Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1874-12-10
The Railway Postal Service.
WASHINGTON, Nov. q.

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 postofice cars, extending
over IA, 500 miles of railroad, on which was
performed 34925 miles of service daily and
IL, TAT ,625 miles of service annually, by 752
railway postoiiice clerks. These clerks are
classified as follows: 2S3 head clerks,
$40 clerks, and ninety assistant clerks. BY
the establishment of new lines of railroad the
postal facilities have been greatly increased.
During the threatened refusal of the railroads
to carry the mails an offer of the Baltimore Il
Ohio was accepted by the department. This
gave daily service between Cincinnati. Ohio,
and Chicago, H., 80 miles. This completes
through line between Washington and Chi
cagO, and forms connection between the
roads centering at Cincinnati, indianapolis
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 destination, and forming
nearly perfect connection between the vari-
Gus railroads upon which service is per-
formed by route agents.
"The Pennsylvania Railroad system, perhaps
the most extended and important in the coun-
try for mail transportation, is now used to a
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 In transit.
AS this company has expressed its willingness
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
following statement of the bulk Of mails
passing between the East and West: New
York city originates fifty five to sixty tons of
mail matter daily, rs shown by their official
statement. Forty-five 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 IL Hudson
River Railroad-carry daily over their whole
length an average of $1,000 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, it
must be distributed in transit, taxing the
present accommodations to the utmost, es-
pecally 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
cusscd for some time and there appears to be
growing necessity for the same, this train
to be under the control of the department
so far as it is necessary for the purposes
designed, and to run the distance in about
twenty -four hours. 1t is conceded by
railroad officials that this can be done
The Importance of line like this cannot
be overestimated. 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, if 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 This 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 a 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
Isl ,692, 620) 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 inJ the
absence of the present system. The superin-
tendency would he necessary under any
system, as the distribution and dispatch Of
mails would require the same general super
vision as now to secure the best possible re-
suits.
Not the least consideration in favor Of the
railway postofilce is the avoidance OF delays
resulting from any other system than the dis
tribution of mails in transit.