The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1890-05-15
CARRYING THE MAILS.
u Paws the Railroad. Well and Casts the
Government $40, 900, 900 IA Year.

n Paws the Railroads Well and Costs the
Government $40. 900. 900 IA Year.
The railroads carry the vast bulk OF
the mails nowadays. People want ther
letters quickly. So the railroads get the
CARRYING wherever they reach OF course
considerable mail goes by steamboat and
by stage, "star route" and by penny post.
The transportation Of Uncle Sans mails
Ia something enormous. Superintendent
Burt, of the railway mail service, said:
"Yes, | imagine that would he inter
estine, for the transportation OF mails
covers a tremendous figure.
I'm the first place the government has
a monopoly of all mail transportation.
There is no such thing rs private car
rier or private delivery. Otherwise
man might set himself up in business
and make money by carrying and deliy-
ering for less than Uncle Sam could.
For instance. suppose Proctor 81 Gamble
wanted to send out 800, 900 circulars. 1t
would cost them 5000 for postage.
Somebody might offer to deliver those
circulars for, say, g., 900. Well, he would
be arrested very quickly. Business men
can have their boxes at the postofiice and
send their messengers for mail, but no
business man or men can have private
route and pay man for serving it.
Everything must 40 through the post
office. Envelopes with n. X. b.. on
them Crailroad business0 go through
without postage You can employ a
messenger boy TO carry a letter for you,
or you can hand letter to friend to
deliver rs personal accommodation.
ITO get at the matter of transportation
1t were better to know at first what are
post roads. Well, all waters Of the United
States, all railroads or part of railroads,
all canals, all plank roads and the road
on which the mail is carried to any court
house or county seat. The mails must
be carried on any train that the post
master general may select.
Now as to the pay. might say that
land grant roads, that is, roads that get
help from the government, only receive
so per cent. for transporting. The rail
roads furnish all cars or parts Of cars
for the carrying Of mails, and they shall
be maintained, heated and lighted by
the railroad companies. The government
pays $25 per mile per annum for mail
cars forty feet in length, $40 for II fifty
foot car and so for n sixty-foot car. The
government does not own anything about
the equipment except, of course, its sacks
and pouches for mail
"a good postal car will cost from 81, 000
to 5000. Now you've got the figures
for the cars. The government pays So
per annum per mile for every 200 pounds;
800 pounds, SO; | 900 pounds, 800; 1,500
pounds, Sl2j; 1000 pounds, $780, $500
pounds, $40; 5000 pounds, $500, and 81
for every additional 1900 pounds. The
government paid about 100000 900 i'll
1889 for transporting the mails; for rental
of postal cars, -, 800 900, and for pay OF
clerks, $4,000 This is for railroad
service alone.
1.-The steamboat service costs $500, 900
and the stage coach and horseback serv
ice, $3.50 900; the mail equipment, pouch
es, locks, etc, $500, 900. So you see the
government pays nearly 100000, 600 fol
mail service. Cincinnati Times-Star