The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1874-12-03

express companies were willing to paw much
more for the accommodation furnished than
the department. would allow. On the other
hand, representatives Of the leading express
companies have contended that the act which
took effect July l, 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. is taking awav
the most profitable part OF their business, and
will soon render them unable to meet the
heavy rentals demanded by the roads. Thus
is presented a curious anomaly, the roads
claiming that the government does not paw
as much as the express companies are ready
to pay. and the express companies claiming
on the other hand that the law is effecting
such a diminution of their revenue that they
are unable to acoede to the demands of She
roads. find no disposition on the part of
any railroad or transportation company to
deal otherwise With the department than in q
spirit of fairness and justice. trust that
Congress will adopt some equitable plan of
adjustment which will not be burdensome to
the government, and which will be satisfac
tory to the companies. The act of March 3.
1873 readjusting the pay of railroads on a
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, / have declined to make further
payments. I would suggest that the time
has come when resolute effort should be
made to determine how far the Postoffice
Department can properly go on in it's efforts
to accommodate the public without trespass-
ing unwarrantably upon the sphere of private
enterprise. There must be q limit to govern
mental interference, and, happily, it sabetter
suits the genius of the American people to
help themselves than to depend on the State.
deem it suitable to say here that I
propose to guard with strict vigilance the ex-
penditures of the department, sanctioning no
outlay which can be avoided without detri-
ment of the service, and so to conduct it's
affairs generally that the interests of the pub
lie shall be paramount to those of any indus
trial corporation or party.
THE POsTALrCAR NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
BANGS REPoRP.
George s. Bangs, Superintendent of the
Railway Postal Service, in his report. states
that at the close of the fiscal year ending
June 80, 1873, there were in operation So
lines of railway postotfice cars, extending
over ii 866 miles of railroad on which was
performed 81, 925 miles of service daily, and
IL, TAT, 625 miles of service annually, by 752
railway postofhce clerks. These clerks are
classified as follows: 283 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 a daily service between Cincinnati, Ohio.
and Chicago, ILL.,, 80 miles. This completes
a through line between Washington and Chi
cago, and forms a connection between the
roads centering at Cincinnati, Indianapolis
and Chicago.
The propriety of establishing a fast and
exclusive mail tram between New York and
Chicago has been discussed 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 i'll about tWenty-four
hours. 1t is conceded by railroad officials
that this can be done. The Importance of a
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
upon one or more of the trunk
lines having an extended system of connec-
lions. 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
railroads that the compensation is inadequate,
Mr. Bangs recommends legislation placing the
compensation to railroads on another basis.
that of weight alone.
Mr.. Bangs reviews the subject of the cost
of the railway postal service, about which en-
roneous opinions obtain. He says: 1.-THE
additional compensation given to the railroads
for furnishing and transporting railway post
Office cars is, as nearly as can be estimated,
100000 annually. The compensation of
clerks peri orming this service is 81, 053, 200
annually; the cost of the superintendent for
salary and per diem is s34, 400; total cost of
81 ,692, $40.