New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-07-17
THE FAST MAIL SEBFIoB.

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VIEWS OF GENERAL SUPERINTENDENT vAIL-DANG CIR
OF THE WITHDRAWAL OF TUX PRESENT RAIL
WAY sERvICR-REsULTs or HIS TRIP THROUGH
TIE COUNTRY. ~...,..... ..lr
Theodore N. VAIL Superintendent of the
United States Railway Mail Service, in this city
yesterday on his way Washington after an extended
trip through the country upon matters connected VITA
his department. He expressed much feeling IN regard
70 the reduced appropriation for The maintenance Of the
NAH service SAYING that the result would probably Zoe
the almost complete ovsrturn Of system only matTed
! after Two years OF hard labor.
Long agov Mr. Vail said. something Of mai scr
vice was maintained through promises that were never
kept 40 that when proposed the fast mail service
the Tailroad officers almost laughed az our endeavoTS
Eut beginning was made the railroad managers finally
became assured OF the goOG faith OF the Department and
our plans received consideration In 1876 reduction
| in the compensation to the railroad companies
compelled them TO take or che postal ears ON TIE main
lines The PostnAster-iensra then gave me all lati-
tude I'm his power 70 earanCe this service and get the
cars back possible. After wOrking almost SIX months
with the PENNSYLVANIA Railroad Company its managers
restored the postal ears the regular trains and few
months later put early newspaper train. Next
we succeeded in inducing the Hew-Eneland roads 60
take up the subject, for the first time The NewHOrk,
New and Hartford Road took the lead, followed
by the Boston and Providence and Boston and Albany
Roads and by January 1878. had arranged the most
couapete service ever had IN newfoundland including
an early morning newspaper train from NeW-York. At
the same time the NeHYOrk Central restored its postal
cars on all fast trains During this time We we're work
ing too with the Southern railroads with such success
that on the lines between NewYork and Savannah and
NeW-York and EeROrieans. the time required for car
rymg the mails has been made practically twenty -four
hours shorter than year ago. Again about three
months ago. We succeeded arranging with tho Penn
sylvania and EewYoTk Central Roadside special trans,
leaving New-York at 1870 D. carrying passengers,
aar7fa Nor NlTk bust
ness men were thus given two additional hOuTs-frOn
to G. the most important the dRyn which 20 arrange
their mail natter We succeeded in this, to great ex-
tent through the friendly relations established between
the department and the railroads, aud partly from the
prospect held out by Congress when IL appointed COM
mission TO examine and report upon the proper method
OF compromising railroads that the difficulties and en-
bsrrassments surrounding the present method Of COM
pensatiOn would be removed"
"a bill for this purpose" continued Mr. Vail, was in
rouced and favOraby reported by both Committees on
Post Offices and Post Roads, was reported by the Appro
praton Committee of the Senate and passed. and finally
killed In conference. AT tue same time the Appropriation
Committee in the House proposed TO make. and did
make a further reduction Of per cent IN the
payments OF railroads. When the proposed reduction
was pending the railroad companies protested and gave
notice that they would not continue the present arrange
ment II II was made Up TO the present time however
We have succeeded keeping mp postal arrange
l. IT'S impossible at the present tme 10 determine
what viii De the action Of the railroad companies bat
this Will be known in month or two. When Is is taken
into consideration that the leading lines Of railroad
were receiving 1915 mile each year, prior TO 1873 and
running over the Pennsy road ony postal car
/ day each way and over the E6w-York Central only
two cars q day each way, carrying at the most less
than 10000 pOunds Of mail there Is reason for surprise
Now over the PENNSYLVANIA road postal
taken every day. each GO feet lOng and carrying be-
4 tween Hev-YOrk and Philadelphia 10000 pounds Of
mail and from Philadelphia Pittsbarg 10000 pounds
/ the New York Central Road runs six cars
/ a day. carrying over $4,000 pounds OF mail
/ between Eew-YOrk and Buffalo; both roads
run special trains high rates Of speed and receive only
trife over double the rates Of compensation OF 1873.
Here is evidence that this reduction Is not founded on
any correct principle The railroads DO not object 70
carrying mail in bulk in fact most OF them would
prefer do So and receive the compensation Of 1873,
rather than furnish the immense postal for the pur
pose distribution In transit at 90 per cent more than
/ they now receive"
After making this reduction Of per cent" paid Ar.
Vail Congress appropriated Sl25 900 20 DO used at the
discretion Of the PostmaserGenera 10 the railroad
companies should take of the postal cars but THIS
included in appropriation for mail transportation,
and was not 4 separate appropriation The appropra-
ton made however Is about $500 600 less than the
amount required pay the railroads, after deductng
the per cent so the POstmasterGeneral viii be forced
I
make further reduction per cent in the ocmPonsa-
ton II this should result IN the withdrawal OF postal
il Will very materially affect the business arrangements
OF the country II will be felt much than the
wthdra wal in 1876 the service generally in much
more perfect working order than then In regard to the
expense to which the railroad companies have been
forced providing for the postal service can instance
the which has spent about 100000 dur
read WITH postal cars It's compensation Is probably
! about $500 coo year" -
in pay Of special agents These required 70 be
OF education aud ABILITY 60 perform any work In
are required 20 represent the
has himself said They constitute my official eyes
and h5ge Their pay has BEEN TeaaSea g Less thsn
parJment The same reduction has been made with the
/ superinendents OF the Railway Mail Service, who
their business-men OF enlarged IDEAS capable
OF cOmprehendng what the requirements OF the country
are These officers are required in tner ocial capacity
directly under their charge All the work performed In
the Post once far distribution Is concerned, and
railroad by 5000 agents The consequence OF this
reduction will be that 10 will force the best ia both
these branches 81 postal seek other fields
on Occupatlon where some ttle recognition and appre-
ciatlOn Of their services win be shown"
81 have been making general trip throneh the conn
Ty" concluded Dir. Vail, for ile purpose OF meeting
railroad managers aud asccrtannc II they could not DO
induced to refrain from taking any action toward dis
OF the postal least for the pres
ent and find that most Of them are willing 90 do every
thing in their power 70 this end II IL had not been for
this reduction, arrangements already partially enecfed
time during the coming FALL CcuDiete and compreheu-
siYe system OF special mail rafus running &c high rates
Of speed connecting different parts OF the country, ad
dispatch aud receipt OF nails OfiOm six twelve hours
This plan obliged TO give for the present, and
We can congratulate ouseyes ~ nothing worse happens
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