The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-04-28
RAILWAY MAIL CONTRACTS.
Preparing a System for Gauging the Pay OF
Railways for Mail Transportation.

Preparing a System for Gauging the Pay OF
Railways for Mail Transportation.
Special to the indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON, April 27.-The commission
appointed by the late acknowledgement
Howe, under authority OF an act OF Congress,
to investigate the railway mail service of the
United States and report more complete
and equitable system of gauging rates of pay
for carrying mails on railway routes, is hard
at work. The commission consists OF Rich
ard A. Elmer, Third Assistant Postmaster
general; W. B. Thompson, superintendent of
railway mail service, and Isaac c. Slater, SUI
perintendent of railway adjustments. The
gentlemen are all experts. They know the
needs of the service, and have gone to work
intelligently to lay a basis for a law which
will secure the better protection OF
the government and a fair adjustment
OF rates of compensation for the service re-
CURED
About $15, 900 900 is expended annually in
paying for mail transportation and the law
governing the disbursement of this immense
sum is exceedingly loose and indefinite, leav-
ing vast discretionary powers in the hands of
the Second Assistant acknowledgement.
who is in charge of that department of the
service. A dishonest man in that office
could take millions from the public Treasury
in a few months without consideration,
almost. He is almost without check.
Mr.. Elmer has gone into this matter
heartily, and he hopes to accomplish
this much-needed reform to leave as a monu.
ment of his official usefulness.
The basis OF the present law for paying
railroad companies is the act of March 3,
1873 which provides that the mails shall be
carried withs"due frequency" and speed, and
that sufficient and suitable room shall be
provided for route-agents to accompany and
distribute mails, and that the pay
shall be gagged according to the
average weight of the mails car
red. Additional allowances are provided
for car-space when designated as railway
postoffice cars" Everything is indefinite
but the weight and pay. The more
important elements speed and fire.
quency, have no specific weight in
determining the pay. Under this law the
companies have been required to deliver the
mails into and take them from terminal
offices, and all intermediate offices not over
quarter of a mile from the line OF the road
The application of the law is unequal, and
unsuited to the present wants of the postal
service. 1t has been recommended by Cen
eral Elmer, in the last two annual reports.
that the relations existing between the rail-
road companies and the Postofiice Depart
ment be more clearly defined by legal en-
actment.
CORRESPONDENTS WITH THE COMPANIES.
Congress has twice reduced the pay fixed
for this service under the act of
March 8, 1873 and it is we'll known that
further reduction of pay was proposed at the
last session, and that the reason that the
matter was not taken up grew out of the
total want of information as to the rates
which ought to be paid for the service. AS
means for obtaining the desired informa-
ton the commission alluded to was ordered
to be created The commission has written
to about six hundred railroad companies, i'm
wiling them to give their views and submit
such data as they might deem proper as to
the proper rates to be fixed. Thus far about
one hundred answers have been received,
and it will take two or three months to di-
gest the opinions supplied and data furnished.
The commiss does not expect to conclude
its work before next November.
The postal railway service already covers
more than 100000 miles OF Railroad and is
increasing at the rate os 5000 or 10000 miles
year. The commission will be governed
by the facts ascertained, but the funda-
mental principles to be secured are space
used, speed with which mail is drawn, and
frequency of service, with a fixed gauge to
limit expenditures according to tie actual