The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-11-01
COMPENSATION FOR CARRYING THE
MAILS

For sometime prior to 1873, railway
routes, on which the United States mail
was carried, were divided into three classes
according 10 the size of the mails, the
speed with which they were carried, and
the Importance and frequency of the SER
vice the object being that each railway
company might receive, 30 far as was
practicable, a proporlionate and just rate
of compensation according to the service
performed. In making contracts with the
several railroad companies, their compensa
tion was limited SO that those OF the first
class should not receive more than three
hundred dollars per mile per annum those
of the second class not more than one hun.
dred and those of the third class not
more than fifty dollars per mile per annum;
but twenty-fi per cent might be paid
above these maximum rates If one-half oil
the service was required to be performed
in the night time. An act of congress, APP
proved, March 3, 1878, changed all this,
and the postmaster general was directed to
readjust the compensation Heretofore paid
to railway companies tor carrying tn.
mails, upon the conditions that the mails
should be carried with due frequency and
speed, and that Sufficient and suitable
room, furniture, etc., should be provided
for route agents TO accompany and dis
tribute the mails in a scar or apartment
"properly lighted and warmed"
The maximum rate of compensation pei
mile per annum were established as fol
lows-we use very nearly the exact Ian.
guage of the law On routes carrying their
whole length an average weight of mails
per day of two hundred pounds, fifty dol.
lars; five hundred pounds, seventy-fve
dollars one thousand pounds, one hun
dred dollars fifteen hundred pounds, ont
hundred and twenty-five dollars two
thousand pounds, one hundred and fifty
dollars; thirty-fve hundred pounds, one hun
bred and seventy five dollars; five thousand
pounds, two hundred dollars /; and twenty.
five dollars additional for every additional
two thousand pounds. The average weight
of the mails, necessary 10 determine thu
amount of compensation, was directed te
be ascertained by actually weighing the
mails tor such number of successive work
ing days not less than thirty, and at sucl
times not less frequently than once in foul
years, and the result to be stated and veri
fled in such manner and form as the post
master general shall direct. The post
master general was further authorized t.
allow additional compensation for ever,
line " comprising daily trip each way o
railway postal cars at rate not ex
ceeding twenty-five dollars per mile PEI
annum for cars forty feet in length thirt,
dollars for fortY-fye feet cars forty dol
lars for fifty feet cars and fifty dolari
per mile per annum for cars of fifty fly,
feet, or exceeding fifty.fve feet in length
In order to determine the compensation
TO be paid to the several railroads, the post
master general, some time during the pas
summer, directed the weighing of the MALL
on the different routes, that over the Rens
selaer and Saratoga railroad being com
pleted Saturday, September 4. But tn,
introduction of the fast mail train, Will,
not increasing the actual cost of the Who'll,
mail service, has materially changed til,
importance of routes and has largely in
creased the amount of mail matter trans
ported over some routes while decreasing
in the same proportion, the amount carried
over others. Thus our main New 'Yorl
mail is now received cia the Rensselaer, anC
Saratoga railroad instead of the Harlem
Extension as was the case when the mail
were weighed In August. This necessi
tates re-weighng and REIMBURSEMENT OF
the compensation, the work being com
menced to-day--November by order Of
the postmaster general on the .'trunl
shines" and is to be continued, as speedily
us may be, over all routes affected by thu
fast mail. The road to feel the change
the most will be the Erie which, prior tc
the Inauguration of the fast mail, transpor
ted most of the western mails and has re.
ceived as compensation seven hundred dol