The Arizona sentinel., 1878-11-16
Arizona Mall Matters.

overhauling at the hands of Special Agent
Truman. He is now here, but starts back
to California tonight. We hope his re-
ports and recommendations will secure
many needed reforms; if SO his name
should be blazoned in letters of gold on
the main front of the new Capitol build
ing.
Major Truman reported upon the con.
dition of the route between Ehrenberg
and Signal and Mineral Park, and claim
ed that tic contractors, who are also the
successful bidders upon thirty odd other
lettings. should be forced to carry the
mails as they agreed to in putting in their
bids. 1t seems that the firm who bid on
this route, not knowing the price of feed
and labor, and compromising little of
the difficulties to be encountered in the
transportation of said mails according to
the terms of the contract, have. to use a
yulgarism, "got stuck" and, instead Of
making the best of it, like fair men, have
thrown up the contract, or, at least, failed
to live up to it in good faith, and have
thereby outraged the people Of Arizona
and brought the Postofflce Department
into disrepute.
Mr.. T. also paid his respects to Route
4.102, between Yuma and Prescott He
found that the contractors on this route
made no pretensions of getting into Pres
colt on schedule time. During the month
of August the mails failed nine times of
getting into Prescott at all, and only SIX
times during the month did they arrive
on schedule time. Hardly week passed
for months that bag was not lost, or
that pouches were not thrown off to
tighten a wagon loaded with passengers
or freight. Instead of carrying a daily
mail to Ehrcnberg and Wickenburg, ac-
cording to their contract, mails are only
carried to and from these two places every
other day. He also discovered that the
contractors left Antelope Valley entirely
out which is not according to their con-
tract.
The Postal Agent will recommend that
the tri-weekly mail between Wickenhurg
and Phoenix be made daily, and thus
make the mail system in Arizona CON-
plete; provided the contractors carry the
mails according to the terms of their con-
tracts.
Major Truman has also recommended
that the mail route from Tucson be
changed from Prudencia Wells to Arivaca,
which will give general satisfaction. He
visited most of the postoffices in the
Territory, gave instructions to post
masters, and corrected many abuses, SO
he thinks. He also recommended new
offices at Date Creek. Antelope Valley,
Aztec, etc, and left blanks with parties
interested in the establishment of other
new Offices.
Besides all this, Major Truman has re-
ported upon some forty depreciation cases,
and has, evidently, made clean sweep of
business in his line. We have heretofore
taken occasion to commend his order rela-
tive to the starting out of men in case of
mail robberies, by the nearest post
masters. and we are glad to note that the
entire press of Arizona concur with US in
our views upon said order. Our readers
will recollect that this order v ill have the
effect, probably, to deter stage robbers
from meddling with the mails. 1t is IN
derstood, also, that the military can only
move in case of the robbery OF the United
States mails, as the order permitting mil
itary action is only operative in case of
the plundering or the disturbing of Gov
eminent property. 1t is a very difficult:
thing for the War Department to dodge
the posse comitatus act of the last session
of Congress; but, as mail bags are Gov
eminent property, marauders upon such
may be pursued land captured if poSsible)
by Government troops.