The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1874-12-04

express comp nies were willing 10 pay rnnci
| IN ore tor the Accommodation furnished thai
the department would allow On the othel
hand, representatives, of he leading express
companies have contended that the act winch
took effect Jdly1, 1874, permitting the trans
| portation by mail of packages OF merchandise
weighing not over four pounds at the rate OF
one cent for each two ounces, IL taking away
| the most profitable part Of their business, aud
will soon render them unable TO meet the
heavy rentals demanded by the roads. Thus
IL presented curious anomaly, the roads
claiming that the government does not pay
as much as tho express companies are ready
| to pay. and the express companies claiming
on the other hand that the law Is etfecting
such = diminution of their revenue that they
are unable 70 aceede TO the demands OF the
roads find no disposition on the part of
any railroad or transportation company to
deal otherwise With the department than in a
spirit of fairness and justice. l trust that
Congress will adopt some equitable plan of
adjustment which will not be burdensome 10
the government, and which will be satisfac
tory TO the companies. The act of March 3,
1873, readjusting the pay OF railroads on
basis of the weight of mails carried, added
much more largely than was anticipated to the
expenses OF the department. The appro-
priation for that purpose having become
exhausted L have declined to make further
payments. L would suggest that the time
has come when resolute effort should be
made to determine how far tho Postoffice
department can properly go on in its efforts
to accommodate the public without trespass-
ing unwarrantably upon the sphere Of private
enterprise. There must be a limit to govern
mental interference, and, happily, it better
suits the genius of the American people to
help themselves than to depend on the State
1 deem it suitable to say here that l
propose to guard with strict vigilance the ex-
81 &A.,1
outlay which can be avoided without detri-
ment OF the service, and 30 to conduct its
AL airs generally that the interests OF the pub
lie shall be paramount to those of any indus
trial corporation or party. cows ffI
THE PosTAL-CAR sY~TEDI--sUPERINTRNDEN
BANGS REpoRP.
George s. Bangs, superintendent Of the
Railway Postal Service, in his report, states
that at the close of the fiscal year enuing
J une 80, 1873, there were in operation SO
lines Of railway postoffice cars, extending
over IA S66 miles of railroad on which war
performed a. 1926 miles of service daily, and
IL, TAT, 625 miles Of service annually, by 1852
railway postoffice clerks. These clerks are
classified az follows: 2S3 head clerks. 379
clerks, and 80 assistant clerks. BY the estab-
lishment Of new lines OF railroad, the postal
facilities have been greatly increased. Dur
ing the threatened refusal Of the railroads to
carry the mails, an offer OF the Baltimore and
Ohio was accepted by the department. This !
gave daily service between Cincinnati, Ohio
and Chicago, H., $40 miles. This completes
a through line between Washington and Chi
cago, and forms a connection between the
roads centering at Cincinnati, Indianapolis
and Chicago. Efc1 tr .lrV,r u al |
The propriety of establishing fast and
exclusive mail tram between New York and
Chicago has been discussed for some time
and there appears to be q growing necessity |
for the same, this tram to be under |
the control of the department so far as it |
Is necessary for the purposes designed, and |
to run the distance i'll about twenty-four |
hours. 1t is conceded by railroad officials |
that this can be done. Tho importance of |
line like this cannot be overestimated. 1t |
would reduce the actual time of the mail be- |
tween the East and West from twelve to |
twenty-four hours. as it would necessarily be |
established upon one or more of the trunk 4
ines having an extended system of connec-
ions. Its benefits would be in no wise con-
fined but extended to all parts of the country !
alike.
With reference to the complaints of some |
'alroads that the compensation is Inadequate, |
Mr.. Bangs recommends legislation placing the |
to railroads on another basis |
hat of weight alone.
Mr.. Bangs reviews the subject of the cost |
If the railway postal service, about which err
oneous opinions obtain. He says: 1.-THE |
additional compensation given to the railroads |
or furnishing and transporting railway post
,ffice cars is, as nearly as can be estimated |
5000. 900 annually. The compensation of
Jerks peri )rming this service is 81 ,05S, 200
annually; the cost of the superintendency for
alary and per diem is s34 APO; total cost of
=, 500, $40.