New-York tribune., 1874-03-21
POSTAL REFORM WANTED.
The POSTAL SERVICE IN TIE PACIFIC


STATES. r.r
THE ENORMOUS SUMS HBRETOFoRE PAID TO MAIL
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES or coSrRAcrS-
LARGE AMOUNTS SAVED UNDER THE NEW CON-
TRACTS
| JyRoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF rrIE TRIBUSE'i
WASHINGTON March l8.-The result of the recent
ail-lettings for service not performed by rail-
roads in the Pacific States and in the
Territories has astonished everybody. The ma
iority of these routes have heretofore been
LET to contractors many of them Eastern men,
who did not perform the service themselves
but subet their contracts to the actual carriers Mt
greatly reduced rates. The result was that the Gov
ernment in many cases paid more than twice the
actual cost of carrying the mails while those who
realized the profit performed none of the work The
rates at which the contracts are made are IN
most cases fully as high those heretofore received
by the actual carriers, who are believed TO nave
generally been the successful bidders
The abolition of the franking abuse is also Do
leved to have caused considerable reduction IRON
what the bids would otherwise have BEEN In the
sparsely populated regions of these Pacific states
and of the Territories where the routes are in many
cases. hundreds of miles in length and over very
difficult roads, the legitimate mails are very light
But the Senators from Nevada and the Delegates
from ew-Mexico andiArIzona entitled to just
as many publ, documents as the iSenators from
New-YOrk or the Representatives from New-En-
gland and are great deal more likely to send their
full quota through the mails These Documents IN
some cases. weigh az much "a all of tho remainder
of tho mails. The contractors havo bid on the basis
that the frankng abuse is not to be revived. If it
should be. many of them will fail. and the Post
master -Generaliwll have TO reet the contracts
1t must not be supposed that because the new
contracts have been awarded at such reduced rates
| the Post Ofice Department will not have to pay
moro than the contract price in some cases. II has
long been o trick of contractors to bid much below
the actual cost of carrying tho mails, aud then,
aftcr few months to fail, give up their contracts.
| and forfeit the penalties The Postmaster General
is then forced to make new contracts with persons
| who arc prepared TO perform the service, and at
| such rates as the contractors may fix. Tho now
contractor is usually the original one under new
| namo Instances of this kind are very numerous,
! where after the failure of the contractor tho Do
par:ment has had to pay twice. three times and In
some cases. five times as much as the contract
was originally let for. 1t is therefore possible and
indeed probable that in less than year new con-
tracts will have be made for many OF these routes
| at greatly advanced rates.
According to the official figures large sums have
been saved on several of the new contracts In Cal
| ifornia for instance S66.OoO is saved single
have been made on u number of other routes. A few
contracts have been reet at an advanced rate. but
! generally small reduction ha, been made In
| Oregon there are two three reductions. ranging
from $1,000 TO $4,000. In Nevada the largest reduc-
| ton is SSi5OO Another one amounts TO S2lOlO, but
generally the reduction il between $4,000 and S3.OOo.
| In Utah two large reductions have been made ono
| of S335OO and another of $4,000 The largest IN
| Colorado is S9l O33; the Others arc all small In
| Idano tho largest reduction amounts to S63Ooo.
| Two large reductions have been made in New Mex
leo. one of $4,000 and one of $4,000. ln Washing
ton Territory the largest reduction is Si3233 but
there are two of over $1,000 each. In Arizona and
| Wyoming tho reductions are generally small The
subjoned table is reoaptulation of the official hg-
ures and shows the number of routes recently let.
| the amounts for which they wero let. and the
amount paid for nearly the same service during the
present fiscal year. The difference in the number OF
routes in tho two columns is due to the recent es-
tabshment of new and the suspension OF
others. La few instances, however, contracts
included under the heading of old contracts have
not yet been relot and arc not included under new
| contracts.