The New York herald., 1874-08-06
TIE POSTAL CAR CONTROVERSY.
Colonel Bangs Reads HinckIeY
the Riot Act.
Final Correspondence-short, Sharp
and Decisive.

and Decisive.
Much has peen written and said concerning the
delphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad Com
pany to carry the United States mail between
Philadelphia and Baltimore. Mr.. Hinckley had de-
termined to charge an additional compensation of
sixty per cent to convey the mails between the
aforementioned points or not carry them at all.
Mr.. Marshall, Acting Postmaster General referred
the subject to General George s. Bangs, General
superintendent OF the Railway Mail Service, who
has been IN communication with Mir. Hinckley per-
sonally as well as by correspondence. The nume-
rous letters which have passed between the parties
interested have been published already, and yes-
terday the end OF the controversy was duly
reached.
The length OF the route over which the mail in
question Is transported is ninety-six miles but the
department allows Hinckley for one hundred miles
at the full rate allowed by Congress whether the
President OF the p, W. and B. r. R. stirred mn this
strife to advertise his road or really meant to OBJ
tain the increased remuneration demanded. one
thing is certain. that he could not have known
that neither enc Postmaster General nor any one
else had any power to pay more than the laws Of
Congress permit under existing contracts.
Colonel Bangs was in this city. with his assist.
ant, Mr.. T. N. Vail when he concluded this inter-
esting business. Had Mr.. Hinckley held out In his
demand for the sixty per cent additional or In his
threat to accept as settled that the same would be
paid II the mails are delivered to his road. Colonel
Bangs would have despatched the postal matters
via YORK and Lancaster, route twenty-seven
miles longer, and ignored the p, w. and B. R R
altogether. In all probability some Congressional
action would then have been taken next winter on
this subject, II not carried into the United States
hofor hat, Tn %t,to
mess Postmaster George W. Falrman. OF Philadel-
phia has taken an active part but the a1air seems
to be settled for the present, as the mails des
patched to Washington over the old route With
the accustomed regularity. The following Is the
last letter addressed to Mr.. Hinckley by Colonel
Bangs, 10 which. however, he has not received,
nor expects reply
POST OFFICE, NEW YORK. August 8, 1874
ISAAC HINCKLEY, ESD President r., W. and B. R-R.
Co., Philadelphia, Pa
SIR-I am in receipt of letter from Hon. J. W.
Marshall Postmaster S &c General; written after read;
directing me to make the following statements to
Ftrst-Tnat the mails will be rendered to the
p, w. and b. Il r. Company at Philadelphta and
Baltimore, 70 be transported over their road at
manner in which they have heretofore been and
are now being transported. The mails are now
carried over taat @ ROAD IN postal cars low. ~ ~.
United States the % r, ". and 5. r. r Company may
refuse to carry them in such cars but may oner to
carry them In the manner contemplated Dy the
provisions OF the act OF Congress, approved March
3 1873, that Is. in car or apartment properly
room, fxtures and furniture Tor route agents to
accompany and distribute mails. fsaelr
AS stated In previous communication to you,
the present amount of car space, fixtures, &c.
furnished between Philadephta and Baltimore, Is
the least that can be accepted as adequate TO
TIstrd-That under no circumstances can or win
the department. directly or lmpledly undertake or
tny1f no fhot
fixed by law, havinl regard TO the MODE OF trans
u / am, furthermore, directed to request Of you
answers In writing to the following intelfogato'
same being mails and the distributing clerks, are
rendered to the p, W. d b. X. Il. Co. as described
ahnve y comnanx receve ana ,ne same IN
the usual manner and at the rate OI compensation
fixed by existing laws Of the United states. or viii
you refuse them carriage between the points
named Baltimore and Philadelphia sra
Second-In the event of refusal on Jour part
wee twice daily each way between Philadelphia
and Baltimore Will you, for the purpose OF sup:
upon the following for railroad mail communica-
tton, continue the present form Of service (wh,ch
Phiiadeiphia and BatiInore once daily each way
between Philadelphia and Port Deposit twice
daily each way, between philadelphia or Whining.
between Philadelphia or Wilmington and W.
omipg, Del, once daily each way, at the rate Of
vice, accepting at your pleasure the notifications
in the release OF certain space, g., submitted
to you In recent communication from the Post.
master General? s-e4...h
In this connection I desire to inform you that
II this latter service Is discontinued no possible
arrangement can be made which win prevent an
immediate and permanent interruption OF mail
communication for the various periods OF from
twelve to seventytwO hours in denvery for
the entire section OF country traversed BY the
lines which you represent
This letter will be b nded you by Mr. W. l..
Hunt, Assistant superintendent OF the Railway
Mail Service, who VIII await your answers; and
direction OF the Postmaster General, Is penned in
friendly spirit OF business as between man and
man, l have to respectfully INFORM you tnat the
answers to the questions here given must be posi-
tive and nnal-in short, a frank and simple "Yes'
or '.No.r
Now that this controversy is about to be ended
I wish to make a few remarks reviewing briefly
the situation as follows The law has been plainly
master General to go beyond the limits. OF that
law needs no demonstration; the enorts OF the
arguments or grievances in lair ami open man
ner cannot be denied, and, furthermore, aside
ONCE Department have abored hard to get to.
gether Information, and committees have been
formed to solicit the views Of the leading railroad
managers on the subject, the object being to So
cure basis i0r adjusting compensation to rail-
roads, which would be fair, just and satisfactory
You can but ses the impossfbflity OF completing
. matter Of this nature IN month or any stipl:
lated time. Congress could not have been called
together to satisfy your demands however just
they might have seemed and 1t Is q tedious task
to educate Congress sufficiently on the peculiar-
ties OF this transportation question to secure the
passage OF bill.
In conclusion would apologize for writing at
such length, but inasmuch as the matter at issue
now rests between yourself and, the people, and
the people, not you or ], are to be the sufferers,
would earnestly ask that your decision be for the
>pe0ple's interest, but In either case final. am,
dear Sir, yours very respectfully
--' GEORGE s. BANGS,
General Superintendent, r. M. s.
The Controversy as 1t Stamds-The Mails