The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-07-19
A RIGID POSTAL RULE.
1t VIII he Enforced Against the of.
Tending Railroads.

Postmaster Sahm yesterday received a
copy of the recent order of the Postmaster
general regarding the carrying of mail by
railroad companies in violation of the
statutes Of the United States, which for
bids competition with the government mail
service. The order is as follows:
Whereas 1t has been made TO appear
upon evidence satisfactory TO the Postmas-
ter-general that officers and employees of
the railway companies Throughout the
United States are in the habit of sending
and carrying over their various lines let
tiers outside the mails and not Enclosed in
government stamped envelopes. and which
do not pertain to the cargo being carried
Whereas The carrying of such letters
outside the mails is in direct violation OF
Sections 29S5 and 1898 of the Revised
Statutes Of the L nited States, which read
as follows
Section 1885. No stage coach. railway
which regularly performs trips at stated
periods on any post route or from any city.
town or place TO any city. town or place
between which the mail Is regularly car
ried shall carry. otherwise than in the mail.
any letters or packets. except such as re-
steamboat or other vessel or to some arti-
Gle carried at the same time by the same
stage coach. railway car or other vehicle.
except provided in Section $685. and for
every such cffense the owner OF the stage
coach, railway car. steamboat or other
vehicle or vessel shall be liable TO pen
u
ter or other person having charge thereof
and not at the same time owner OF the
whole or any part thereof shall for every
such offense>be liable &c a penalty of so
Sec. S93. All letters inciosed in stamped
yelopes. If the postage stamp Is OF
denomination sufficient to cover the post
age. that would be chargeahle thereon if
the same were sent by mail. may he sent,
conveyed and delivered otherwise than by
mail provided such envelope be duly di-
rected and properly sealed so that the let
ter cannot he taken therefron without de-
facing the envelope, and the date OF the
letter or of the transmission or receipt
thereof shall be written or stamped upon
the envelope. But the Postmaster-gener
may suspend the operation Of this section
upon any mail route where the public In
terest may require such suspension.
Il therefore hereby notify all railroad
officials and employees that these sections
of the Revised Statutes will be rigidiy en-
forced and that all parties detected in their
violation. whether officers of the railway
companies. conductors on trains. baggage
masters, brakemen or other employees. VIII
be prosecuted for such violation. All in
spectors of the Postoffice Department are
instructed to keep a careful watch and ar
rest any person caught carrying letters in
violation of these statutes"
Little Hope for salary Increases.
II looks very discouraging now to the
clerks in the Indianapolis ?cstofice who
nave been expecting an increase in salary
this year. A dispatch from Washington
shows that the average increase in the ap-
preparation fer this item Of expense has
been per cent. taking the last twenty
years Ger the computation. This year the
appropriation Is sit.40.0J0. as against &c.
10000 sast year. an increase OF only sS)o,0OJ.
or only acout 3 per cent. This $500. 900 must
be divided among the twelve largest Offices.
the l5s other frst-class offices and the 146
second-class cfflces- Postmaster Sakm does
not feel very hopeful. under the circum-
stances. Of getting his request for an in
crease of $4,000 in this Office The total re-
quests for increase in clerk hire from all
the Offices which are entitled to clerks
amounts to $3.50 400. This Is more than
double the appropriation.