The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1872-03-09

ton of the United States, and it struggled
along for nearly two years rather rs al
experiment than recognized branch OF
the service. Toward the close of this per,
iod, however, the success of the service at
the West began to affect the East, and
infuse into it some of it's own activity, and
thence onward it continued to be extended
and perfected.
The Railway Postal system, in its early
days, met rather more than the usual oppo-
sition to which new enterprises and ideas
are liable; and this came quite as much
from conservatism within the Department
as from obstacles without.
DIFFICULTIES ENCOUNTERED.
Another great difficulty from the begin
ming until now has been to procure proper
facilities from the great arterial railroad
lines, over which for obvious reasons, the
post-offices service is chiefly organized
prejudice or factious opposition on the part
of the companies, to the system, for that is
not the case, but simply because they claim
they are not paid enough. Some of the
results are either that it is impossible to
make any arrangement at all with the COM
pany, Or it puts the Department off with
unsuitable car accommodation; or, what is
more frequently and worst Of all, COM
pany will restrict the service to slow trains
or such as do not meet the requirements.
Postmaster-General Creswell has twice re-
cognized this in his annual reports, and
has urged upon Congress the necessity of
allowing the Post-office Department to
increase the compensation of great trunk
| lines. This is in fact the obstacle to the
development of the Railway Postal sys-
tenn in the Middle States, and it will con-
tinue to be so until Congress takes action
| in the matter. In the West, on the con-
trary, the railroad companies stand in a
totally different relation to the general
government as we'll as to the people and to
each other, and consequently there has
been little or no trouble in procuring all
that the service needs, including a choice
of trains and really magnificent cars.
THE GENERAL SUPERINTENDENT
of the Railway Mail Service, at Washing
ton, is Mr.. George S. Bangs, of Illinois,
gentleman of large experience and of great
vgor in conception and execution, in short
Just the man for the position. His prede-
cessor was Colonel George B. Armstrong,
| lately deceased, who was the life and soul
of the Railway Postal System in the West
and to whom it's great success there is very
largely due. Under the General Superin
tendent, are five Assistant Superintendent
each one of whom has charge of 6 Divi-
sion" comprising several States. For
instance, the Second Division comprises
the States of New York, Pennsylvania,
New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and the
eastern shore of Virginia. 1t is under the
supervision of Hon. Roswell Hart, of Roch
ester long and we'll known, especially by
the people of this State; for the efficient
discharge of the duties of his official posi-
ton, the public are greatly indebted. Su-
perintendent Hart is assisted by Mr.. X. c.
Jackson, gentleman Of thoroughly prac-
tical experience in the system, who is
Chief Clerk in the Railway Post-office at
New York.
The Superintendent at Washington has
full charge of the Railway Mail Service.
This includes the making of arrangements
for postal-cars and route agencies on differ
ent lines of railroads, so as to secure the
greatest postal conveniences for the public
and general supervision of the postal
clerks and route agents employed thereon.
As matter of course he defers largely to
the Assistant superintendent, who arc
favorably situated to judge properly of the
necessities of cases arising within their
jurisdiction. The Division under the care
of Assistant Superintendent Hart, is one OF
the most important, and perhaps the most
difficult to manage, of any in the United
States This is owing to the fact that the
city of New York which is within his Di-
vision, is the great focal centre into which
the great mails from every quarter OF the
Union, are constantly pouring, and from
winch Cnc lnOSl lIlpoIdut PoSldi iouleo WI
verge.
We are conscious that our sketch of this
important branch of the postal service, is
incompet; but possibly it may awaken a
desire in the public mind to become more
and more familiar wit the working of
system whose efficiency has been steadily
developed since the Republican party came
into power, until it is not surpassed by any
other railway postal system in the world.
The Post office Department has done the
work of perfecting it, with so little ostenta-
ton that the people have not realized the
great benefits resulting therefrom, which
have SO quietly been conferred upon them.
But in these days when there is Il demand
for reform in the Civil Service, it is right
that the public should know there is one
branch of it which needs no reform.