eight r M 50 that every
10 that chooses to exchange mails twice is served
twice daily with mail each way. Under the old route
agent system this same service was performed as
follows:-Route agents left New YORK in the MORN
ing and ended in Albany In the afternoon; other
route agents left Albany in the morning and arrived
MI ufo
agents. leaving Syracuse In the morning arrived in
Buffalo In the requiring from two three
days 10 send letter from one point to another and
receive an answer NOW letters can be sent and an
swers returned between almost any two offices ON
the line within twentyfo hours. This IL simply an
illustration the same improved facilities for the rapid
TRANSMISSION OF mails obtaining on most other lines
Of railway postal service.
The aggregate amount OF postage dnland, sea and
foreign) upon the letter correspondence exchanged
with foreign countries was s2,153. $780, or this
amount ST. 100, 467 accrued on the letter mails ex-
changed with European countries $500 5s on letters
exchanged with the Dominion OF Canada and
S137, 700 on the letters exchanged with the West
Indies, Mexico, Brazil, Central and South America
tine SANDWICH Islands, Japan and China. The total
lie ter hostages on mails exchanged with countries
OF Europe during the first six months, from July TO
December 81, 1857, inclusive, under The provisions
OF the postal conventions then In force amounted to
si,o57,6l2 and on mails exchanged with the same
countries during the residue Of the fiscal year. from
January to June 60 1868, at the reduced rates es-
tablished by existing conventions, amounted TO
$0ssS5i, being reduction 10 the advantage OF cor.
respondents during said six months OF S40s, s5s on
an increased correspondence amounting to
letters s tmsa States uSs postage r.,
correspondence exchanged with Great Britain
and countries the Continent OF Europe
amounted to $1,000 "a and the hostages collected
In Europe amounted 10 S6i6 223-excess OF collec-
tons in the United States. s4740s0. The estimated
amount OF United states postage upon the letter
mails exchanged with Great Britain and the CONT
nent OF Europe was sos, 200; with Canada and the
British North American provinces, $1s6.1s9 and with
the West Indies, Brazil Mexico Japan and China
and Central aud South America, SIPS, 09s making In
all 81, 0g7 ,es9a decrease OF sos AS compared with
estimate OF previous year. Adding the amount OF
United States postage upon printed matter cx-
changed in United states and European mails cal
cuated az .000 and SlO,52o the reported amount
OF United States postage on printed matter
changed with the West Indies. Mexico, South Amer
lea, China &c the total United States hostages on
foreign mails exclusive OF printed matter inter-
changed with the British North American provinces
OF which no separate account IL keptl was
81, 1es,5Os.
The number OF letters exchanged with foreign
countries exclusive OF the British North Amerc -
provinces was f1l2s,532, OF which 1900. 500 were
sent from aud 522s 225 received in the United states