Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1891-04-14

CARRYING THE MAILS.
4, Paws the Railroads Well and Costs tho
government $40. 900, 900 Year.

4, Paws th. Railroads Well and Costs tho
Government $40. 900, 900 a Year.
The railroads carry the vast bulk OF
the mails nowadays People want their
letters quickly So the railroads get the
carving wherever they reach. OF course
considerable mail goes by steamboat ana
by stage. "star route" and by penny post.
The transportation of Uncle sam S mans
is something enormous. superintendent
Burt, of the railway mail service, sald;
Eyes. imagine that would be inter
esting, for the transportation OF mails
covers u tremendous figure.
I'm the first place the government has
q monopoly Of all mail transportation
There is no such thing as a private car
rier or a 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 q Gamble
wanted to send out 800, 900 circulars. 1t
would cost them $4,000 for postage.
Somebody might offer to deliver those
circulars for, say, s., 900. Well, he would
be arrested very quickly. Business men
can have their boxes at the postoffice and
send their messengers for mail, but no
business man or men can have private
route and pay a man for serving II.
Everything must go through the post
office Envelopes with r. r. B. on
them ('railroad business) go through
without postage. You can employ
messenger boy to carry letter for you,
or you can hand a letter to friend to
deliver as a personal accommodation.
ITO get at the matter Of transportation
it 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 fifty
foot car and $50 for 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 "a, 900
to $1,000. Now you've got the figures
for the cars. The government pays $50
per annum per mile for every 200 pounds;
500 pounds, SO; 1000 pounds, 800; 1900
pounds, 1925; 1900 pounds, $3.50; $500
pounds, $l75; 5000 pounds, $500, and $25
for every additional 1000 pounds The
government paid about $50 900 in
1889 for transporting the mails; for rental
of postal cars, s., 1850, 600, and for pay of
clerks, $5,600,O00. This is for railroad
service alone.
THE steamboat service costs $500, 600,
and the stage coach and horseback serv-
ice, $950000; the mail equipment pouch
es locks, etc, 100000 So you see the
government pays nearly 100000 coo for
mail service. '-Cincinnati Times-Star.