New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-02-14
POSTAL CARS.
O nv All. PASSENGER TRAINS.


s,p do not propose to critieise the routine
-.a,-onort Of orr Post Office, but to indicate
-t.ao;n the ronuirements of the service have out
-, tho accommodation the Department has pro-
yided =, ,. ,,,on tho
Tn transmission of the mails proceeds upon tne
thoorv that the best facilities are provided oy
cor. starting at intervals of IL hours ana run
ori,oipatelv on all lines of railways IhIs P"i' VI
tho service has not kept up with the VI
to no;,av service nor has il been seen that more
froopcnt and Trustworthy service couid DC soou,o'
..;,hont the postal-cars There can and should De-
an boprlv mail service between ork anu ma
dclphia and the intervening cities Ne"-ioI" an"
.Ihanv New-York and New Haven, and to be per-
tarmed either upon every uan that runs between
these cities or at least upon every express trhn'
II there any reason why the same trains that de-
liver ouT daily papers at all the stations and at all
Tho terminal cities should not also carry the mails
40 Che same point Take the timetables OF The
NV. York Central New-YoT and New-Haven, and
M York and Philadelphia lines. constant sue
oo~sior ot mails can he forwarded beginning at l2i
~ tho morning and then regularly nearly every
bopr from o'clock a. m. until midnight. THIS ire
,,,o,t spooession of trains which has been forced
nnon these railroad companies is the only means OF
accommodating successfully their constantly IN
oroaane passenger traffic Ii seems TO be entirely
ovcrlooked by tue Post-Ofice Department as
means for the inexpensive and constant transmits
SION Of the mails
The Postmaster General for one-hah the amount
he pays for postal-car service between the points
named. can have much more certain ana speedy
service by sending and receiving the mail every
hour not only to the adjacent cities hKc Jersey
Oity Brooklyn, &c. but TO the more distant ciueS'
Hke PHILADELPHIA Albany, and NewHaven. Let
H. and TiNtnu IN w
York between an the large cities Ofthe country carry
the mall and we at once have a solution OF the pos
tacar controversy satisfactory TO the railroads, to
the Post-OGice Department, and to the public.
There are six through trains daily from New-IOTk to
CHICAGO Let each of these take through mails, not
only for Chicago but for each intervening large clty
ON the several lines IN locked bags not To be opened
sRt they reach their destination aud lei this con-
slant Cow of mail matter continue Wres .fained
every dag in the week, every line Of road where
there are through lines and upon every train that
runs Bv such an arrangement from New-Yorl City
hourly mails would reach population Of nearly
100000 or oneeiphthof the entire population OF The
United States and would perform more than one
fifth of the entire mail service of The United states
It's inpoSsille 10 Overestimate the value in dollars
and cents OF such arrangement for tie public, or
the vast impetus it would give to The business of the
financial AID other business ere 20 far centralized
around Ncw-York that such development in this De
parment would be hailed by all classes as an abso-
lue blessing Why should not this be done
The Post-Oaicc has neglected to avail itself of
this means Of constant transmission of the mails,
because it has followed beyond its day Tostal-car
system. The public would mGuahiedly approve a
thorough experiment of IN hourly service between
this city and Philadelphia, and of the through mails
upon every express train. Complaint of the railroads
that tbey are obliged TO devote 50 much space on
some OF their trains 10 the postal service will be
obviJted. The railroad companies viii willingly
substitute this system for the present service
exactcd OF them, without its becoming an aprrec-
able burden. 1t is useless TO decry the railroads
and no one believes that they are combining merely
20 exact cxtOrtionatc sums for postal service. Is
the service must be performed upon the railroads il
n only question of time and mode of rendering
this service. They Have always protested against
the postal car, but not against carrying the mails
upon then local trains
The Post Office Department cannot build railroads
OF oven run trains; it its service in
nectiOn with the ordinary railroad service. If the
railroads run but train, then this service must
be performed upon that train if they run express
and way trains, then let the service be accommO-
dated 10 the express and way trains; If it becomes
hugo and burdensOme for train, distribute il
upon several trains. In other words, as it is
dependent service, let the Department. as far as
possible adapt it TO the management of the railroads
themselves, securing its accommodation through
the accommodation afforded by the railroads on
theiI numerous trains.
THIS must not be regarded a criticism upon the
postal-car service as performed upon long lines Of
road, with a scattered population aud numerous ter
,A.ol Of 4l,o w. ,,,lC
this service very far from having fulfilled its mis-
sion, is Indispensable for the rapid and successful
dispatch Of the mails But entirely different state
Of things has grown mp upon the railroads immedi-
ately leading from NewY York; and certainly between
New-York and Boston, New-YOrk and Washington,
kew-YOIk and Albany to Buffalo, the postal car
has become hnderance and apOsiIve delay instead
of being the means of expediting and speeding the
mail service.
II may here be mentioned that the importance of
an office at the Grand Central Depot, for the dis
uibption of the local mails of the City of New York
and of through mails from the East to the South and
West without going into the main office by direct
transfer to the railways in Jersey City, cannot be
overestimated The two OF three hours time con-
sumcd in transporting from the station to the Post
Office and again from the Post Office to the station
would be saved. similar room at the railway sta
uon 10 Jersey City would serve a similar purpose
More time would be saved than is gained by the postal
cars 1t Is to be hoped that this subject will be
Vased thoroughly by those responsible for the man.
agement Of our mails ii seems evident that New
York can derive great benefit in the direction of the
improvements above suggested. PROGRESS.
Nee Rork, Feb r. 1874.
THE IRON AND STEEL TARIFF