The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-01-07
A "Kicker' Who Knows What He is
Talking About.


TOWNSVILLE, GA, Jan. 5.-EditOr
Morning Nel0s: Noticing for some time
past a certain amount of Kicking" both
by the MORNING NEWS and also some of its
correspondents, over the Irregularities in
the mail service, l, frequent and long
sufferer myself from these irregularities,
am induced to take up my pen on this sub
ject.
None Of US should expect impossibilities
from either the railway carriers or the pos
tai officials, nor can we expect any Utopian
perfection in the service for some time to
come But, with a view to correcting some
Of the present evils, propose to point out
where the chief trouble lies, and which if
properly corrected will accomplish wonders
in bringing about an improved service.
The gist of the whole matter can be found:
l. In the negligent manner in which the
railways perform their contracts with the
government Il. G. the people); and, 2. In
the fact that the postoffice officials rarely,
if ever, observe and carry out the postal
laws and regulations covering failures and
delinquencies in the carrying of the mails
The compensation paid the railroad COM
panles for their services is exceptionally lib
eral, and forms no small part of railways
revenue. Therefore, the public has
clear right to expect entrdor-
binary diligence on the part of these
carriers in making their connection, and in
getting the mails through ION time" or as
nearly on time as possible. Ny observation
and experience lead me to assert that no
such diligence is used nowadays, and the
reason for this state Of affairs can be traced
TO the failure of the postoffice department
to put on the screws as they have a right
10 90 under their contracts with the rail
way companies
1t may be that the various postmasters
concerned, and the railway postal clerks do
not report the delays and the failures to
connect, which bring about these Irregular
yes: Ii not, then let the department see to
IL That 1t is done in future Chapter 90,
United States Postal Laws and Regulations,
section S4S, says:
The Postmaster General may make deductions
rom The pay of contractors for failures to per-
s u service according to contract, and impose
't S upon them Tor other deinQuencies.
ell, ShO; oSu In all eases there will DO a deduc-
sOu Vi ths prices OF trip when the trip is not
rum OF not more than three times the paw of the
up Il the failure be occasioned by the fault Of
I contractor or carrier; of at least one fourth
ios wneh Inc arrival is so far behind time as TO
''ee eue connection with a depending mail.
rap -. 900. Every postmaster shall promptly
rv i 70 the postmaster general every den-
t tUHty1 neglect or malpractice Of the contrac-
70 their knowledge -
oI TIsoIIoN S5S The regular reports above re-
cYoee 20 must be TENT by the first mail after the
postmaster general
AnoVher section further provides:
o,, a specific excuse is required for each delin.
Hoesiucy OF a contractor, and mere general allie
cations will not be admitted
,o nT", the above-quoted postal laws and
aosulauons are dead letter in this state. or
st ~, amy In Southwest Georgia, as | can
TnrOa rom ~. my own knowledge. Will Supt.
bsnai please inform us how many fines
failnr oee ia imposed on Georgia railroads for
'D una mails during the past six months?
carro SuouI the penalties are enforced we
this u ros expect the railways to improve in
graz pocu' IL is morally certain that the
nIovoo mass OF clerks, workmen and en-
nrc, os ~ Ihls country would never reportlso
a. p'y az their various places Of business
morning If all fear of mourning dis
their minds. '''Hi
VIII NOW OF certain railway in Georgia.
nect iio, II u mas failed in making its con
inc tG once-lt has failed fifty times. dur
bnnds PoSC Twelve months: thus exposing
and nr Gus Oh people to untold incon venience
Of its o V9n actual loss; and was told by one
kind Giluclals that it never has fine Of any
imacinaIpys posed on It'll 1t can readily be
NOT Ineu that the managers of that line do
1get Use ~ any sleep when their trains fail to
81. tnere" on time.
had tbo or point: Formerly mail trains
rairo ae right Of way" inudridbIv. on ali
ocla.s and all the other trains had 10
veys o, tne track" when Uncle SANS con-
now I os came along. All this is changed
ipg t ana can recall dozen occasions DIR
fortune past year when have had the mis-
our trsjnU 70 be riding on mail train, and
Tor lain lam mail and alD had to ''side-tracIT
bcrI many minutes-in some instances 60 a.
soma I5 more-for some "specialn train
train 70 uliman vestibule, s" or even a freight
tulv people are patient and long suffering
~ may DO that IL we had more