The morning news., 1892-03-26
nON'T STOP FAST MAILS.
,rsrNEss MEN AGIrATED OVER
THE PLAN TO DROP IT.

uo1ld Possibly Give as Much Bens-
A+-?onts for the Postmaster GEN
ersl 10 Heed.
From the Net1 York World
Pm iness men Of southern coast cities and
.ootiVuous towns are greatly exercised over
tna possible loss of the fast mail service.
,-bich has brought them Into close COM
.,u,ication with New York and New Eng
land This city, in which so many interests
oanter. is deeply and financially concerned.
Tbe rnisfortunes that might result would be.
,orsover, most keenly felt in New England.
and particularly in such cities as Boston.
/ Bangor. Portland, Worcester, Springfield,
/ hartford, Providence, New Haven and
bridgeport. Every manufacturer in their
. ,3iscsnt communities who has southern
pade connections would experience vex-
,ious delay if this service we're curtailed.
Tse New York Board OF Trade has pro-
,ssted against the recommendation to oon-
scsss which originated with Second Assist
snt Postmaster General Bell and has been
iodorsed by the Postmaster General.
In 1879 a special facilities fund wns an.
prooriated by congress, which has since
been maintained at about 1926, 600 yearly.
and which was for extra allowances to such
railroads as could not afford to make sched-
sIes sufficiently numerous or fast These
sums were in addition to pay yment of ordi-
nary transportation rates.
For this class OF service the sum spent for
the last fiscal year was distributed as fol-
lows:
New York to Springfield, Mass, by the
New York. New Haven and Hartford rail-
road. s1S, 900; 4:35 a. m. train, New York
70 Albany. by the New York Central rail-
road, S25 600; Baltimore to Hagerstown.
by the Western Maryland railroad, $I6. 900:
Philadelphia to Bay View, Md, by the
Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore
railroad, $50, 900; Bay View. Md, to WASH
ington, and Washington to QuaEtico. Va,
by the Baltimore and Potomac railroad.
$4,000; Quantico TO Richmond, by the
Richmond, fredericksburg and Potomac
railroad, SIT 900; Richmond TO Peters
burg, by the Richmond and Peters
burg railroad, $4,000; Petersburg
TO Weldon, by the Petersburg
railroad, S12, 900; Weldon to Wilmington,
by the Wilmington and Weldon railroad
$4,000; Wilmington to Florence, N. c., by
the Wilmington, Columbia and Augusta
| railroad $4,000; Florence to Chari eston
| junction, by the Northeastern railroad.
III 900; Charleston Junction to Savannah.
BY the Charleston and Savannah railroad.
$4,000; Savannah to Jacksonville, by the
savannah. Florida and Western railroad.
$1,000; Jacksonville TO Sanford, by the
i jacksonville, Tampa and Key West rail-
road. 5000; Sanford to Tampa, 10y the
South Florida railroad. $21, 900.
For the current fiscal year $196, ,0OD was
stimated necessary. This sum is largely
expended for the coast line through south
ern service, affecting such centers as Rich
mOnd. Charleston, Savannah, st. Angus
tine, Jacksonville and Tampa Their trade
connections In the north are likewise af-
feced.
The Postmaster General declined. in his
message to congress, to recommend a con-
tinuance Of what he calls this preferential
method" He claimed that the fund was
designed to bridge over a period until the
natural growth of the mails would weld
sufficient compensation" in ordinary charges.
Such mail transportation has in general. he
claimed, increased so that the present G,rdiu-
ary revenue to railroads is in excess of both
special and ordinary compensation ten years
ago. A readjustment of rates next June,
he claimed. also would increase this 20 Der
cent.
So far as this special service applies to
this direct southern service there is a unan-
imous protest among those interested. The
presumption that railroads will continue
their present service without this special
fund, because Of passenger revenue, is not
the heaviest of the railroads in the throuph b
chain has given official notice that it could
not continue the present service If its quota
4 was withdrawn. I'VE might possibly do it
10 winter" said an official Of this road, but
/ doubt it even then, when southern travel
Is heaviest. We have other treins which
\ could take care Of the business. This special
Srylce connects with 4:3O a. m. train out
Of New York. and so its passenger quota ia
not large, except from New England. All
passengers for the south from that section
would suffer from five to twelve hours a
DAY II this service were taken Off in winter
There is no doubt but that the special serv-
Ice would be discontinued in summer If this
fund were withdrawn"
The service which these southern cities
mentioned now enjoy is the ''coast lIne."
which, as the name indicates, runs through
the lower agricultural la IDS
It's maintained by those opposing this
bloW at expeditions mail service, that the
census shows its population has not largely
increased, and by no means could its rave
nue. be construed to show that it could
maintain this service and dispense with the
fund
"The trouble is :" said New York busi-
ness man, THAT the Piedmont Air Line.
which is practically parallel, but runs in
tAe higher inland country, and which does
lot get special fund. claims it is discrimi-
usteo against. But that road has gained in
btew years the immense traffic of the
newly developed iron country and the
great cities growing SO fast in that vicinity.
Ndoes not need fund for Its fast service,
which probably pays better without IL than
NE coast line with this little help
by the present coast line service mail
eavlng New York at 4:30 o'clock a. m.
reaches Washington at 10:45 a. m, Rich
aOnd ESQ D. m., Jacksonville at noon Of the
ploWlng day, and Tampa at 5 o'clock that
N night.
Ihis train takes all the New York mail
alter $3.50 D. M. and all the morning news
papers: Vast quantities OF mail, prepared
aver closing hours of business, do not get
.u'o the local postofflce in time tor the last
STS9nlng train which leaves at 9 O'Clock.
aaI matter for Philadelphia and Balti-
uOfe aud the lines centering in those places
tL1 tNL11ntioned above is included. But points
s- .-A side OF Washington would suffer in less
pp,0portion by any curtailment on account
" extraordinary regular facilities than
,tvSd uSd points south, which are commercially
mals sue mercy OF this special service as now
maintained
Beside the New York newspapers and all
s.glt collections of letters, this service
HIshes the only fast mail outlet for New
pugiand into this great south. Bangor and
tro,and mails connect with the @ D. m.
mal mala leaving Boston. This mail is aug
Ne1, when it reaches New York, by
irat Of Springfield, Hartford, Worcester,
+ 'uence. New Haven and Bridgeport.
LnS transported direct by the boat Mary
NV, 70 Jersey CiLy. This 4:30 q. m. service
fho l.. G.On