Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-03-15
Wells, Fargo s. Co.'s p. o. DEPART
pnenf.

REPORT OF THE POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT IN
yEsTIGATING COMMISSION AGAINST 1T.
The report of General A. D. Hazen, Third
Assistant Postmaster General Assistant At
torney General Freeman, Chief of Special
Agents Parker, Assistant superintendent Rail-
way Mail Service Jameson, and Chief Clerk
Office First Assistant Postmaster General Marr,
in the matter of Wells, Fargo Co., Is lengthy
and exhaustive document. 1t states that the
committee has given the report OF Special
Agent Sharretts careful attention, and before
arriving at decision the legal questions In
volved were eliminated and submitted for opin-
ion to the Assistant Attorney General ror the
Post Office department, and Wells, Fargo GO.
as they might designate Representative rage
came before the committee In behalf of the COM
pany. Section 8.993, Revised statues, aS olpects
may be sent otherwise than by mail. provided
that the stamped envelope Is OF denomlnation
sufficient to cover the postage II the same
General may suspend the operation OF
this section upon any mail route where the puc-
lie interest may require such SUSPENSION. Un-
der this law, it appears from the report Of Agent
Sharretts and the admissions OF Mr.. Page that
Wells, Fargo & Co. have been operating for
years letter-carrying department OF i'm
San Francisco and ramfications in every
one OF the Pacific states and even extend
ing into foreign countries. In the management
of this business the company employs between
of them being postmaSt2rS. These agents keep
on hand for sale stamped envelopes prepared
expressly for the business OF the company, ana
sell them at an advance on government prices.
They regularly receive, dispatch and denver
letters In such envelopes In the same manner
substantially as that OF the postal service. A
large private post Office is Operated1n san Fran
cisco; and in the business portions OF San Fran
cisco the company have erected boxes for the
receipt Of letters side by side with those OF the
government. In short, wells, Fargo O. 90.
most office
own without government supervision or con-
troll, and in competition with the regular gov
ernment service. Besides this IT appears that
they have banking house in San Francisco,
the correspondence OF which, as well as that OF
the Western Union Telegraph company and the
Central Pacific Railroad company, they have
under some mutually advantageous arrange
ment, Tor a long time carried, and still carry
free-that is, without the use OF either postage
stamp or stamped envelopes. The committee
reviews the growth of the business of Wells
Fargo & Co. from its origin in the early settle
npnt OF the Pacific coast. 1t for long time
supplied want which the government could
not. Now it is different. The department has
extended its routes to every hamlet in the
region. The company thus no longer catering
to any essential public want, should be re-
quested 10 give way. so that the government
may exercise its right. There are strong lega!
and practical objections to the letter-ex-
press business OF the company. 1st. The mani
fest intention of the law creating the Post Office
department as explained by subsequent legisla-
officers of the government, was to give 1t eX-
elusive right to carry the mallS Under this
head numerous deciS OnS are given where pri-
vate letter carrying business has been broken
up on decisions OF the law officers OF the gov
ernment. I'd. Another serious violation of the
law by Wells, Fargo & Co., which should be no
longer tolerated, is the employment OF poStmas-
tiers as their agents. 1t is against the law and
damaging to the public service. Sd. A more
serious feature OF this business one that Is alto
gether unjustifiable, and which the officers and
representatives OF the company do not make a
pretence OF defending, is the free conveyance OF
banking house, as well as that OF the Western
Union Telegraph company, and the Central Pa
citic railroad company. No stamps or stampe
envelopes are used; but the express company, 1t
is fair to assume, obtain from the other corpor-
| ations an equivalent for their services. The
practice Is in utter violation of the law and by
| 1t the government has no doubt lost thouS9 ads
| of dollars OF its revenues, and is still losing
| large sums. 4th. Besides the foregoing
| legal objections to the business, there are
| two practicable ones, which by themselves
are sufficient to justify its suppression. One OF
| them arises from the danger that postage on
| large quantities OF mail matter passing through
the company's hands Is either inSufficently paio
or not paid at all; the other arises from the un-
| doubted delays that occur in the TRANSMISSION
| of letters where people deposit them in the
! for the boxes of the government. Inconclusior
! the committee say That 1t is their deliberate
opinion that the letter express business OF Wells
| Fargo & Co., in all its phases, is at variance
with the postal law; that its operation is calcu
| lated to injure and degrade the postal service
| and that the interests and dignity OF the Pos
| Office department demand its Immediate discon
| tinuance The Tree conveyance of the cores
| 1nfractton Of the law that ought at once to bt
| interdicted, but which, If there Is any lega
| means for obtaining it, the department ought Il
| seek indemnity.