The New York herald., 1876-12-06

nscai yeas BY the ac, Of July - 1876 providing ap
prorraloas tor iae servcs OF the ros Once Depart.
ment for tie hscal year ending JuncSo 1877 rcduc
ton oil per cent, 10 take effect July !. 1879
required from tho OF railroad companies for crrry
most OF IL adjusted under the provisions OF the OF
March 4 lSI3 portion, however. only estmatedl WAS
81 sI5s.5 546. further reduction OF twenty per cent
Also provided Tor BY the act OF July 1876 from the
compensation oi certain railroad companies whose
roads were bu,it, IN whole or part, by the aid Of
land grants authorized by Congressional legislation
The pay OF railroad pan.cs under contract which
under the opinion Of the Assistant Attorney tencral
for the Post oficc Department, not affected by
s., AZ, 6iG. leaving the sum OF 6l,s7o,
Iepr.sentins, ~ ina. date. the pay OF .ne com
lion, amounting TO SI.6.lS7 applied to them. fur
thsr reduction OF $500 ia was made from the pay OF
By the operation Of the ACT OF last July was tho st
iAy OF July lS7G, decreased IN the SUN OF $oSd,9ol
WITHDRAWAL oP FAST NAIL TRAINS
The reduction thus provided for was met on somo
OF .hc great ruak lines by the withdrawal of the last
The New York Central and Hudson River and
Lake Shore and Michigan Southern railroads
"A exclusive mail tram, composed OF hnely
rquippcd postal cars which we're provided with all
tne conyenences necessary to rapid and perfect dis
.lbution. was, tor a lew months, run between New
York and Chicago, on n schedule time OF twentysix
hours between those cities andovcr the pennsy wanna
Railroad and Its connecting ncs = limited mail train,
with superior accomm dations was run between New
Pork Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and ST. LOUIS the umo
occupied between New York and Cincinnati. via Phila
delpLiu Harrisburg aud Columbus beng lwon ~ four
hours; between New York and indianapolis, twenty six
hours aud between New York ana ST. Louis thirty.
three hours. These lines afforded facilities Tor tho
transmission VI mails from the great ccnro
OF the East 10 all points In tue West and Southwest,
hitherto unkno~n IN the history oi railway
department TO so completely meet Tho demands upon
n Tor speedy transportation that the most sanguine
expectations Of The business communities dependent
upon them Tor postal supplies we're more than real
zei. Ii claimed by The railroad panies tho
organization OF tins expedited distribution system that
tue rates OF pay then provided by existing law
sufh,ent 10 compensate them Tor the extraordinary
EXPENSE incurred In running trains At such speed,
and there Is good hc.iev that they offered
their trains 10 the department experiment, cut
81 spirit oil ent' r.se rather than an expectation Of
deriving Immediate prnht tncrcIron Serious
,mbarr assn,enls have resulted from u discon-
iinnancc OF these iast lines, which have been
augmented by The refusal OF The railroad COM
panics rc-cstaolish the incomplete accom-
they had previously furnished. The mails now
convcy ed octw tnr Atlantic sesboard and points n
The est aud southwest with less despatch and with
smaller facilities tor distribution than provided
before the inauguration OF the fas, mail system. To
bo thus compelled 10 so back ward in the work Of in
surfing speedy transmission and perfect delivery oil the
important business correspondence OF the country s
source oi mortiic;tion 10 all The officers OF this de-
partmen whose duties are connected with mail trans
portatun Instead ot rctrogfadng the mail system
ought tn soon OBTAIN such perfection to insure the
transportation oil letters. and all ohcr matter not Too
bulky, rom one important point 10 another within
the lime required 10 convey passengers be-
tween the pants over the speediest
lines OF communication The law Of Congress
which required reduction in the pay Of railroad
companies l0r carrying the mails also authorized the
appointment OF a commission of three skilled and
competent persons 10 investigate the Whole SUBJECT Of
niaiI transportation by rai;road, with view max
Ing their report the basis OF future legislation. The
three gentlemen designated by YOU for that sslon
entered on their work about the lst OF last August
which time they have visited all The large cities
aud important railroad centres OF the United states,
and conferred with tho managers OF the Leading rail.
road lines, Gnd also with intelligent representing
the main business interests at eacs point they
To have been patient and impartial in collecting in
iormaiion which viii. no doubt, throw much light
bhc ihcut question OF determining the proper mode
Of compensatng railroad companies for carrying Tho
rails AND tho rates ol pay which ought ~ DO liked tor
his service.
have carefully avoided any expression OF opinion.
Me presentation OF any theory the tender OF any
advice vi Inch could, tho most remote manner, innu.
ince the judgment of this comnisslon but eau now,
sth entire proprety, recommend that whatever lcs,s-
ation may result from their Investigations shall den-
aitcy prescribe Tx rates VI mail pay for tins SERVICE
leaving nothing open 70 the discretion VI the Post
master General; and that tho execution Of written
contracts by railroad companies shall be required u
condition OF payment for the service which they per
Less than ouc-nh OF the railroad service oi tho
country has been ms "A general rule covered by written
contracts, ana innumcrab complaints, nisc0nstruc-
tons ana diihcu grown out This loose way
OF doing business which annually amounts 10 mill.
Ions OF dollars.
POSTAL DEFICIENCIES
very gratifying result Is presented in the fact that
The dehceucy o this department during the last uscal
year reduced to 0sl 79o against ST. 93s Of
the preceding II viii be Instructive study the
variance in the percentage OF and decrease in
the receipts expenditures and dchci. ncics the postal
have advanced beyond It's expenses viii moro
satisfactorily appear from the figures gwen below
The ordinary receipts tor the year ended Juno 30,
1876 SIS s6@4 ly7; for the year ended June so,
1869, they amounted 10 SlS,3l4, $40; showing In
crease oi sl0, .yy,ts0
II VIII thus he that In years the receipts
have Increased 80 IL per cent, average
per cent per year. For the same years the expcnd-
lures follows For tho year ending unc 80
1876 So at3 +s7; Tor the year ending June 80 1862
k.3, COS, l3l. showing increase OF So 565, $50.
The increase IN the expenditures tor the entire
period vs. 10 IS per cent, average OF
i50 per cent per year. For tho same years tho de-
Gciency :hc revenues were ioliows:--For tho
IA - Z n
ending June 3o 1864, So 353 6a0 showing decrease
Of :ecency of $s34, $50 The decrease OF deicicncy
Of IL II per cent al rate o! nearly per
cent per annnm.
JAMES N. TyNER. Postmaster General