The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1880-03-02
MONROE SALISBURY
Tells the Senate Sub-COmmiG-
tee on Appropriations
What He Knows About the
Western Mail Service,

OF the Senate committee on SpprC-
prialions, last Saturday examined
General Key and Brady, of the post
Office department., and Monro Sails
bury, of San Francisco. on the sub
lee. of the Star service deficiency, and
a full sterographic report OF tire pro
ceedings is given to the public today.
Salisbury, in behalf of the firm Of
Gilmore, Salisbury & Co., obtained
permission to be heard by this sub
committee on the strength OF
a letter which is incorF GRATED in
their report, in which he stated
that he had been denied a hearing
by the House committee, and that
the provisions and circumstances OF
the passage of toe House bill were
alike extraordinary and unjust. Dur
ing his examination, he informed the
committee that his firm are contrac-
tors on about s, 900 miles of the mail
routes, including routes extending
through Dakota, from the Union Pa
cifc Railroad to the Black Hllls, the
trunk line running through southern
Utah ana Nevada. the Keiton and
" ALA Walla route. and a number OF
long routes in California and Arizona
Referring 70 the oft-repeated as8er-
tions as to the existence of q con
tractors league, he pronounced them
absolutely false, and declared that
there is not, and 80 far as be knows
never has been, any combination
among large contractors, either for
legitimate or illegitima!e purposes.
He said men of means uDques-
.ionably get laws passed by
Congress which deprive poor men
and men of Moderate means
of the privilege Of bidding
Under the existing laws, bidders are
compelled TO deposit 3 per cent. Of
the amount of their bids. When over
So 900 they have to give double ss:s
OF securities, and fine and imprison-
ment are the penalties for failing to
perform the service. a single route
at the last general letting, required a
certificate check for SO, 900. and
double sets of securities IN 100000
each. When we cana to the last quar-
terly letting, l was fortunate enough
to have little means, and l have
some friends, so l bid for one very
important route in the United States.
| deposited in the postoffice ! think
from 100000 &c $1,000 in certified
checks. 1 got my faiends to assist
me. | had some friends in California,
Haggin & Tevis, and other gentle.
men who have large quantity OF real
estate to go on my bonds, to the
amount of several millions of dol
lars. 1 bid on hundreds Of
ROUTES IN That way, and the
fortunate man could not bid on more
than one ore two routes; and when |
bid on hundreds am more likely to
get more routes than the man who
bids only two, especially when l am
familiar with the whole western
country and know precisely what
can do and have a big amount OF
stock ready 10 put on the routes.
That explains it. Was there no under
standing or arrangement among the
contractors on the subject? Never.
So far as [ have had any experience
we fight each other fiercely for the
mail contracts, have always fought
my own battles alone without any
help from any quarter. Salisbury
lllstrated the rapid growth of the
western country and consequent
necessity for increasing the service
from time to time as follows: Iran
the first stage line ever run from the
Union Pacific Railroad to the Black
Hills-a distance of about 800 miles.
l started it about four gears ago, l
think. When l frs. commenced,
my mails, perhaps would not amount
to hundredweight in week, now,
On the same line, am Transporting
daily from 1000 pounds to a ton
per day, and that increase operates
very frequently through the western
country on all ou- lines. With
reference to the argument that the
provisions of the House bill requiring
the annullment of contracts for
increased service is not unjust 10 con-
tractors, because they took their
contracts subject to anuullment
on one months pay, he insisted
that, although this was true
IN letter it was false in
fact, for the reason that tee perform
ance OF such contracts for increased
frequency and expeditions speed,
involved great additional expendi-
lures on the part OF the
contractors, which they would not
have entered into if they thought
there was any possibility OF an abro.
cation of the contracts, except for
such causes as the extension of rail-
roads, etc. He also remarked. con-
corning this provision of the House
bill: 1t not only curtails the expe-
Giton and takes away from US pay
after We have established ourselves on
these routes, paid for hundreds C
stations, bought thousands of head of
horses, bat reduces US back again to
such a schedule and euch a rate of
speed that no business man will
patEonize us. Such men cannot
afford the time nor endure the hard
ships it would take ID go over g route
of that Kind. The merchants who
patronize US to q great extent with
heavy and bulky freight that can
not 60 through the mails except
when they can save elk, eight or ten
days by doing it. they will patronizs a
freight company that makes almost
the same time we could, and carries at
a much less rate. It not only takes
our mail away from US, but ruins our
business after we have established it.
The indications, of the meeting of
the full Senate committee, to-day,
were that the bill will be amended 60
as to provide for a continuance for
all existing services, without any ex-
ception whatever, but that the COM
mittee will also recommend the
adoption OF resolution censuring the
postofice department for extIavs-
gaDce and an improper use Of Its dis
power.
BeII-Punch Law Re
pealed.
Richmond, Va, 1.-Both houses of
the pennral assepob Iv to-dav ,,asse5