Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-06-07

, JUNE Z, 1882.
TME srAR ROUTE CASES.
MI. wKlson Cencludes His Opening
ArHunaemts
The Criminal Court was convened this morning
promptly on time, but the various lawyers and de-
fendants in the star route case were not pune
tual. Meme OF the counsel for the government
were present when Mr. Wilson resumed hts open
ing for the defence Mr.. wilson called attention
to the instructions issued to bidders by the Post
once department, and which were in force long
before General Brady's administration. Mr.. VIII
son referred &C length to the statements made by
Mr.. Bliss concerning the route from St Charles 10
Greenhorn. The truth was, he said, that
Mr.. BRADY WAS NOT ThERB;
another man, who was not named in the indict-
ment> and was acting Second Assistant Postmaster
General at that time, made the order. It was q
mere assumption, he said, to state that the gov
ernment could have obtained the service cheaper
than 1t was rendered. He had no time to 60 over
all these routes In detail, but claimed that the
ev1oence would show that what he had said OF the
rev routes which he had considered in detail would
apply to all.
THE EVIDENCE WOULD SHOW
that invariably where there was failure on the
part of the contractor, Mr.. Brady imposed upon
them vigorously the fines and deductions pro-
vided for by the regulations OF the department.
He asked II man In q conspiracy would thus ilne
his co-conspirator Mr.. Wilson commented at
some length upon the statute requiring that in
increasing mah service the Postmaster General
ohsr G1s sesrS ios % @ snd M
the post onlceS, said Mr. Wilson. WAS no criterion
OF the productiveness OR value OF che route. The
OmceS showed only the mail lat was sent out Of
the office. They did not show the through mail
Nothing could be more deceptive than to present
such figures to the jury and claim that they rep
reserved the value OF the route.
THR RxPRRn
VINO would be here would tell the Jury that that
was no criterion by which to Judge of the import
ance OF route; that it was bald deception. The
government, he claim ed, did not regard produc-
tiveness as the criterion. The potential words in
the Statute were, "and other circumstances"
HISTORY OF NAIL ROUTE LEGIsLArIoN.
In 1922 they found the first act bearing upon this
question. This was the act providing for the es-
tabifshment OF the general post office, In which
provision was made for the management and in
crease OF the mail service He read other statutes
de lining the duties OF the Post once department,
including an early statute requiring the Postmas-
ter General to report to Congress routes which,
third OF the cost OF carrying the mail upon them.
The next statute required the discontinuance OF
all post routes which had not produced one-fourth
was necessary to connect other routes or to carry
out the provision Of Congress requiring that
county towns be served with mail The next stat
ute read by Mr. Wilson was passed in 1s45, provid-
Ing, IN case the revenues OF the department. were
not suncient TO pay for extension OF the
service, the denciency should be paid out OF any
moneys in the Treasury not otherwise appropri-
ated. MI. Wilson referred to the establishment Of
PONY EXPRESSES
between New Orleans and Washington and WASH
ingtOn and New York during the Mexican war,
which gave the country some knowledge OF the
value Of expedition After the war, when settlers
nocked TO the Pacific slope, Congress passed an
act providing that no mail route should be discon-
tlnued IN consequence OF the dfm1nution Of its
revenues. There had been
TWO IDEAS
with reference to the postal service There was
one class of men who held that the department
ought to pay its own expenSes-ths department
which, OF all Others came closest to the people.
Then another class thought that this department
ought to be made the means OF conveying intell-
gence to the people, the handmafd OF enterprise,
assisting in developing the wealth OF the country,
though the revenues Of the department were not
sufncient to pay for them After the Mexican
1d 9ne popping Of the Pacific slope
NAIL ROUTE ACROSS THE WIDE HxPANsR
that lay between these pioneers and their old
homes in the east The government then thought
there were other circumstances to be considered
beyond the mere revenues to be derived from the
mail service to influence their action There was
the important circumstance Of uniting the people
OF the west and those OF the east This route cost
$500 Goo year. and for that expenditure the gov
ernment got 81 900 in return Mr.. Wilson referred
to another route then established extending to the
southwest which cost 100000 and produced rev.
enue OF 81 COO It was not the productiveness that
the government had in view. II the court consid-
cred It proper that this kind OF comparison should
be introduced in this case he would show by the
records OF the department that II the theory Of
productiveness was to prevail three fourths Of the
mail service In the country should be discontinued
THE LETTER CARRIRR SYSTEM.
He referred to the letter-carrier system intro
duced In the last few years, which he said the
government would not dare dispense with now.
Was 1t productive? It was productive-not OF
revenue, but OF celerity and speed. They were
paying to-day hundreds OF thousands OF dollars
for the purpose of keeping up this carrier system
He thought Mr. Bliss TOOK great satisfaction In In
forming the jury that he (Mr. Bliss was a Yankee
were people Who took broader view oi the ser ser.
vice than that It had been seriously proposed to
extend this carrier system.
MR.. MERRIcK oBJKcrs
Mr.. Merrick here interrupted Mr.. Wilson, and
objected to that gentleman making an argu-
ment
Mr.. Totten claimed that Mr. Wilson had not
gone beyond the limits set by Mr. Bliss, who not
only made arguments but took every occasion to
denounee the defendants as rascals.
After some discussion, the court having stated
the restrictions placed upon an opening statement,
Mr.. Wilson proceeded.
FAST TRAINa
He said that only a short time ago the govern
ment negotiated with railroad companies to carry
the mails on exceedingly fast trains That was
not in reference to productiveness but with refer
ence to speed. Only two weeks ago the Post
master General negotiated to shorten the time be-
tween New York and Chicago three hours II was
ce!erfty the government wanted. The highest
rate OF pay on any route increased or expedited
under Mr. Brady's administration was $S7 q mile
A comparison OF this cost with that which ruled
prior TO his administration showed how largely
the cost OF service was reduced during his term OF
Office Mr.. Wilson read ngures OF various routes
whose cost ranged from 500 to $50 per mile, In
years preceding Mr. Bradys accession to oflce II
they take the average OF the service 1t was cheaper
under his administration than 1t had been for
many years before. In 1853 the cost Of carriage
| per mile was 636 cents; in 1868 1t had grown to
| i1.90 cents, but under Mr. Bradys administrator
was reduced to 0.M cents.
Referring to comparisons made with lettings
under Mr. Brady's administration and those OF
| 1884, he said there had been immense changes In