The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-03-21
COMPLAINTS of DELAYED Mails.

| Postmaster General Wanamaker should
give his immediate attention to the work OF
! improving the mail service in the south.
The complaints Of delayed mails are nu-
merous and almost continuous. In Geor-
/ gia and Florida, particularly, the people
/ have about ceased to expect to receive their
mails regularly. They have requested the
postoftice authorities time and again to
afford them some relief. They have re-
ceived promises but no relief. 1t is not 70
be wondered at, therefore, that they de-
nounce the postoffice authorities in the Bit
terest terms, and charge them with being
incompetent and totally unfit for the re-
sponsibe positions they occupy.
The postoffice authorities say that the
railroads are to blame because they do not
make schedule time, but is it not the duty
of the postoffice department to require
them to comply with their contractsl Are
not the railroads paid for carrying the
mails on time, and if they fail to do so is
office department! Why is not the remedy
applied and the trouble corrected?
1t is the peoples money which is paid to
the railroads to carry the mails, and they
want the worth of it. If the railroads are
not paid enough for the service they under
take to perform let them lie paid more, but
when they accept contract and receive
the money it calls for they should be COM
PEELED TO comply with its terms. II they
fail to do so it is because there is something
wanting in the management Of the post
Office department.
If there were only an occasional delay in
the mails the people would not grumble.
But the delay is not occasional. 1t is con-
tinuous, and has been the subject Of COM
plants for more than two years. The At
lantic Coast Line is one Of the chief offend
ers. It's mail trains lately very seldom
reach this city on time. What is the reason (?
Does it sde-track the mails in the interest
of some other branch of its business? Why
doesn't the postofflce department inquire
into the causes Of the delays and insist that
the mails shall be forwarded in accordance
with the contracts under which they are
carried?
For 1889 about 1926, 900 was appropriated
for fast mail service, and the Atlantic Coast
Line and its connections get the larger part
of it. Does the postoffice department pro-
pose to continue to pay out this money for
a service altogether different from that for
which the money was appropriated?
The delays Of the mails coming south
over the Atlantic Coast Line derange bust
ness not only in Savannah, but throughout
the whole section of country south of her.
1t now requires from two to three days for
mails from Savannah to reach Darien, Ga.
Yesterday the fast mail train due here at
Gal o'clock a. m. did not reach here until
o'clock p. m. Complaints from many
localities continually reach the MORN
ING NEWS of the annoyance and trouble
caused by the delays of the
mails. They are referred to the superin-
tendent of the railway mail service for this
district He promptly investigates them,
but is powerless to afford the relief SO
earnestly asked for. Is it not about time
for the postoffice authorities at Washington
to show the people that they have enough
power to compel mail contractors to comply
with their contracts?
The following are few of the reports on
the complaints investigated by MIR. Tur-
ner the district superintendent of railway
mail service:
ATLANTA, March IS.
On this date Savannah, Florida and
Western % was five hours late and clerks
feeling assured that connection would be
missed at Townsville sent Monticello mail
by way of Jacksonville.
B. NJ. TURNER.