New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-05
DELIVERY OF THE MAILS.
RELATIONS OF THE MAIL CARRIERS TITHE
POSTAL SERVICE.
THE POLICY OF THE GOVERNMENT IN IMPOSING
FINES FOR DELAYS IN THE MAILS OFT


THE POLICY OF THE GOVERNMENT IN IMPOSING
FINES FOR DELAYS IN THE MAILS OFT
LINED BY THE PosTMAsTER.GENERALA
Washington, JAN 4-Postmaster- General Dickinson
to-day promulgated important decision In the nat
ter Of the application Of many Of the leading rafoad
companies Of the country, asking for authoritative
definition of the general policy of the Department in
imposing fines and deductions for failures and dollys
IN carrying the mails, and for relief against alleged
injustice and hardship In the theory and practice Of
the Department in imposing fines and deduction In
certain specified This application is made for
the stated tina, the officers of the railroad
panics do not know and cannot even conjecture upon
what theory these zines and deductions made, be-
cause they made upon certain grounds and no
information is returned to why the fines and dc
auctions are made.s
The Postmaster General says that 1t is clear from
the memorial itself and from the statements of
counsel that there Is clear absence of knowledge
TO the policy and practice of the Office and what
he has to say, therefore, except where changes are
especially mentioned intended merely 10 define the
policy and declare It for the future
It the first and principal essential to an efficient
man service, he says, that the railroad companies,
the owners and operators of the great post roads of
the Government, cordially cooperate with the De-
parment in afording convenient, certain and quick
transmission A reference to the condition of the
contract for carrying the mails should not be
sary to point this argument 1t is doubtless gravs
defect in system, not existing in any other county
except possibly Portugal that here the carrying of
the mails by railroads IS rot made compulsory by
law. Neither IS 1t the pon' that the compensation
allowed by law 10 railroads for carrying the mails Is
too high The duty of the Department Is TO take IL
conclusive that the companies are entitled 10 the
present rate of compensation uldcr the acts of Con-
gress. The Government protects the person with
whom 1t deals and IS his representative within the
lines OF the justice and fairness, as we'll as the pro-
tector Of the public at large.
The Postmaster-General continues
In my opinion the impose ines and deductions
without limit conferred make the right to
discipline for actual delinquency cefain quick and
Gnappessbe. disciplinary force am fully con-
WINGED that 10 should not be exercised
Is actually performed though delayed, wen the delay
is not stoned by tie fault negligence or offence Of
the company. There is distinction betwee deductions
from pay. anG fines. which should be kept II mind.
failure 10 verform service for which, il periomed com
pensatcz is to be paid calls for refusal pay for
not been given. This Is oduction.
the failure is by delinquency that is fault Negligence
offence then IL is for fine. II the seidcc
actually performed aud mileage accomplished thouh
layed md the contractor has expended his time an
money render it, If promptly and regularly perforied
1t Is not for deduction and it is not case for ne
unless delinQuenccs above defined, be the cause.
promscuous exercise OF these by nnumerable SINAI
fines for everything only tends in opinion to weaken
the eect contemplated by the statute II railroad con-
tractor shall fail without fault and through unavoidable
accident the act of God to make his schedule time ana
his connections and shall give tho mileage and ser
vices contracted for his should not be reduced and
most assuredly he should be fined
On the other hand the railroad companies must comply
with all the regulations of the department for the trans
poraon and expedition Of the mails and the convenience
the public Schedules should be made upon such time
that may be made Thousands of people and
thousands interests involved In the delivery OF the
mails The passenger traffic, freight Of single train,
involves nfnesimal interest in comparison with heavy
mail and must in be given precedence and where
delay other occur the mails must have
the preference Of expedition Disregard Of any OF these
requirements be held be delinquencie and the
penalty in such cases. should be heavy enough to make
It thoroughly understood and remembered
Complaint is deductions for failure to the
mails and foods cannot acccde to the
proposition where company fails TO carry mail on
Monday Tuesday "Wednesday. but Thursday takes
the full bulk of the mail for four days. 1t should receive
full provided for daily service Nevertheless
am inclined think that the present theory OF making
deductions may be properly ameliorated as
in practice 1t has been.
The Postmaster General believes that the following
rules should be entirely satisfactory to the companies
In an extraordinary case coming within the cSccp
tona character of the great blizzard of March, 1885,
where the highest degree of diligence Is used to
move tho of delay, there should he no fine or
deduction for any delay whatever, be 1t one day or
more. In the other and usual cases of delays by
SHOWS or floods the following: For whole days
failure and the whole of the mail is carried through
the succeeding day, full pay where there is failure
for two days and the mail goes through on the third
day. one days pay If there should be failure for
four DAYS, three days pay should be deducted and
wore the failure is longer, deduction should be made
for every day, except the last one, of the delay.
Regarding the strikes the Western roads, the
Postmss tor General says
do not conceive that strike Of railroad employees
AFFORD any for failure to carry the mails There
hes been no case where and facilities could not be
found sufficient to carry the malls and IL cases occur
where the contractors either will not not take
In addition IL be ground for refusal
or failure to proceed with the Government business alone
II case should Of violent and unlawful OBJ
The movement Of the mails the Government
will be fully able to set 1t aside. As 10 fines for de-
nquency which results in failure TO connect the rule
should be deduct from the line where the delinquency
occurred
The Postmaster-G General says that he is of the
opinion that no fine deduction should be imposed
for delay caused by broken axle, hot box, or any
similar accident, against which the highest diligence
and best cars have not been able 10 guard In such
diligence be not used in romedyns the accident, or in
expedition after rcmcdying fine should be imposed |
The decision is dated March ], 1888, and It is al,
rected that fines and deductions be imposed and |
deductions made in accordance with the views |
in the decision from That date IT.
assessed against postal contractors and Others during
the fiscal year ended June 30, 1855, was S2o4,224.
TIMBER DESTROYED IN THE NORTHWEST. |
SUIT OF THE GOVERNMENT AGAINST THE
NORTHERN PACIFIC.
St Paul. Mimi, Jan. 1.-The most important suit
hat has been fled in the United States District Court
Tor many years was begun last evening, in behalf of
the United States Government. 1t is an action against
the Northern Pacific Railroad Company which involves
between 100000 and $6,O0O,0o0. 1t IS charged
that ever since the road has been built, about 1862
I has been trespasslng upon Government land along
Is line, denudng Government timber lands, and caus-
ne great loss and damage TO the Government The !
extended to lands and timber In various
parts Of Idaho Washington Territory. Montana and
Minnesota. In Montana, the road has cut over fifty
million feet of timber, worth 81 900 600; In Idaho,
10 100000 feet, worth 300 900; in Washington Ter
1tory, 20,OOo,000 worth 900, and in Minnesota
,ver 200 600 feet worth IS, 100000. The dis !
Ii