New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-06-21
GOVERNMENT NEWS.
STAR ROUTE RING METHODS.
PosTNAsTRRs IN LEAGUE WITH COSTRAcroRs-
EFFORTS t. INFLUENCE THE DETERMINATIONS
ROBBERY LFADrSG To ANOTHER.
IBr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBrNE.l


ROBBERY LFADISG To ANOTHER
'Br TELEGRAPH TO THE TmBUNE
WAsUNCToV. June 0-Postmaster-General
James has received a report from an inspector Of
the Post Office Department in ono Of the Southern
States which indicates that tremendous efforts will
be made by steamboat companies, all the
Southern and Western rivers where Star service has
been ducontinucd or reduced, to break down the
policy Of economy and reform introduced by tho
present Administration. Tho inspect. says that
nearly all the postmasers at tho river landings are
merchants, who are also agents of the steamboat
companies, and who are therefore willing to do
everything they can TO promote the interests OF
the companies. Many of these postInastcrs
are already engaged under tie direction Of
the companies in getting up petitions and
protests against the action Of the De-
partmcnt and in other ways Attempting
10 manufacture public sentiment against that action
ia the hope of securing its reversal.
new feature Of the Star Route business is dis
closed by letter received by the Posmaster-Gcn-
cral to-day from an officer OF railroad in Arkan as.
In discussing the Memphis and st. Francis River
route, which was recently ordered discontinued at
saving ofSl2. 900 year. this officer says that the
route established and the contract WAS
awarded mainly in tho interest Of Memphis mcr-
chants who desired to control tho trade Of the It.
Francis River which they were thus enabled TO do
o the dctrimcnt Of the City of Helena. The writer
Of the letter continues:
A. matter Of accommodation 70 the public We have
Mafianna and intermediate points AT very 10"
rate but tho subcontrnctOr has faiied 10
hr mado shall be- compelled 20 discontinue
The So wee now apply FOR contract at regnlar Coy
lar mystery connected Win those routes and contracts
which happily you haze broken mp onrof TIE feature.
contract
i- known a~ th' Memphis and - Francis River Packet
COMPANY. corporation organized for and by and ran
exclusively 90 the interest of ccriau Memphis mcr-
rAant- Tic hu-Iu"ss ~ the entire river trade would
BOT justify at h"I to continue ~ tho trade, hnt the
ci,~uou- mail subsidy contrlct ot 500 year ;or
-erticc winch We ~ou,d gladly perform io7 $1,000
enabled thcm % run th' 2 boat.
Il appears from the same letter ttat the star
Route service, rs managed hy Brady, and he River
aui H.rhor bin, as engineered in 'ougrcss, bore
slmo bat intimate relations 10 each other. These
tHir scacnr, % plumber the IrcL,uIry were opcr-
af'd ds follows: \ congressman would get a mail
route established on some lIttlc str.!m and some
NAN favored by Brady would get the contract to
carry tlt u.g.l oyegit. or course the nasi cation
would bc found difficult. and the Congressman
would go b,iorc the Committee on Commerce and
say: Now here is n stream upon which q mail
rnr'c has been established, and tie contractor COM
pi1r-that uurs, the ohstructous to navigation are
removed hc will hc compelled % giyc mp the service
r,,~. receive more pay. he people there must
h1sr their mails Now by Hpprapr. .tiou ~
S1u.O0O year for three or four years this river
can be made naygahlc and the cost Of
inail service, which must not be di'con-
tiuucd will not be iucrras,d.' This argument
would hc found elective. The Star Route aupIo-
priaiIou would make necessary the masking OF an-
other appr, ps..tion to improve The uaS'eatiGnoi
son. 'ittlc stream uVnn which post office or 'wp
lnd ',cI "tahl sh"d; and the impr"'on."nt "1 th.
stream uouid U-u,r the CONTINUANCE of the mai
contract Moreover. the lucky mail cont tcactor was
sometimes thr same fortunate individual W hp
cured tf, contract 90 improve The u1sI-itlon.
vlll he seen by 80" folowiugcytIaci from the 1t
above puoted. The writer NaN~:
~.ac, tar .ui 1,'a' ~ that Infamous contract their
boat fir.rtI, out of thr trIlc fnl "I ttc Jos -
OIL tiI eYrfftrf HLd RE ending uf tlr iu0i- dppgO
u m Ir f,- ,iu.A ronJ- Dos tltl p.iug ;t~-.
tr., d.nJ Iud 80 pioniabi' 20 gun longer Io 800.
tl,.n' ,oIt uri,trt'a at They hat' sNt thc McmP.-
ipfr- l .r'- .",-- rnrrt p'"t'rrH from lu iudil
i...t Iupl- ii.us %" rr''k hn"H a- -t Francis
i...r i f.- lrtfr rft being copied lni' Louis lc
lil nt.rr pHl,r- otrlu.r tut tp sit down tp i-
..rt a, aII tuirr flto contract tocarp Tho ua-
fr.in f...i iu l.ir-t ttt. AMI "lu mciud" Phllp'
...u '. rg. 90 and $500, other points ".onE tie -.
f.Ii.- h,.t.fi.rr reached hN thr -. Francis khtr
I.4th,t tougia ,ud at N"f' f'rnu'uf rates.