The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-03-18
a Better Mail Service Needed.

a Better Mail CGTViCc NtSoSQ
The necessity for making changes and
improvements in the mail service in tbs
section has been apparent for some time TO
those who have mich t. do with le service.
Complaints of IRE guiar!tias and delays
have been received from people south of
this city almo,t daily throughout this win
ter, and as their complaints have as yet
been followed by no reforms they are be-
ginning TO think that ths Post Office De-
partment is indifferent to them.
The cause of the bad service appears to be
an insufficient number of men to handle the
mails and a lack of proper mail facilities
When the fast mail going South is late, the
special train from this city which supplies
its place has neither postal car nor mail
agent. The consequence is that the people
of Southern and Southeastern Georgia. and
large portion of Florida, all of whom do
business with Savannah, are compelled to
wait until late in the afternoon, ard some
times until the following day, for their
mail.
The MORNING NEWS has been calling the
attention of the Post Office Department
constantly to this unsatisfactory mail ser
vice, and has especially applied TO the
Superintendent of the Railway Mail Service
at Washington, Hon. T. E. Nash, to i'm
prove it. That gentleman visited
this mail division and investigated
the complaints. 1t was suggested that
many of the things complained
Of could be remeded by making Savannah,
which is the most important commercial
point on the South Atlantic
coast line, the headquarters Of the Railway
Mail Service for this section The head
quarters at present are at Charleston. The
suggested change would make it an easy;
matter when the fast mail is
late to send out the mail
from this city in the postal cars, and in
charge of route agents. The section OF
country now suffering from mail irregu-
laritieS would then be supplied with proper
mail facilities. This arrangement would also
prevent any unusual delay in forwarding
from this point the mail which leaves New
York at p. m, reaching this city by way
Of Augusta over the Georgia Central road
at $50 p. M, the second day. This mail
carries the bulk of the business letters for
this section of the South, and it is, therefore,
important that it should suffer no delay on
the route
The adoption of the suggestion in question
would equalize the distances run by the
route agents on the Atlantic Coast Line be-
tween New York and Tampa, and also their
work. At present the mali route is divided
as follows: From Washington to Whining
ton, N. G, SOL miles; from Wilmington to
Jacksonville, 400 miles; from Jacksonville
to Tampa, 239 miles BY making Savan
nah one of the dividing points the d.
visions would be as follows: From Wash
ington to Wilmington, n. c., 36l miles;
from Wilmington to Savannah, 327 miles;
from Savannah to Tampa, 40l miles.
Charleston is trying to keep the head
quarters of the Railway Mail Service for
this section in that city. Her Chamber of
Commerce has already taken action in the
matter. There is no special reason, however,
why the headquarters should remain there,
and there are excellent reasons why they
should be removed here. The Cotton Ex-
change and Board of Trade, of this city,
are deeply interested in having regular
mail communication with the section of
country south of here, and they should use
their influence to have the change
suggested adopted. Every merchant of
Savannah would be benefited by its adop-
tion. The business interests of the city
urgently demand regular and prompt de-
livery of the mails.