The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-03-16


creasing mood.
Mr. Bliss-That was an imperative mood,
was it not?
81 was imperative in many things. Sena-
tor Teller and others had asked Tor increase
and expedition on the White river-Rawlins
route; they asked expedition because the fast
| tri-weekly service was much better than a
| slow service seven times a week, and any
| body can see that without a microscope"
said the witness.
Mr.. Bliss reminded him that Senator Tel
Ter had not asked for expedition to forty-five
| hours
The witness presumed that when the route
was expedited the object was to get faster
time. 1T looks little, in that case, as if 1
had done as l pleased about it," said the
witness.
YES" Mr.. Bliss assented.
"Just as | had right to do, under the law,
without reference to senators or petitions"
continued the witness.
Mr.. Bliss produced letter in this connec-
| ton, asking five-day schedule; and inquired
| why forty-fve hours schedule had been
allowed
The witness answered that he had no
means of knowing whether the days spoken
OF meant twelve or twenty-four hours At
tention was not always paid to recommended
| tlons OF postmasters, because they often had
personal motives The inquiry into the
schedule on this route was pushed to
some length. The witness said he did not
know that the expedited schedule would re-
suit in bringing the mail to Rawlins two
| hours too late to connect with the other
mails; he did not believe such was the case,
or, if it was, it had been a mistake of the
corresponding clerk, whose duty it was TO
| look after such things with particularly.
The schedule was only fixed by the Second
Assistant pro forma.
The peculiarities of the St. Charles-Green-
Horn route were next inquired into, the
testimony being technical in character and
| relating to corrections of errors of advertise
ment and schedules. The route from Trini-
| dad to Madison was next taken up and
thoroughly examined. Ration had been put
OH that route, the witness said to give it
direct communication with the county seat.
PETITIONS NOT CLOSELY SCANNED
In connection with the Garland -Parrott
City route, Mr.. Bliss called the witness's at
tention to the postmaster's letter protesting
that the proposed ffty-hour schedule was
impossible
The witness replied, positively that moth
ing was impossible in that direction. If men
and horses enough were used, it could be
| done; that was the contractors business, not
| his. The assertion was ridiculous on its face.
| The witness presumed he had not considered
the revenue when he increased that service
The witness did not always seek to verify the
statements made in petitions, or their in
dorsements. When they came to him from
responsible persons, he presumed they spoke
the truth.
Mr.. Bliss inquised if the witness remem-
| bered the orders connected with the Dallas
! Baker City route The witness answered
that he had an indistinct recollection of such
orders he had made the orders in connection
with over 10000 star routes
Mr.. Bliss-Orders for expedition and in
crease?
A Answer-Orders of some kind
| Mr.. Bliss asked why expedition had been
ordered on this route instead of increased
! trips.
The witness answered that it seemed ri1ie-
/ clous to think slow service six times a
week was better than three trips per week on
a fast schedule, especially if the people
wanted it that way.
Mr.. Bliss asked how ne knew the people
wanted it,
The witness said he had accepted the repre-
sentations of members OF Congress as to the
needs of the people
Mr.. Bliss-Were they always expressions
of their own unbiased judgment.
Answer-Certainly; could not assume
| anything else.
The examination thus recurred to the Red
| dng-Aturas route. The witness said he had
no knowledge that the mail was being car
ried in less than the expedited time before
the order of expedition, but if he had known
it, it would have made no difference The
|
carry itupon short schedule without extra
pay.
Mr.. Davidge Qaughingly)-I think the
witness is getting the better of Mr.. Bliss; l
think he had better be stopped.
| Mr.. Bliss-Mr Davidge need not protect
| me- there are Others needing his protection.
The witness was asked if he had sought to
drive bargains for the government He said
he had; he had expedited most of the routes
at less than pro rata.
| Mr.. Bliss-Then you assert that eighteen
of the nineteen routes we've expedited at less
than pro rata?
Answer-I do; I will show it to you. We
had general rule for expedition. We cal
cula ted that first-class service in the Western
| country was worth about $50 mile, depend
ing on the character of the country, and that
it should not exceed $50 These nineteen
routes will show an average of less than
$50 per mile.
The witness assumed that the contractors
afiidavits were true, and that they
had not committed perjury. The only
means he used to prove them was
by general rule allowing so
country where the route lay. He denied
that there were errors manifest upon the
face of the affidavits. or that they were ab-
surdly at variance with the results He did
not remember anything about two affidavits
in one case.
Mr.. Bliss pointed out an instance, and the
witness said the results as shown by the prop
osition would be the same in either case, al
though the figures were different.
Mr.. Biss-Can both be true?
The Court-You are as good Judge of that
as he.
An affidavit signed by John Dorsey was
shown in a case where he was not sub-con-
tractor The witness said he did not remem-
Der taking any steps to ascertain if Dorsey
was sub-contractor The docket did not show
that it appeared to be regular, and the case
had been made up by Turner, careful cor
responding clerk. The docket should have
shown that fact; if Dorsey was not the SUBJ