Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-03-25
The Post Omce Department and the
RailrOasD~.

The threat Of the different leading railway
companies TO withdraw their postal cars on
the lst proNimO, unless their demand for in
creased compensation for Carrying the United
States mailsis accedcd to, j. another evidence
OF the growing power and arrogance of railroad
monopolies, but if its effect will be to rouse the
country AMI cause it to be fully understood that
these corporations aim TO make hemselves mas
tiers OF the people, we trust the government will
Meet the lssas sIuarely and fearleSsly measure
swords with the common enemy.
Let us examine the imperious demand of the
railroad companies. Several months since the
presidents OF the leading railroads united in a
letter 10 tie Postmaster General, demanding
that hereafter they be paid forty cents per eight
wheel car, per mile run; a proportional rate for
PORTIONS OF cars occupied for railway post OFFICES;
that II they transport railway postal clerks free
10 Claims shall be made in case of accident; and
that al agents Of the Post Office Department,
riding in Passenger cars shall pay two cents
per mile fOT transportation. President Hnck-
", Of the Philadelphia, Wilmington aud Balti-
more railroad, rePrese ntIns half dozen Lead
ing roads, made the same demand before
'he CONGRESSIONAL appropriation com
mittee last session. A this concession
ty Congress would have involved an
annual expenditure of nearly sf0,00),Os0 for
the single item of mail transportation, or over
S2,oop,oO0 more than the whole estimated ex-
pendltures o. the Post Office Department for
Ire next fiscal year, neither the Postmaster
General nor Congress could consent to accede
to any such extravagant demand. TWAS agreed,
however, that the compensation of the com
panies should De materially increased, and to
understand this mere il is necessary to refer
to the appropriation for the Post Office Depart
ment Tor the current fiscal year. The appro-
rriation on account Of transportation of mails,
pay OF CLERKS, messengers, &c, for the year
ending june -, of the present year, was
SIS 6sSo, and tor the year ending June 81,
IS'i IL is SI7 - e2 or a ISL O39 more than for
the present wear. Notwithstanding the fact
that this increase cOmprehenCls a large sum on
account OF transportation of mails, the sum of
~,~o,WO was appropriated specifically for the
IncT,-Sed pay VI railroads on the same account,
snd nearly al 81 1t goes to the very companies
which threaten 70 take their postal cars oil the
Lines on the first OF April. For instance the
pennsylvania road, from PHILADELPHIA to
ftttstWg, which il now receiving $3.50
Ter mile ICT annum, will receive, after
s'GRe oUth, EeNt under the new law, $500 per
nile per arlan, the understanding being, how
ever, that tlfe Tosd is to run double daily line
Of larger-sized cars. The washington.branch
OF the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, which now
receives SS.5 per mile. will be paid under the
rev law 500. The Philadelphia. Wilmington
ami Baltimore road. now receiving $50, will
get, aAeT JuDe 20. $50. and III the line will put
on larger cars, II will receive $500 per mile
The road between Philadelphia and New York
VIII Dc Paid The same compensation on the same
conditions. n All eases the pay being graded
according u the size OF the mails: the speed
with which they are conveyed, and the charac-
yer OF accommodations afforded. 1t will thus
DC seen that the compensation has been in
creased IN some cases as much as sixty per cent
over the Old rates. Prior to the last act of Con-
gress on the subject, the Post Ofiice Department
could maxi no allowance for railway postal
ears so as TO transcend the maximum rates
$3.50 fixed by law. but the new law establishes
the rates according TO the size of the mails and
makes additional and specific allowances for
sueh cars according to their size; so that, if
the mails on roads now carrying the largest
amount were dOu5led or trebled, or even quad
rupled. their ray would be correspondingly in
creased; the effect of the new law being to do
away with maximum rates, or with limits to
the pay which may be allowed By the Pos;mss-
ter General.
And yet, IL the face of such favorable action
hy the Post Office Department and Congress,
the leading mOnopolies threaten to deprive the
postal service of the cars in use for years for
the assortment and transportation of the peoples
mails. The Postmaster General is of course
powerless 10 comply with their demands, even
did he believe them founded in equity; for he
must keep within the bounds of the new Law of
Congress and the limits Of the appropriation
made by that body He has repeatedly asked
that the different companies rely upon Congress
to redress their grievances, if 50 they may be
called; and IN view of the history of railroad
legislation within twenty years past, it is pretty
safe to eonciuIe they would be safe in needing
this advice Perhaps 1t would be better as we
have suggested, that they should carry out their
threat, and thus bring the matter to a crisis at
once 1t could then be decided, and in the end
ne believe the people would win.