Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-11-18
WEST VIRGINIA MAIL ROUTES.

w
The REGISTER has from time to time
published communications from It's cor
respondents throughout the State relat
ing to various mail routes in West Fir-
giuia; demonstrating the inefficiency OF
the present system in the letting OF con
tracts and the carrying OF mails. the
following correspondence from Con-
gresham john BLAIR HoGE and the
Second Assistant Postmaster General
will! be of interest to those who have
suffered annoyance from the mail sys-
tenn:
MARTINsBURG, November IL.
To the Editor.
SIR appreciate the gross inconven-
fence and annoyance caused by default
ing mail contractors upon several routes
in the Second district, particularly
marked in the case OF route l2,23O-
Webster to Beverly. Since last summer,
have endesYored to have the remedy
applied, in this instarce, and seTerel
tinIee was led TO believe that the trouble
was over. But recent letters from
number Of gentlemen and the complaints
Ci YOUR correspondent, 'Rlndolph,
show that the work has TO DO gone over
again. | enclose a letter from the Sec
ond Assistant Postmaster General which
will explain the action OF the Depart
mert. The source OF the evil lies IN the
law, as will appear from the tolloWlEg
citations from the Revised Statutes:
'SEC 395l. After any r guIar bidder
or contractor for tne transportation OF
the mail upon any route shall nave
failed to enter into contract and ccm-
meuca the performance thereof as
herein provided. The Postmaster 0en
eral shall proceed to contract with the
next lowest bidder who will enter into
a contract and perform the same unless
the Postm aster General shall consider
such bid too high, in which case he shall
readvertis4 such service.
SEC. 1852. No bidder in carrying Il e
mail shal! be released IRON his obilga-
ton, under his bid or proposal, not
withstandng an award made 10 lower
bidder, until &c, e."
These sections Contine tina action oil
the department within very mario"
limits and it is manifest they should be
repealed or amended.
1t is to be hoped that something Will
be done at the coming session oil Con-
gress Ny own idea is that Tor service
upon routes ofthis class the Postmaster
General should not be required to &C
cept the lowest bid; but should be au-
thOrizad, in the exercise OF sound dis
cretion, 10 contract with responsible To-
cal bidders at remunerative rates. The
nonresidents who get contracts by the
dozen 90 all the harm, because they
can afford to bid so low that fair and
honest local competitor, bidding Tor
single route, is driven Ch. Many ex'
amples OF this can be found all through
West Virginia. JOHN BLAIR HOGE.
WASHINGTON. D. c., Nov. II, 1881.
Hon J. Blair Hogs:
SIR:-In response to your personal in
Qujries, etc, lelative to want OF regular
service upon mail route No. l2,23O b.
tween Webster and Beverly, W. Va, |
have the honor TO make the following
statement:
The service on this route was regular
ly let under advertisement OF October
10. 1880, to J. q. Sinclair and NJ. Granny,
who we're the lowest bidGers) and ser
vice was to be commenced July |, 1881,
but as they failed TO execute contract OF
perform service, contract was ordered
with J. T. Freeman, who was the next
lowest bidder under them, and alter al
lowing him reasonable time, he, too,
failed 10 put on the service, when a
contract was ordered with the next low
est bidder under him, who was }. ID.
Jarvis, and he was allowed until Nov
/, 1881, in which 20 place the service on
the route.
Some DAYS since gentleman repre-
Senting Mr.. Jarvis called at this Office
AID stated that he was informed that
the original contractors, Sinclair Il
Grany, had performed some service
upon the route, and therefore he (Jar-
yis) was released from responsibility
under mis- original bid; but when in
formed that such was not the case, he
said that Jarvis would put the service
on, but asked that he be allowed some
additional time in which to DO SO, and
his time was thereupon extended to
Nov. %, 1881.
Il was considered better to allow Jar.
Wis, who has been reliable contractor,
and who promised to put the service
into operation, the additional twenty
five DAYS, than TO continue to consume
time by again re letting the service to
the next lowest bidder under him, and
running the risk OF further failures.
The forms with which this office is
required TO comply with in cases of fail
ures on the part OF bidders and con
tractors to perform service under their
bids, &C., and the letting OF the ser
vice either by throwing it upon the
next lowest bidder or offering up, az the
case NAV require, necessarily consumes
a great deal of time, and unless Temporal
~ service can be employed BY
the postmasterS at the rates authorized
BY the regulations, the people are com
PEELED to suffer Inconvenience, and it is
not in the power OF this office to prevent
it.
You may rest assured, however, that
every effort will be made TO secure
regular and permanent service on the
route herein referred TO, at as early
date as possible, and might add that it
is confidently believed that Jarvis will
assume the service by November p,
1881.
Very respectfully,
II. d. LYMAN,
.4ctiBg Second Asst +. W. GENT.