Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1873-04-17

quence Of the present Road arrangement
NOT contemplated by the Company, it is
true, but nevertheless supplying a conve-
nient excuse to the Postmaster here for
closing the mails at the unusual hour OF
s P. n. This unbecoming hour of P. M.
too works another serious disadvantage
apart from the mere arbitrariness Of the
rule, and it is this: the outgoing mail
closed at that hour is taken to the cars by
the mail contractor from this point and
delivered to the route agent at Salem, as
the cars go down. At the same time the
incoming mail is delivered for Port To-
bacco to the contractor. So that, instead
of the mails from, here going as they should
directly to Washington or Baltimore, they
are taken southwark to Pope's Creek and
then brought back to spend the night at
Cox's Station. This is wrong, radically
wrong, and should be promptly corrected.
We hope and have no doubt the correction
will be applied; unless, indeed, it be the
policy of officials in power, altogether to
make the necessities of our people subser-
Went to the pleasures of mere local post
offices and contractors Why, too, we ask
while on this subject of the cars, freight.
ing and passenger accommodation as well
as mail transportation, is it that the cars
do not remain all night at Pope's Creek
instead of returning to Cox's Station
What advantage inures to the public or to
the Railroad Company by'thus inconsider-
ately compelling citizens in the vicinity of
Pope's Creek to journey early in the morn
ing to take the cars at Cox's Station, in
stead of at Pope's Creek, the terminus of
the road9 We do not know that any bu-
siness interest is to be vastly increased by
an adherence on the part of the Company
to this unfair rule
A train, known as "mixed train" and
being for the accommodation of freight
and passengers, leaves Bowie daily at sos
A. M. Why could not the Company ar
range to bring our mails on that train in
stead of leaving it to lie over at Bowie
until 5 P. M.9 The mails, we are assured,
are punctually delivered at Bowie in time
for the sos A. M. train for Pope's Creek.
Why does the Company refuse to forward
them by that train9 1t would involve no
extra trouble or expense, we are sure, if
the Company would bring US our mails by
that train instead of as at present. 1t
would be merely substitution of one train
for the other as to the mails only, and
would neither necessitate additional cars
nor change of the present time schedule.
We hope the Road authorities will vouch-
safe, and that at once, the needed improve
ment in this matter, and that the Postoffice
Department will interpose its authority to
prevent the exercise of any useless and ar
bitrary rule by its agents. Indeed, if the
present annoyances are to be continued,
we would be glad if possible to secure
their avoidance, by asking complete and
radical change in the whole mail system
as it now operates in our county: 1t is
time the rights of the people in these par
ticulars at least should be respected. The
time was, and that not long ago, when
the Postofice Department was regarded
as an establishment for the convenience of
the people, to meet the demands and ne
cessities of the citizen, and was faithfully
subservient to the purposes of its institu-
ton. But times seem sadly to have chang
ed now, and, speaking with special refer
ence to our own county, the whole postal
system seems to have become perverted,
the rights Of the people entirely ignored,
except as mere coincident to the conve-
nienee and ACKNOWLEDGEMENT of the Post
office subordinates.
The Right Policy.
When Mr.. John S. Barbour was elected
President of the consolidated line, consti-
fuf;Dor +ba Woohino,4oo Ci+v Viroinio