Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1874-12-04
The Postal Service on Railways.

WAsHINGToN, Nov. "a.
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 postoffice cars, extend
ing over 14,S66 miles of railroad, on which
was performed 34,925 miles of service daily
and f2,747,625 miles of service annually, by
752 railway postoffice clerks These clerks
are classified as follows: 2S3 bead clerks,
379 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 "
Ohio was accepted by the department. This
gave daily service between Cincinnati, o.,
and Chicago ILL.,, 80 0miles. This completes a
through line between Washington and Chi
cago, and forms q 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
postofiice 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 a perfect connection between the
various railroads upon which service is per-
formed by route agents.
"The Pennsylvania Railroad system, per-
haps the most extended and important in the
country for mail transportation, is now used
to great extent in the heforwarding OF through
and direct mails; but, owing TO the poor
postal facilities at present furnished by that
S "ff The It dGsHP6t e pzsa 81 R any m gt grans He
this company has expressed its willingness to
grant improved accommodations the benefit
to be derived would fully warrant the depart
ment in the acceptance OF the same. The
necessity Of this addition to the postal
car lines can best be judged by the follow.
ing statement of the bulk of mails passing
between the East and West New York
city originates tifty-flve to sixty tons of mail
matter daily, as shown by their official
statement. Forty-five 80 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 " Erie
Railroad, and New York Central u 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, 1t
must be distributed in transit, taxing the
present accommodations to the utmost, es-
pecially as the Erie Railroad is the only one
upon which the department have such ae-
commodations as are required. The propriety
of establishing fast and exclusive mail train
between New York and Chicago has been dis
cuBsed for some time and there appears to be
a 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. II 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 between the East and
West from twelve TO twentY-four hours, as II
would necessarily be established upon one or
more OF the trunk lines having an extended
system OF connections Its benefits would be
in no wise confined, but extended to all parts
of the country alike. 1t would also, II this
line be established, be practicable TO reduce
10 one line daily, beside this through line,
the service upon the three trunk lines TO the
West. This reduction would compensate for
all the additional expense incurred by the
fast mail train, especially as, by the operation
OF the law governing mail transportation,
the more mail concentrated upon 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 thatthe compensation Is inadequate,