Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-11-28
NEW MAIL CARRIERS.
Contracts Awarded to Several Steam
ship Companies.
SERVICE UPON THE RAILWAYS
An Enormous Increase in the Mileage and
the Matter Handled.
PENSIONS FOR THE POSTAL EMPLOYEES

| WASHINGTON, Nov 27.-The Postmaste,
General to-day announced the acceptance O
bids for carrying the United States mails OF
ocean routes, under the act of March 3, 1891
as follows: William H. 7. Hughes, of New
| York City, service between New York anG
Buenos Ayres, Argentine Republic touch
ing at Montevideo, Uruguay, once in three
weeks, vessels of the second class; compen
| sation, 50 per outward mile.
New York and Cuba Mail Steamship Com
| pany, service between New York and Tux
pan, Mexico, via Havana Progreso and
Tampico, and returning by Vera Cruz, From
tero, Progreso and Havana, once a week,
vessels of the third class; compensation, 81
per outward mile.
New York and Cuba Mail Steamship Com
pany, service between New York and Ha
vana once aweek in vessels of the third
class; compensation, 81 per outward mile.
John B. Clarke, of Chicago, service be.
tween Galveston and La Guayra, returning
by Curacao, Savanilla, Carthagena and
Colon, three times month in vessels of the
fourth class; compensation, 662S cents per
outward mile.
Boulton, Bliss and Dallett, of New York
City, service between New York and La
Guayra, by Curacao and Puerta Cabello,
three times a month in vessels of the third
class; compensation. 81 per outward mile.
The Pacific Ocean Service.
Pacific Mail Steamship Company, service
between New York and Colon, three times
month, in vessels of the third class; COM
pensation, 81 per outward mile. The
same company service between San Fran
cisco and Panama, touching twice each
month, going and returning, at San Diego,
Cal. Mazatlan, San Bias, Manzanillo, Aca-
pulco, Port Angel, Salina Cruz, Tonala
San Benito, Ocas, Champericco, San Jose,
Acajutla, La Libertad, La Union, Amapli,
San Juan and Punta, San Juan and Punta
Arenas These vessels are to make trip
three times month and are to be of the
fourth class. for the first three years. Dur
ing the remaining seven years the service is
to be made once week in vessels of the
third class; compensation, 6625 cents per
outward mile for vessels of the fourth class,
and 81 per outward mile for vessels of the
third class.
These contracts are all for term of ten
years except the service between Galveston
and La Guayra> which is for five years. The
Pacific Mail Steamship Company's con-
tracts call for the service to begin January
1, 1892. The New York and La Guayra
service will begin March 1, 1892, and the
Galveston and La Guayra service May 1,
1898. The New York and Havana service
February 1, 1892; the New York and Tux
pan service February 1, 1892, and the New
York and Buenos Ayres service December
/, 1894, Five other bids were received, but
they were all rejected because of irregulari-
ties in not complying with terms of the ad-
vertisement calling for bids.
Service by the Railways.
James e. White, General Superintendent
of the Railway Mail Service, has submitted
his annual report to the Second Assistant
Postmaster General. 1t shows that at the
close of the fiscal year the mails were car
ried on 159, ,518 miles of railroad in the
United States. Postal clerks were en-
ployed in the distribution of the mails on
40, 1854; service on the remainder,
namely, 18, 26 miles, having been per-
formed by means of closed pouches carried
by lines upon which no distributing is made
by postal clerks. The total number of cars
under control of the department is 1891.
At the close of fiscal year under review
there were LOSS railway postofice lines in
operation on which postal clerks were en-
ployed in the operation and distributing.
There were also 81 steamboat lines. A
total of 1866 clerks were at work on these
lines.
There was added during the year 1855
miles of new service, being an increase of
3.06 per cent. The lines upon which service
was performed by postal clerks show ar
increase of 3, ,172.6 81 miles or 2. 81 per cent.
Increase of the Matter Handled.
The mileage of lines covered by closed
pouch service was increased to 1871 26
being an increase of ], ,566. 03 miles, or 900
per cent. The annual mileage of this class
of service shows an increase of 1,475, $40
miles, or rs per cent. There are 6,O32
clerks on the rolls, being an increase of 1876
men, or 1886 per cent, while the record of
annual mileage shows an increase of 6,71S,-
S37 miles, or ) per cent in distance travelled
in the performance of duty and sos, ,462
pieces, or SO per cent in quantity of mail
matter distributed.
Mr. White says: "a large per cent of
those who have been appointed to railway
mail service under the provisions of the
intellectual capacity, but unfortunately
many of them have been deficient in STAN
ina and physical endurance, and therefore
could not Withstand the hardships incident
to an occupation requiring continuous phys
ical and mental labor and strong muscular
action"
Mr.. White recommends the enactment of
a law providing for the retirement of all
permanent railway postal clerks on one
third or one-half pay, who have become in
capacitated for further service by reason of
old age, injuries received while in the dis
charge of their official duties, etc The
r. L. - l.
be created by Withholding a sum equal to
one-half per cent. per annum of the salary
of each clerk.