Smyrna times., 1873-04-02
The Dispute Between the Postofica
Department and the Railroad
Companies.

The Railroad Companies want more money
for carrying the mails and the Government
don want to pay any more. This has lead to |
dispute, which is thus explained by the Phila. |
Letgcr, in favor of the Companies:
The matter Immediately at issue is a notit |
cation sent by certain railroad companies to the |
postoffice department about the 9th of Jan. |
last, and read in the Senate on the 2lSt OF
February, that said companies would diScon-
tinue the use of the travelling pOstOtfce cars on
their roads, on and after the first day Of April,
unless the companies should be paid for the
service at the rate of forty cents per mile for
an eight-wheel car The occasion for the
| foregoing notice came about in this way.
About the year 1864, the then postofice ad-
ministration being aware OF the great saving OF
time, advantage and facility to the postal
service that would accrue from the use of
travelling pOstOffice cars, in which the mails
could be assorted while in transit induced the
Phiadelphia Wilmington 4 Baltimore Com
pany to place such cars on their road, and the
other great companies soon followed the eX
ample. There was no appropriation or
regulation at the time, by means Of which the
; railway companies could be paid for this great
extra service, but the companies rendered 1t
} under the assurance by the postal authorities
that they would use their influence to have 1t
2 fairly compensated by Congress. From that
; tune to this, nearly nine years, the companies
D have been doing the service, ami have beeI
o trying to get Congress to pay them, but trying
J. in vain, and at the recent session notified boil
e the Department and Congress that if Just com
e pensatOn should continue to be refused the!
} could not furnish travelling pOstohce cars afte
the first of April.
/ Before the introduction of these traveln
u post Offices the mails were carried in one end q
he box car aud were not fourth Of thei
t. present weight They did not contain loads c
le merchandise, plants, seeds, ETC., as at present
Ut But very small amount of asserting was don
n on the cars the great lack of the mails bein
ra dumped into the large post offices at til
OF termini of the roads where they were sorte'
r. great delay being caused thereby rangin
an from six to tweuty-four hours at each distril
eS utlng Office
ng In place of this miserable and ineffciel
lst service the railroad companies furnished faci
ad ties for vastly improved service in which Il
he mails were assorted on the morning trains du
Ot ing the hours of travel in time utterly lost und
Ia. the old system. TO give such facilities it W
mp requisite that the company should furnish e
ie- elusive, expensvely built cars convenient
Ike furnished and fitted up, lighted and warmc
to and in alOther respects complete post Offices
ng wheels. The mails have meanwhile increased
ion weight and the number of clerks Carried fire
rOl to assort them CORRESPONDENCE ly enlarged
These vastly improved facilities were fl
nt nished at the earnest request OF the Post OH
up. Department. under promise that every ctft
led would be made to secure the COmpany's pa
ab- ment for them, yet none OF them did recei
len any increased pay and Congress has persistel
or- ly refused to give any more, until at the Ia
| IN session it grudgingly conceded a trihe.
ted the Philadelphia Wilmington & BatimC
will Railway, in 1872, the compensation for carr
the ing the mails i'll expensive travelling post off
and cars, with accommodations for clerks a
ue. agents. lighted and warmed, and these c.
; as attached to fast express passenger trains v
his thirteen cents per car per mile, when at [
Der same time that company was getting for
s a iron, bricks, &c, carried on freight trains
Two open pldttOrm trucks, ttoenty cents per car
ous mile, and for express freight it was eett
nch fJty cents per car per mile. Thus the L
)th- Ofhce Department was getting its travel
for post Offices with their heavy burdens a
be clerks, and with all their advantages to
lity Department and the puble, carried by expr
lses passenger trains, for fifty pcr cent. less Il
are private manufacturers and builders had to
pri. for hauling pig iron and bricks on slow fre
lines on open trucks
lted With some slight notifications, this exhi
reat applies to the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, II
uch son River, Hartford and Boston railways.
lens small advance granted at the recent session
slay almost infnitesimal. The companies tn
will they should have at least second class frei
lied rates for express passenger service, and &
the have struck against the manifest injustic,
ood. refusing it. ....t.