The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-02-12
THE FAST MAIL TRAIN.
The Talk About It's Being Taken
Of

| The Talk About It's Being Taken
on.
There has been a good deal Of talk for
some time in regard to disseminating the
West India fast mail train.
When Assistant Postmaster General J.
Lowris Bell sent his letter to the railroad
companies which run the "West India fast
mail" announcing that the special
facility" appropriation would not be asked
from congress after July l Of this year, the
companies began considering just how much
the service to Southern Atlantic cities would
be retarded.
Among the companies which received
this letter were the Pennsylvania, the Rich
mond, Fredericksburg and Potomac, the
Atlantic Coast Line. the Charleston and
Savannah, the Savannah. Florida and
Western, the jacksonville, Tampa and Key
West and the South Florida. 1t is over
these lines that the West India mail train
runs. The officials, so far as
they have been heard from, are
Of the opinion that it will be impossible to
continue the fast train. Until conference
is held between representatives of the roads,
Mr. Bells request for q schedule of the
trains after July l cannot be made Rep
resentatives of companies interested say
that with the aid Of the extra appropriations
the business has been hardly a paying one.
that there is no truth in the rumor that the
WEST India fast mail" is to be abandoned.
He attributes the rumor TO the fact that the
department had recently advertised for bids
for carrying the mails from Port Tampa OF
Punta Gorda, via Key West and Havana,
the contract with the Plant Steamship
Company expiring in June. The estimates
Of the department for the coming fiscal
year were said TO cover the expense of pro-
VidiQQ for this CONTRACT
M. +. Plant is quoted in New York as
saying: 1.-THE letter which the Assistant
Postmaster General sent out had no refer
ence to the steamship service, but
it did announce that no appropriations
would be asked for the West India
ton Of our contract with the govern
ment expiring in June is true, but that
has nothing to do with the main question.
The letter from Mr.. Bell. a copy of which
have, means that the fast mail will be done
away with. 1t will mean q delay In the
delivery OF papers and other matter
from New York for Savannah Of
practically one day. There will
be a corresponding delay in the
delivery to other cities along the Atlantic
coast. At these coast cities our steamers
are timed to make quick connections to Key
West Havana, and other points, and our
schedules will be arranged to corre-
spond with the schedules made out
by the railroad companies. The mail route
will be the same, but the service will be
slower. The situation is different in that
section of the country from most others
The volume of business is no slarge enough
to warrant the fast service The new sched-
ules will have to be made to suit the condi~
ton Of the business, without special regard
to the speedy transmission of the mails"
With reference to the service by water
aFf Aha abe vxvfn H..
lack Of the especial facility" appropriation,
Mr.. Plant said he could say nothing at pres
ent, because it was not sure thing that his
company would secure the contract