The New York herald., 1876-12-21
THE FAST MAIL MIDDLE.

THE EXPRESS COMPANIES BLOCK THE Way
DRIVE OVER THEM-wHY THE FAST MAILS
ARE STARTED IN TIE EARLY MoESING-A
Twc-HoUEs DELAY YESTERDAY.
Nothing occurred yesterday in tho squabblo on
fast mail facilities between tho postal authorities and
the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, with tho cxccp-
ton that the train which TO leave at rs A. NJ. aid
not get OF until Gas, two hours later. The cause Of
tho delay was tha. tho Adams Express Company car
jumped the track, and not rghlcd until tho last
mentioned time.
A GRsAr DisAPPoISTMEyr.
The intelligence that the railway communication
with Philadelphia and the South by OF the fast
mail train would be restored good when It
came. ''The Widow as tho train is anectionatcy
styled by the road men, was eagerly looked for, and
when tho snow storm utcrfered with the running Of
the tram even anxious publishers were willing 10 bow
in obedience 10 the elements and find fault But
the story OF mail in readiness at Jersey CITY,
the imperative demands OF tho railway people upon
Postmaster James that tho mail should bo sent
over by the throc O'Clock boat, in order to bo do
spatchcd the train leaving Jersey City 4:25 and
tho fact that the express companys matter all duly
shipped and forwarded while the mail left behind,
another feature that seemed unaccountabc SO far
the Post ONCE authorities concerned tic res,o.
ration OF the fast mail the hands OF Mr. Theodore
N. VAIL General superintendent OF Railway Mail Ser.
vice, who arrived in New York on Tuesday, and has
since been busy IN trying TO arrange matters with the
representatives of the Pcnnsy ylvania order to
overcome the delay
rnE EMPRESS COMPANIES.
Tho legislation elected the alleged instance OF tho
express company combination was the means of IN
crcasng the rates of postage upon what Is known
"thrd class matter. including transient newspapers
books, pamphlets and merchandise, for time ihs
companies compacently satisfied with the result
But tho public demand for cheap postal rates too
powerful to be resisted; the cheap tariff restored
ana 1t is now clear question whether the influence
Of the express companies Is not 10 be dscerned In The
annoying delays winch the mail Is subjected 10 al Jcr
scy City. The time OF starting the wagons from the
Post ONCE Is about 245, ordcr TO catch three
O'Clock boat by which, It IL claimed the railway people
have right TO demand that the mail matter shalbe
sent in this matter tho only course left the Post.
master is TO obey the dictates OF the men who control
the road
Under the contracts with the pcnnsy van,a road tbs
express company pays for the privilege OF having then
cars hauled over the road The company
the cars and by recent changes in the
OF handling the freight and waybilling
adopted by the Adams Express Company the work
s done at Jersey city large force Of clerks and men
is employed al the wharf over the river, and they
are masters Of tho situation, at least IN this
particular. Mr. Henry Sandford, General Supcrln-
tendcn,, the officer Of the company in charge OF tho
business the early train, and The advantage Of
That the railroad company acted III good lath in the
mail offer Is not doubted either ny Postmaster
James or by the Superintendent OF Mails; but the
matter OF adjustment OF the difficulties the abac.
OF the vcxatons and aDnoyances IS clearly bc-
tween Mr. Vail on the one side ard Nr. Thomson,
who represents the Pennsylvania Railroad, on The
other. Colonel Scott keeps away in tho background.
The express companies rather insolenty ask TO be
consulted in this matter before any Improvement can
be had.
vgws KNOWS.
Mr. r. G. Jackson, Superintendent o! Railway Mall
Go rvic for he
expressed himself as follows last evening TO reported
~ the HxRAIp.-.sThe whole matter can be explained
in a few The nct is that there has been much
msapprehcnslon on the part of the pubic, as well az
the part OF the evening newspapers OF this city, 10
regard 10 the benefits conferred upon tho country by
the mail service, which Is now clearly proven by
tho report Of the government Special Railway Com.
mission, Just presented TO Congress. This commis.
sion has iound only what already well known to
Post ONCE officials Interested in tnis matter, that
the benefits were not confined TO any one locality or
section to the immediate route travcrsei by the
postal cars, but were conferred In greater or less
degree upon the people OF the whole country from
ocean to ocean. In discussing the establishment ol
the fast mail this point has been lost sight Of
az each viewed the matter from his own stand.
point and seeing In every tho benefit to bis
own mail matter overlooked the advantage It mighs
be TO others For instance, II was supposed that tho
starting time o tho mails from this city was mainly
for tho boucnt Of the New York morning papers IL Is
that II did result IN taking those papers out at
very carly hour, but that was BY no means the sole
1t was demonstrated that July 10000 letters
were posted in New York city that would have re-
mnued nniI day were IL not lOr the last mall
In act tho last mail starting oight hours and three
quarters after tho latest previous train Tor Chicago
delivered lis mails more promptly than had been done
under the old schedule OF eight hours and onequare
earlier. Moreover, this earlier hour OF starting the
fast tran-4:l5 A. M.-not only gathered IN all that
came the very latest moment but WAS timed 10
arrive AZ Albany SO rs to make the exceedingly i'm.
portant connection from New England-vlz,
the mail leaving Boston at nine +. NJ, an
hour which, 1t will be acknowledged, Ia most
for business correspondence, and
nd ard fr0u
ing mails every point along tho route during day
lgnt and OF course gave the greatest facility to the
larger cities, mainly IN Central New York Thus far
the despatch OF the mails and their connections ID
explained conducted from this Office In
regard the delivery Of tho mails The question has
often been asked, why not start tho fast mails IN
the evening" We have partly shown, what is really
tho case that everything west OF Cleveland was do
livcred by this last mail early as ft despatched
at half.past eight in the evening ny the
Great Western evening train. suppose wC had
started the mall say, at nnc or ten o'clock IN the
evening, assuming that the haipast eight train world
be rather early to gather In all tho correspondence
what would then be tho efcctY In the nrst place =
would bo lost, and next we would reach Buffalo with
our mails about eleven O'Clock, instead oil lhrco by
tho fast mail. At this ratio tho gain would DO
threo hours TO Buffalo, but 10 other place, as no
great railway connections made there that hour
Our next important point would DO Cleveland. where
The advantage would be gained Tor that city itself
rs at Buffalo. but for the adjacent country, no
important trains leaving Cleveland until evening, the
same time nj which our last mail cars arrive tnore.
Beyond Cleveland we arc due during the night With
O'Clock train, which at the best reach
Toledo in time any business purposes nor In time
mako any connection with trans from that point
hc surrounding country without an cntirc change
hrce in tho morning, advantage whatever could
TO tho public as no trains go out oil that city as
hat hour"
AnUANCTNG RAIT.RnAn RATLQ