The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1875-12-30
Glk AArorate.
HENRY A. Parsons, JR. Editor
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 80 1875
our WASHINGTON LETTER


RAILWAY MAIL sERvICn-CLApP
THE GOVT. PRtNTER-'I CONVICT
DABCnCK OR LEAVE THE STATE
'To BE MAZE Special FRAuDu-
LENT PENSION CLAIMANTS TO BE
LOOKED AFTER,
There is a general complaint here
among the disappointed applicants for
Offices OF the Democratic House, of the
injustice done the Democratic party in
the New England, Middle, and a great
portion Of the Western States. in the
selection of the officers and the fprma
tion of the committees of the House.
Among the most disappointed members
in the House, is Fernando Wood the
Oldest member he having been in Con-
gress twenty five years agl. 1t is
thought that Fernando will not have
many receptions the coming session,
SO disgusted is he with condition of
things. 1t is understood that Kerr, in
the formation OF his committees, had an
eye to being the next Democratic can.
dtdate for President. 1t is certain now
that in order to get the nomination, he
will have to reconcile his disappointed
breihern.
General Bsbcock has arrived and
had an interview with the President,
and is now attending to his private
business. 1t is thought that he will
ask the President to relieve him Of his
duties until the result of his trial il
known.
Mr. Bangs, for several year. Super
1ntendant of the Railway Mail Service
will retire from the Department the
trst of January 10 engage in private
business. We regret this very much as
do all those who are acquainted with
the very efficient services he has rem
erel the G)vernm9nt. The posta
car system has been developed by him
until 1t has become the most important
S3nt in the serves in tna RAPID trans
mission of the mails. More recently
he devised plan for the development
OF this system accompanied by a great
reduction of expeditures. We refer to
the inauguration of the Express Mail
between New York aud the West. The
plan was ori giuaIly submitted to the
three great railroads, the New York
Central, Pennsylvania Central, and the
bat'more q Oh;v,~ud ueuliu,d BY ..vh
Subsequent it was accepted by the
New York Central, and they contracted
to carry the entire mail between the
East and the West. No sooner was the
arrangement completed than the tris
roads fearing that they should suffer
from the prestige thus obtained by the
New York Central, demanded thai
they be allowed to run an express mai
on the same terms, and now the mai
over the Pennsylvania route crosses the
bridge at St. Louis, aud is followed it
five minute, by the express mail ovel
the New York Central This gain oI
five minutes is obtained at COS. Of
about S25O,000 year.
One express mail day was all that
Mr.. Bangs desi ed and it could hav.
been managed so as to perform the
same service IN the same time in tn,
West that is now performed by the
three express nails. Yet Mr.. Bangs i,
arrainel in the Chicago papers Tor the
expense of double service for which
he is in no sponsible. Mr.. Bangs
has recently addressed letter to tho
Post master General in relation to the
receipts and expenditures OF the three
classes Of mail matter and shows tha
the carriage Of letters is performed at I
net profit OF over $4,0U0,O00 Il year tt
the Department-ot newspapers at /
loss Of ST 900, ,000-express parcels a
a loss OF S4,UU0,OOO. Ills theory i,
"to cheaper postage for the whole peo
pie by such au amendment as shall no
So increase the cost of the postal service
in the transportation OF articles ii
which comparatively few are interes
ted as TO nuliiy the propose lower pos,
tags" And this he proposes to do by
l,uucing the postage on all transient
NJ, wspapers, magazines, unseaied circu,
lars, aud prospeetases. and allowing al
other parcels or express matter 20 be
carried at the present rates. The pos
tage on third class matter, average
eleven cents per pound, while the cosI
is over twenty cents, fhe average
revenue from a pound Of letters is 81 Al
and the cost is 81 ,l3 While the mum,
Der of people interested in the letter.
and circulars is more than six times as
great as those sending express parcels
it would seem as though his conclusion
would be more logical if he had pro-
posed an advance in the rates Of third
class matter sufficient to make its ex-
penses, with reduction on letter pJs-
tage, by this change the greater mum.
Der would be benefited. We have DO
doubt that the same success will attend
nv RanuS in tho new buSiness in