, 1874-03-08
THE PDSTAL-CAR SYSTEM.

suec;af D1&p4tch to The Chicago Tribune.
THE Observation-Disclosures VIEWS.
WAsH1SoToS, D. c., March TN compliance
with 8 resolution Of the Senate, the Postmaster
General transmitted to the Viee-Pfesidcut to-
day statement showing the cost OF transport
ing the mals, the amount paid rnilroads for
postal mail-cars, the number and cost OF postal
clerks and asents; and whether, without injury
to tue interests Of the communities, the postal
service could not be abandoned Tor somo other
and more efficient mode OF tran sporting mails
over the lines between Washington and New
York. and New York and Boston, and others.
From the showing made BY the Pe etmaster-Gen-
eral, it appears that The total annual cost Of
mail
sEEEICE BETWEEN WASHINGTON AND NEW YoRK4
supposing the weights Of mails to be the sane
as il March, 1878, is s147, 900, inc'uslve Of s42,
600 for clerks and agents. The compensation
demanded by railroad companies Tor the trans
portation Of mai1s and railway Post-Ofice cars.
is 13 MILLS per lineal foot OF car portion Of
per mile run, taking the space now used for this
service between here aud New York ~ the base,
the cost to the Government i: tie demands Of
tho railroads. were complied with, would amount
to BIG, ,G~3 I1oTa per a1i.rl thGu by the present
system.
RETwEEN NEW YORK AND BOSTON
the total cost OF the railway postal service is
21G7. .278, including the cost Of railway postal
clerks aud agents, which is esttma tod at S4G. .N0
Calculating upon tue Same basis az above, it ia
shown that the cost to the Government BY .
change from the present svstem, and a conces-
sion of the demand Of the 1ai1roads. the cost OF
the mail service bct1een New Yoak and Boston
would be increased to 1908 a0o or 57s, 765 in ex-
cess OF the amount now paid.
Tho Postmaster General answers that there
ha 1rrg I'M
FREQUENCY OF TIE SERVICE,
and shows, BY en accompanying exhibit, that
every available train is now made uae OF, except
ing those prohibited l'y the ia4lroaa companies
themselves, providing the interval between the
several departures is sufficient to allow acc'i-
mutation Of mail that will warrant dt+pa:ch-
Thus tic post-0tices at the more impo1 ali.
manufacturing aud commercial centres exchange
by direct pouches With eac1 other, and with the
adjacent town and city Post Offices At frequent
in eryals, not depending entirely upou the rail-
war Post~Oiiices- These exchanges are estab-
lEl,ed in all csseB where the interests OF the
community demand it. tut to extend
THE SYSTEM OF EXCHANGE
by direct pouches to all post-offices in the
United States, regardless OF their slZe, revenue
or imtortauce il inpIacrcabla for various OBJ
vious rcasons. II the railway post-otice system
sas abandoned, it would be necessary TO- select
certain post-otfices at the termini and functions
Of railfoals, for distributing post-oiticos, be-
tween WHICH tue Ot0Ce8 would eAcQange W1L0
each other and with these distributing Offices,
sending to them aJl mail for points beyond.
ADVANTAGES OF THE posTAI-CaR SYSTEM.
ANY decrease OF expense bv taking OF the
railway post-ot1ice ca1B would be more
than compensated by the increased nun-
Der Of pouches made necessary BY
the system OF direct pouching. The
weight OF mails would be greatly Increased,
making the compensation to railroads larger, be-
sde imposing much additional cost upon the De-
o1f frr ef
change OF pouches. mails could cot be forwarded
by the fast express ttalns now. The total nuu.
ber OF pouches now in upe throughout the
whole country is less than 10000, and 100000
pouches would not under such system, give
ehc State Of New York alone the mail facilities
now enjoyed. The rals.y post-othce system is
the outgrow.h Of necessity, and the result OF
YEARS Of study and practical experience In this
aud transatlantic countries.