Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-03-17
WsLLs-FARGo AND THE PosToFFIcE
DEPARTMENT.

A determined attack has been made
upon Wells, Fargo & Co.'S express by the
Postal Department, Commission having
reported that the company, by carrying
letters, enters into serious competition
with the United States mails, and dimin-
ishes the revenue CT the department The
representations Of the Commission are by
no means faithful or exact. The truth is
that the express company has supplied
public wants which the Government did
not supply; that it has afforded the public
a measure of security which the Govern
ment did not afford that it has actually
increased the revenues of the Postal De-
partment by establishing an active mail
service with multitude of points wholly
neglected by the Government It is
ground of complaint with the Commission.
that the express company have letter
service (which they endeavor by every
means in their power to render more
g efficient than the regular service, and
which has consequently become for
"midable competitor with the Govern
''ment for public patronage" This is
not complaint in which the public
can synpathize, nor can it be regarded as
furnishing any ground for the abolition of
the express letter service. The latter has
rendered to the people of the Pacific coast
most invaluable service, and they are not
in favor of sxch action as is proposed.
The express company has been from the
pioneer times until now the only means Of
communication available by hundreds of
mining camps and frontier settlements
To abolish its letter service even now
would deprive large number of such
places of all mail facilities. For it is en-
phatically not true, as the Commission
assert, that the Pestoffice has extended
its routes to every hamlet in that tthis)
region" It has done nothing of the kind.
There is still a very large and important
portion of the mail service attended to solely
by Wells, Fargo & Co. But even if this
were not SO the demand for the
abolition of the letter service would be
unjustifiable, for as regards the important
question Of safe transmission, the Govern
ment cannot pretend to compete 9TH the
company. Before such a proposition can
be made with any pretense OF Justice, it
must be demonstrated that the Govern
ment is both ready and able to take up
and carry on the work hitherto. done by
the express company. That this is not
likely to be the case for some time has
been shown recently through the scandals
growing out of the star route business.
The abolition of Wells Fargo's letter carry.
ing of course would involve large extern.
sion of star routes, and we are satisfied
that the country wants no more of those
kind OF contracts than are unavoidable.
The express company have organized a
magnificent, extensive and splend;dly effic-
lent service, which is and has been of the
greatest possible utility to the people of
the Pacific coast. They have made
the most liberal expenditures in order to
accommodate the public They undertook
this work years before the Government
thought of bestowing upon us more than
the most slovenly and inadequate service.
They carry mails to-day ON scores of routes
where there is no postal service. The SUI
perior efficiency of their service is every
where recognized. They do not, however,
rob the revenues of the department. They
make new business, which simply would
not exist if the department had the mo-
nopoly it demands. As regards the legal
aspects of the matter we do not propose to
say anything now, but there can be no
doubt whatever that the suppression of
the express letter carriage on this coast
would be most serious injury to the pub
lie, and that it could not be compensated
by the postal department. We trust that
Congress will proceed with the utmost
caution upon this business.