The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-12-06

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circulars out In February last TO the pro
prietors Of all such routes, requesting them 4
the Isl OF March ana report the result to the de
partmeut, and to furnish, Also descriptions o.
tue accommodations PROVIDED TOT mails ana agents
times per week the mails were conveyed In each
direction. The information obtained In answer 70
this call prised table OF the report or the
Second Assistant Postmaster General hereto ap
pended IN winch there are also embraced returns
from number OF routes In other States, made at
various times since the publication OF similar table
In the annual report Tor 1861 IL Is the purpose
the department IN the future to make similar call
upon tue proprietors OF railroad routes, near the
close OF the contract term In each or the four
that the readjustment OF pay In every case may be
| made upon new and corrected returns.
Inc rates hereto ore paid for railroad mali service
compared with the returns Just received from those
States; and In every instance in which the amount
and character oil the service have been found to DO
clearly insufficient TO justify the rate allowed CON-
mensurate deduction has been made. On the otner
hand, whenevera demand for Increased pay has
| been made winch tue re urns appeared TO warrant
such increase has been allowed. Changes have taus
railroad routes IN that section comprising over ono
| third Of the Whole number These roads have been
CLASSIFIED ana tneir pay readj9sted and established
scrioed BY law, to wit. Tho SIZE Of the
mails, the speed with which they are con-
veyed ana the Importance OF The service" The
details OF this classification and readustmen appear
Ia liable OF the report OF the second Assistant,
hereto appended, which embraces also q number OF
routes In other States on winch changes have been
made, on application by the proprletors OF the
several roads, allreret times SINCE the prepara-
ton OF the last annua report On all OF these routes
together, seyeniy-e2ht IN number, tbs former
pay as readjusted. now amounts to ssoa. 100.
showing An excess OF the present over the former
amount OF annual pay OF soAss3
fore published the routes are arranged not by Stases
oa. according 70 the rate OF pay per mile per an:
W an alphabetical index. for easy relerence.
Great complaints have been made by some OF the
alleged lnadequacy OF their compensation for Oarry-
ing the mails. They assert that the rates OF their
y ~ n aes q "a io ana
years; and tnat although she pay thus established
Was at tine time OF the passage OF the act
just ana ample, 1t now 1alis snort OF what they
are fairly entitled to. Il cannot be denied that
since the passage Of the act Of 1916. important
changes have taken place. the most conspicuous OF
winch are the f0l0wing:-A large increase IN the
quantity and weIght OF mall matter; additional
the service, and the introduction OF railway post
otices, requiring much heavier and mora expensive
es nnon sss raross sSs
trunk lines, and have largely increased tner ex-
penses ln justice to this CLASS Of roads, respect
fully recommend o careful revision and readjust-
ment By Congress OF railroad compensation, and the
estaolshmen OF suca rates ~ viii DO just ana elut
PINES AND DEDUCTIONS.
The amount OF fines imposed on contractors, and
urss ana other denquencies during the last year
was Ssi 1913, and the amount RENTED was S43 900,
leaving the net amount SOL A2
THROUGH MAILS.
Since the completion OF the railroad line to the
Pacific, arrangements have been made to have 70.
coros kept showing the time occupied IN the transit
OF mals from washington, New YORK, Boston, Chi
cago, cincinnati aud st. Louis to Denver City, salt
Lake City, sacramento City aud San Francisco aud
BACK. The appendix contains copy OF tue circular
giving the necessary tnstru cons to p0stasters aud
ohers n Inc records sa OF arrivals on the Atlantic
reached the department.. They show that mails
are carried througn noun San Francisco
n ND
minutes; to New York. u days, 10 hours aud 20
mnutes to Boston, In days. hours: to Chicago.
days - hours and 30 minutes, and to ST. Louis,
| days nour anu so minutes. inc above figures
show the time OF the shortest trips. the average
time was:-Io washington, days. hours and II
| minutes; to New YORK, days hours and % min.
utes; to Boston, days. - hours AMI % minutes; to
| Chicago; days, Ia hours and IS minutes: 10
Cincinnati, 9 days, hours and 80 minutes, and to
St Louis: DAYS, !o hours and 20 minutes
tine from Sacramento city Is q hours and ~ minutes
| less; from rroM2utois. days and 10 minutes less;
| from salt Laae CITY. days aud hours lees; from
| Denver city. das, % hours ana 80 minutes less,
| and from Omaha city, DAYS, hours and 30 mnu es
less-Salt LAKE CITY being distant from the railroad
~ miles and Denver city lO2 miles. Under the OLD
overland mail contracts the time from the Missouri
city, was 10 days, from Aprii to December /, and
20 days for the remainder Of the year.
| Mails have been transmitted twice day each way
between New York and New orleans since the LIST Of
| March last once over the Southwestern route via
Tenn. aud once over the Western route via Louis.
vile, Ky anu HUMBOLDT, Tenn. by the latter route
| q portion OF the trips have been made In snorter
time than BY the former the shortest being rs hours
| and 80 minutes going south. and 70 hours aud 10
minutes gong north. while the shortest by the
former Was "a hours and IS minute5 going south,
and IS hours and 20 minutes going north.
Greater regularity exists tine Southwestern route
| September, Inclusive, was 50 hours anu 20
| minutes going south, and 80 hours and Sd minutes
roule for the same period WAS 92 hours AMI Is min
utes going SOUTH an % hours and IA minutes going
prom ra ersS 70 rns1s wee
on the Southwestern route 429 malls at an average
speed OF 90 hours and IA minutes; and on the West
ern route S5s mails q; an average speed o: OIL hours
| ana Is minutes. by comparison with the through
mail tables IN the last annual report 1t Will be
that the average time on both tn ese routes Il sens
| A greater expedition has recently been obtained
| between New York and Chicago, one OF the three
daily trips over the Allentown route. via Pittsburg
| being made IN less than 81 hours each way.
SPECIAL AGENTS.
The number OF special agents in the employ OF the
| department. during the last fiscal year was forty-
eight at an aggregate compensation mp, OF sls4,S42
Congress- In the Appropriation act for the current
year, appropriated 100000 for detecting and pre-
| venting mail depredatlons ard for special aQentsn
ana then restricted the action OF the department BY
declaring that no greater sum shall be paid special
desiring to conform 70 the law and at the same time
TO render tho force OF special agents as efficient
possible, deemed It necessary 70 reor2anlze this
l branch OF the service.
| HALLWAY POST OFFICES.
On the 30th June last there were In operation 81
lines Of railway post ofces, extending IN the aggre-
| gate over 1901 miles OF railroad and steamboat
lnes-being an increase Of lines and ls2 miles OF
| service over the year 1863 The NUMBER Of clerks
employed during the last year was 324 at an annual
COST OF 1884 800. During the previous year the num-
Der OF clerks employed was 297, and the amount
| pended In compensation $500 100. No increase was
made during the last year In the twice daily SER
vice, except BY interchangeable pouches between the
principal post offices and between the several lines.
The railway post once, by reason OF tho additional
facilities It AFFORDS IN mailing important letters up
to the moment OF the departure Of the trains and
In receiving asserting and distributing the malls
during their transit thus saving many hours and in
some instances days, IN the communication betwee
important points, has become an essential part OF
the service. 1t Is, In fact, Indispensable and,
the population and wealth OF the country shall In
crease II will be necessary to extend to keen mace