The Washington times., 1894-08-02
KYLE SUSPECTS FAv0RITIsA.
Discrimination in Conditions Imposed
Upon Railroads and star Routes
&, Carrx,;r,u nut coufract9

Discrimination in Conditions Imposed
Upon Railroads and star Routes
in Carrying Out Contracts
Senator Kyle is about to bring before the
Senate the subject of contracts for carrying
the mails made by the Post-Office Depart
ment with large railroad corporations. and to
compare the ienient stipulations OF these with
the rigid requirements put upon contractors
on star routes.
The matter has been brought to the atten-
ton Of Senator Kyle by correspondence
which has been going on between him and
bis constituents since soon after the COM
mencement OF the recent strike.
After holding an indignation meeting pro-
testing against the treatment to which they
were subjected in the matter OF railroad and
mail facilities, the citizens Of Ipswich, 3. d.,
resolved to lay the matter Of their grievance
before Senator Kyle. Accordingly commit
tee wrote to Senator Kyle complaining that
the daily mail train service, which had existed
between Aberdeen and Ipswich for ten or
twelve years, had been discontinued without
any notice or logical reason and the inhab-
itants received their mails at irregular inter-
walls, not more than three times a week. The
only excuse the railroad company gave for
this arbitrary proceeding was the recent
labor troubles. The citizens of Ipswich asked
Senator Kyle to call the attention Of the Post
master General to the defective service and
ascertain il the company could not be COM
PEELED to furnish the regular daily service and
whether contract to that effect did not exist.
Senator Kyle accordingly referred the mat
ter to the Postmaster General with a request
that the department take action in the matter
and, II possible, secure for the citizens OF
Ipswich and Aberdeen and other places in
South Dakota the regular daily mail service.
To this communication Senator Kyle received
the following reply:
''SIR-Replying to your letter Of the 23d In
slant addressed to the honorable Postmaster
General relative to the reduction Of train
service by the Chicago, Milwaukee and St.
Paul railway, of which the citizens OF Ipswich,
S. D., complain. you are informed that the de-
partment has no control over the train sched-
ules of Railway companies further than max
ing deductions from the compensation when
the service falls below the required frequency,
and can utilize for mail purposes only such
tri,ins as the company runs.
VERY respectfully. G. F. STONE,
'sActing Second Assistant Postmaster Gen.
erai. w.
This MEANS said Senator Kyle "that If
it suits railroad better not to carry the mails,
after having contracted 10 do SO, the company
can refuse with impunity. 1t is only another
instance of the concessions and Difference
paid TO capital and wealthy corporations. A
contract made with star route carrier, is
binding upon him TO carry the mails the re-
quired number of times, even though the
snow be twenty feet deep over his route.
There is something wrong with the contracts
that leaves citizens entirely at the mercy Of
the railroad corporations for their mail serv-
ice"
Senator Kyle purposes ventilating the one
sided nature of these contracts in the Senate
Il, l.,A