The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1896-06-18

March Goth discontinued two trains
which had been carrying mail for
over two years, for which service we
had received no pay from the Gov
eminent. Under these circum-
stances, it was a matter of much
surprise when 1 received, on March
31st, 1.-TWO days after the change of
our schedule telegram from the
Department stating that the weigh
ing would be continued for thirty
days more. On the Sd Of April i
called at the office of the General
Superintendent of Railway Mail
Service, and asked him why he pro-
posed to continue weighing mails
after notifying me that he would not
do SO, and his reply was, because we
had changed schedules. ] asked him
if it vas usual to re-weigh every
time schedules changed. He said it
was not. Now l do not object to
weighing every month in the year,
but l claim the right Of proper
notice, and the privilege of re-estab-
fishing the two trains which were
taken off. / was not given the
proper notice, but, on the contrary.
was deceived, as shown by the I'd
Assistants letter, and thereby lost
one thousand pOunCs of mail per
day, which he arbitrarily diverted
from the SeabOard Air Line. l had
| advices from the Department the
latter part of April, however, that
| the weighing would be discontinued
on the 5th of May, and / have re-
| ceived tabulated sta temcnts of the
| weights over our line for April.
which are signed by the md Assist
| ant Postmaster General, and certi-
fled to by tae superintendent Of
Railway Mail Service, as follows:
| Il do hereby certify that the fore
| going statement of weights OF mail
is correct, according to daily returns
made by sworn employees of the De-
par tment. and the statement Of ser
| vice is correct, to the best Of my
| knowledge and belief.
(Signed, )CHAs. w. VUKERY,
| Supt. Ry. NJ. Service,
| Third Division,
| (Signed.) l., NJ. TERRELL,
.Supt R.y. NJ. Service,
! Fourth Division.
| We have had no notice from the
Postoffice Department to the con-
| trary that the weights We're not cor
rect and we are entitled to our pay
under the legal methods of cOmput-
ing weights and their sworn certifi-
| Gates of the correctness of the same.
The published statement alleged tn
have been authorized by the Post
master-General is UnbecOming and
libelOus, and am prepared to court
q full, free and fair investigation
throughout with a further investi-
CATION of other lines, including the
different methods and prevailing
customs~sby which the mail pay is
adjusted, or, will the Postmaster
General authorize the publication OF
another statement and give his rea-
sons why the Seaboard Air Line was
singled out and made the object OF
unjust criticism. or why we are dis
credited for carrying public dOcu-
ments when it must have been
known to him that other lines had
carried tons of public documents in
March, which had been shipped and
re-shipped, weighed and re- weighed,
besides thousands of pounds o1
other matter, including eStta car
load lots of patent medicine adver.
tisements, all Of which passed appa
rently uDnoticed by him; or could
he have been deceived by lack OF
vigilance on the part of his Inspect
ors, or reports withheld from him?
1t is certainly a new departure for
the head of one of the great Depart.
ments of this Government to use the
great powers OF his Office, through
"Authorized Statements" in the
Press, to injure a Railroad Company.
(Signed) V. e. MCDEE,
No. 56 Court Street.
Portsmouth, Va,