, 1873-08-04
WASHINGTON,
Tho Railroads Complaint Regarding Tho
Postal-Car Contracts,
Treasury Bond and Gold Programme
for August.

THE lI17OI IN THE PoarA1cuAn pus1NEas

THE HITCH IN THE PoBTALrDAn BUSINESS.
WARRINGTON, Aug. 3.-Tho postal authorities
Htaso TINT thu railroads. In their quarrel with the
dovornmont, havo sono legitimate basB for
complaint They have much ronson to object
to tho condition of thoir contracts with
tho Government, which require thonl to supply
froo messenger service from tho railway station
to overy post-ofnco within 80 rods Of tho dopot
Ihts LAS become worry serious question with
tho railroads, especially on limos where tho sta
tionsaro very close together; besides, It Is prac-
t1co which places tho mails for O certain pcriod
entirely iii tho hands Of irresponsible porsonH.
Iho condition OF their CO ntracts, which compels
thom to deliver mails FREQ at all post Offices
within 80 roda Of depots, requires tho rni]road
companies to employ 1arge number Of mesaon-
sors. On aemo ronds ono Is necessary for nearly
overy station. Tho expense, Of course, is very
groat, aud tho railroad dfl}cor states TINT tho
annoyance md tho local difficulties which result
from this condition aro very much greater than
tho cxpenEo. On some limos Of rcad onp-lalf
Or tho ent!ro compensation received from
tho Govornmont for tho transportation Of
is understood TINT tho Senate so1sot
Committoo OIL transportation havo under con-
fidoration tho proprety Of relieving tho railroad
companies from this condition Of tho contracts,
ana recurring tue POSTMASTER to attond to this
ton. Some Of tho ponta1 authorities recommend
tllia change. Ono condition of tho change, if
effccted. would b that tho Government honce-
1Gsth should haya tho choice OF trains upon
which tho mail Hho'ld be carried, and that tho
postal authorities nhal III all cases hayo the right
TO place postal cara upon nll tho fnBtcBt
express trains. Tho Preslaent Of tho Boston i
Albany Moaa is {hs m t9 have sate to
carry tho mails for 800 por milo 1osH If ho could
be rolicved Of the annoyance and tho RESPONSE
bility Of this messenger service,
DEBT OF THE DISTRICT.
Referring to tho statement sent from hero
somo time since by tho Associated Press, to tho
ofroct that tho dobt OF this District was but
S9,oo0,0 600, Forney'a Sunday. Chronicle to-day
publishes 3 carefully tabulatod statement show
Ing that tho debt is nlready a17 900 000 and that
it will require 000 900 more before tho present
improvements aro completed. In despair ut
paying the immeuso dobt without the aid OF tho
Government, tho Administration paper moral
ICES US follows:
mo man viii admit That tho taxable property
Of this district san bsar the burden of dcbs Of s25
ooo,ooo "a # wtll reach this figure before we get
system It government Our only hops il for oongreas
either to tho whole at loast one-haf Of our
District ovcr and above what IL roaaizod by tax Or
t.6o per, 500 on taxable property. This the
fair proportion Of what they should DO held liable for
AZ stop toward this reform, let tho present Govern
rnt bo out T The soPe It
miserable farce with which wo arc aictod Ut present.
which from its very origin has been tho Horco Of prof.
legacy md ospenae largcy IN exccss Of tho e1peudi
tures Of many Of the State Governments Of tho
try. This Ia q enbtect entirely In tho hnnds Of
the people, and II they noro with tho proper spirit
the ro1nedy can 10 easily reached. 1T is rore and
In fact aemlofcta11y announced, that the Governor
aud Board Of Public Works intend to retire at the
meeting Of Congress, giving that they nre
tired Of tho Job, III other Words that the old rhip
has nre freight than shc carry, and that tho best
thing that can be dono under the circumstances IL to
acuttle hor sud lot hor 60.
(To the Associattd Prcssj
TREASURY PROGRAMME FOR AUGUST.
WASHINGTON, Ang. 3.-The Secretary of tho
Treasury has directed the Assistant Treasurer
at Now York to buy half million bonds on tho
second Wednesday, and soil one and half mil
lions Of gold each Thursday during tho month
Of August in all to soil six millions gold aud
buy half million bonds.
SUICIDE.
J. Fl. Ripley, clerk in tho Post -On1co De-
partmont, committed suicide yoBterday evening.
OBITUARY.
Robert 8. Chew, Chief Clerk Of tho State Do
partment, who was struck with paralysis several
weeks since, died at an early hour this morning.
Chew WAS appointed to q clerkship in the State
Department from Virginia, and was employed
for nearly forty yoars in that department Of the
Government