Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-12-10
P0stal-Car Service.

George s. Bangs, Superintendent of the
Railway Postal Service, has completed his
annual report. From this report it appears
that at the close of the fiscal year ending
June 30, 1874, there were in operation fifty
nine lines'of railway postoffice cars, extending
over Ia, 500 miles of railroad, on which was
performed 1925 miles Of service daily and
IL, CPS miles OF service annually, by 752
railway postoffice clerks. These clerks are
classified as follows: 283 head clerks,
$40 clerks, and ninety assistant clerks. By
the establishmentof new lines Of railroad the
postal facilities have been greatly increased
During the threatened refusal of the rail-
roads to carry the mails an offer OF the Bal
timore IL Ohio was accepted by the depart
ment. This gave daily service between Gin
cinnati, Ohio, and Chicago, H., 80 miles.
This completes through line between Wash
ington and Chicago, and forms a connection
between the roads centering at Cincinnati In
dianapolis and Chicago.
OF the present condition of the railway post
Office service Mr.. Bangs says: "The railway
postoffice cars are now in operation on most
of the most important connecting and trunk
lines Of railroad, giving the most direct and
available transit to the mails between the
Office of origin and destinations and forming
nearly perfect connection between the
various railroads upon which service is per-
formed by route agents.
"The Pennsylvania Railroad system, per-
haps the most important and extended in the
country for mail transportation, is now used
to great extent In the forwarding of through
and direct mails; but, owing to the poor
postal facilities at present furnished by that
road it cannot be utilized TO any great ex-
tent in the distribution of mails N transit.
AS this company has expressed its willing
ness to grant improved accommodations the
benefit to be derived would fully warrant the
department In the acceptance of the same.
The necessity of this addition to the postal
car lines can best be judged by the follow
ing statement of tie bulk of mails passing
between the East and West New York
city originates ffty-fve to sixty tons of
mail matter daily, as shown by their official
statement Forty-fv to fifty tons Of this is
forwarded on the trunk lines leading to the
West and Southwest. Three of these lines
the Pennsylvania Railroad, New York IL Erie
Railroad and New York Central 81 Hudson
River Railroad-carry daily over their whole
length an average Of $4,000 pounds of mail,
and as the bulk OF this mail is deposited in
the offices at the latest hour possible to make
the trains, or arrives on connecting trains, 1t
must he distributed in transit, taxing the
present accommodations to the utmost, es-
pecially as the Erie Railroad is the only one
upon which the department have such ac-
commodations as are required The propriety
OF establishing fast and exclusive mail-train
between New York and Chicago has been dis
cussed for some time and there appears to be
a growing necessity for the same, this train
to be under the control OF the department so
far as 1t is necessary for the purposes de-
signed, and to run the distance in about
twenty-four hours 1t is conceded by rail
road officials that this can be done. The i'm
portance Of a line like this cannot be over
estimated 1t would reduce the actual
time of the mail between the East and
West from twelve to twenty-four hours, as it
would necessarily be established upon one
or more of the trunk lines having an ex-
tended system of connections. Its benefits
would be in no wise confined, but extended
to all parts OF the country alike. 1t would
also, ii this line be established, be practicable
to reduce to one line daily. beside this through
line, the service upon the three trunk lines
TO the West. The reduction would compen-
safe for all the additional expense incurred by
the fast mail train especially as, by the opera
ton of the law governing mail transportation,
the more mail concentrated upon single
line OF railway the less is the aggregate cost
OF transportation per pound or ton per mile"
With reference to the complaints of some
railroads that the compensation is inadequate,
Mr.. Bangs thinks 1t advisable to recommend
legislation placing the compensation to rail-
roads on the basis OF weight alone.
With regard to the extra cost OF the railway
postal service the Superintendent thinks
erroneous opinions obtain and that the amount
(s1 ,692, 800 is more apparent than real, owing
to the fact that many minor distributing
offices and large amount Of clerk hire along
the railroad routes and at the termini not
now required, would be necessary in the alb
sence of the present system. The superin-
tendency would be necessary under any sys-
tenn, as the distribution and dispatch of mails
would require the same general supervision
as now to secure the best possible results.
Not the least consideration in favor of the
railway postoffice is the avoidance of delays
resulting from any other system than the dis
tribution of mails in transit.