The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-06-12
sEABOARD AND THE MAILS.
bunch McBee Denies the Govern
ment's Charges.

Portsmouth, Va, June 11.-Capt. V. E.
McBee, general superintendent of the Sea-
board Air Line, to-day gave out the fol-
lowing statement in regard to the charges
made against that company by the post
Office department:
1T is not usual for just grievances
against this government to be fought
through the press; but in view of the
statement in regard to the alleged irres
ularities in mail matter over the Sea-
board Air Line road, recently published
and said to have been authorized by the
postmaster general, 1 may be pardoned
for using this medium in setting forth the
facts before an impartial public. a
1--WE are not responsible in any way
for the shipment of public documents
through the mail, nor have we exerted
ourselves to induce the movement of
such documents during the mail-weighins
period. The Thanking system is a per-
sonal privilege granted TO members or
congress, to which there is no penalty at
tached, and for which the members are
alone responsible; nor has the postmaster
general, or any other government official
the right as 1 understand it, TO question
the privilege of the movement of their
documents through the mail. at any time,
in any quantity, or in any direction.
See act March 3, 1875, and act March 3,
1879, and also postmaster generals report
of 1885, page 1853, which comments as fol-
lows: .,... .....,.,
the misuse of the frank privilege,
hence there is no action that can be taken
by me further than to call the attention
Of the member to the matter
Referring to the fifteen sacks OF public
documents, claimed to have been for
warded from my office, there was no Sc
cret about 1t. They were forwarded on
regular mail trains, and It was the mail
the sacks and weigh the contents, as they
had not been previously weighed on our
line (as mail was not being weighed on
that portion of the road between Ports
mouth and Weldon, otherwise the rail-
road would haul tons of public docu-
ments during the next four years for
which we would not receive compensation,
and when I learned that postoffce in
spector was going over the road trying to
intimidate small agents by announcing
who he was, l sent for him to come 10
my Office and l would give him all of the
information he wanted In regard to the
law.
be found on page 994, clause 200, in United
States official postal guide, dated jan
uary, 1896: "A bulk package of franked
articles may be sent to one address who,
on receiving and opening the package,
may place addresses on the ranked arti-
cles and renal them for carriage and
law seems to be plain, and l. cannot see
what more could have been done than was
done to comply with it. Confirming the
above law and in further justification of
the action of my clerk, quote the follow
ing letter, written by the First Assis tant
Postmaster General, to senator who
wished to ship documents to California:
" Postoffice Department, Office of the
First Assistant Postmaster General, Di-
vision Of Correspondence, Washington,
D. c. March II, 1896.-Hon. - -,
United States Senate: Dear Sir-In COM
pliance with your request, l have the hon
or to advise you that section $685. page 49,
Postal Laws and Regulations, expressly
provides that "a bulk package of ranked
articles may be sent to one addressee,
who on receiving and opening the pack
age may place addresses on the franked
articles and renal them for carriage and
delivery TO the respective addresses.
Should any postmaster refuse to accept
Shipments in properly franked envelopes
offered them for mailing, l will issue the
necessary instruction, II you Will call my
attention TO me mater. Very respect
fully. F. II. Jones, First Asst. p NJ c.
IN regard TO the certain newspapers,
which it is pUrported were sent over our
line in April. AS l understand it, regu-
lar postage was paid and there is no law
which would prevent advertising matter
from being forwarded through the mails
at any time, and the postmaster General
can make no just complaint about that,
for we send out quantities OF paid adver-
Using matter all of the year round, and
there is no legal or equitable reason why
We should withhold matter from the mails
during the weighing period. The month
selected by the government for weigh
ing of mails is the one in when the small
EST business is done, and 141a per cent. IS
deducted from the totals, in order that
the minimum sum may be PAID Tor car
rying mails throughout the four years.
1.-The Seaboard Air Line railroad re-
eesves much less mail pay per mile than
any road of its length in the United States
and, as can show from a comparison OF