Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1874-12-04
WASHINGTON, Nov. 27.

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
80, 1873, there were in operation hlty-nine
lines of railway postoffice cars, extending
over 1896 miles of railroad, on which was
performed 1926 niles of service daily, and
IL, ,747625 miles of service annually, by 752
railway postoffice clerks. These clerks are
classified as follows: 2S3 head 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 rail
roads to carry the mails an offer of the Balti-
more & Ohio was accepted by the depart
ment This gave daily service between Gin
cinnati, Ohio, and Chicago, ILL.,, 80 miles.
This completes a through line between Wash
ington and Chicago, and forms 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
postoffice cars are now in operation on most
of the most important connecting and trunk
lines of railroad, giving the most direct ana m
available transit to the mails between the
office of origin and destination, and forming
nearly q perfect connection between the
various railroads upon which service is per-
formed by route agents.
"The Pennsylvania Railroad system, perhaps
try for mail transportation, is now used to
great extent in the forwarding OF through snd
direct mails; but, owing to the poor postal
facilities at present furnished by that roa0, III
cannot be utilized to any great extent IN the
distribution of mails in transit. AS this COM
pany has expressed its Willingness 10 gram
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
postaI-car lines can best be judged by the
following statement of the bulk OF mails pass
ing between the East and West: New YORK
CITY originates fifty-iye to sixty tons OF mall
matter daily as shown by official statement
Forty-fye to fifty tons of this is forwarded on
the trunk lines leading to the West and South"
west. Three of these lines-the Pennsylvania
Railroad New York 81 Erie Railroad, and New
York Central 81 Hudson River Railroad
carry daily over their whole length an average
of 93 900 pounds of MAIL and as the bulk OF
this mail is deposited in the othces at
the latest hour possible to make tne
trains. or arrives on connecting Trains, III
must be distributed in transit, taxing Inc
present accommodation to the utmost, espe-
ciallv as the Erie Railroad is the only one upon
which the department have such accommo-
dations as are required. The proprlety OF es-
tablishine a fast and exclusive mail-train be-
tween New York and Chicago has been dis
cussed for some time, and there appears 10
be a growing necessity for the same, inns
train to be under the control of the depart
ment so far as it is necessary for the pur-
poses designed, and to run the Instance IN
about twenty four hours 1t is conceded by
railroad officials that this can be done.
The importance of line like this cannot
be overestimated. 1t would reduce the acluaI
| time of the mail between the East ana WesI
from twelve to twenty -four hours, as it would
necessarily be established upon one or more
of the trunk lines having an EXTENDED system
| of connections It's benefits would be IN no
wise confined, but extended to all parts OF Inc
country alike. It would also, II tnis ilne pe
established, be practicable to reduce 10 one @
line daily. beside this through line, the
service upon the three trunk lines 70 tnc
West This reduction would compensate
for all the additional expense incurred by
the fast mail-train, especially as, by the oper-
alton of the law governing mail transporta-
tion. the more mail concentrated upon single
line of railway the less is the aggregate cost
of TRANSPORTATION per pound or ton per mIe.e
With reference to the complaints OF some
railroads that the compensation is inadequate
Mr.. Bangs thinks it advisable to recommend
legislation placing the compensation 70 rall-
roads on the basis of weight alone 3s..
With regard to the extra cost OF the railway
postal service the Superintendent thinks
erroneous opinions obtain and that the amount
(S1, ,692,620) is more apparent than real, owing
to the fact that many minor dlstrlbutlng
ohces ana a large amount VI cicl lilly cionS
the railroad routes and at the termini, not
now required, would be necessary In
the absence of the present system. Inc
superintendency would be necessary
under any system, as the distribution
and dispatch of mails would require the same
general supervision as now to secure the best
! possible results.
Not the least consideration in favor OF the
railway postoffice is the avoidance % ~, ueiays
| resulting from any other system tnah tiie uis
] tritution of mails in transit.