The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1884-01-02
Additional washington

WAsHGHGreS, Jan. LIN regard to the
| vice, the committee which has been acting
under the postmaster generals advice, az
sure the post-oflice department that ~ can
not enter into the matter OF making dis
elimination IN the pay as between rOaus
having large and those having small
amounts OF traffic ana between thOse which
are costly and those which are NOT,
in their construction and maintenance;
those east or west OF given
meridian or north or south OF given par
allel. ALI those things were suggested IN
the correspondence from the railroad man
ayers. Some reasons advanced by the
railroad companies for discrimination
more, when set side by side, contradictory.
One claims the right to high rates because
tue business OF his road is light and high
rates for carrying the mails would supply
deficiency; another gives rs a
reason that the business OF his
ioad is heavy and car space
highly remunerative. One road is put In
country where fuel is scarce one In
mountainous region, where the cost OF C IN
strurtion and operating is heavy; one COM
pany pleads scarcity OF water; one -ays
IL crosses many streams requiring many
bridges; a number OF dangerous curves, and
even the direction OF the wind is cited a.
worthy OF the attention OF the committee
in the preparation OF any new scheme OF
payment in fixing the basis of compensa-
lion. The committee say that weight no
longer is the chief factor to deliver the re.
quirements OF the service, space being
foremost while weight becomes modify
ing element only as it helps to determine
what space shall be required.
From careful study OF the whole field,
the comittee reach the conclusion that the
yield pei passenger car cannot be very lar
r. I'D .to nos In
jority .of roads yielding less. They con-
clude, therefore, that at the rate
foot per mile run on rs cents per mile for q
City foot car at the ordinary speed OF
twenty miles per hour. they would be
getting a rate corresponding closely to the
return from all the passengers traffic COM
bined. While recognizing the great i'm
portance speed as an element OF value
10 the public the COMMITTEES find II very
difficult to establish wise scheme OF ad-
justment which shall comprehend speed rs
factor.
The committee think that the objection
to the railway postal service Is but In ODE
dience to the demands OF the travelling pub.
lie. The committee therefore did not at
tempt 10 closely estimate the value OF speed
o. out e ,era 1ss ,t,op' must o'' include
speed as a factor. On the subject OF special
trains the committee submit letter rom
the British postoffice explaining method
OF increasing the value of postal service.
which, in some OF its places, might be APP
plicnble to railway service in the United
States. The postmaster general OF Great
Britain is empowered to call upon any rail- |
road company TO carry the mails BY a train |
run within hours he may direct, and At a
speed not exceeding the speed Of the COM
pany's iirst-class passenger trains, the
'topping places, and the duration Of stop
pages bring also under his control. High
-,ios 0, pay ment for ibe,service are inevits-
Die.
The following are the committee recon-
nendafions: firs', That tue ompen-ation
o railroads for carrying the msiis shall be
delivered upon the basis OF spsce used and
he frequency aud speed Of the mails con.
eyed. Second. that the space fac o. hal
" detern'ned BY the Dostmaster-gsutra
lev OF the needs Of the service. 1hai
peed shall be the factor 10 be de'srrn'f 81
" the schedule OF the various raj r0afs In
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