The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-06-14

and one-half per cent. IS deducted from
the totals. I'm order that the minimum
sum may be paid for carrying mails
throughout the four years.
THE Seaboard Airline railroad receives
much less mail-pay per mile than any
road Of its length I'm the United states
and as ] can show from a comparison or
their published reports, has been for years
unjusty treated I'm these matters.
WEIGHING SATISFACTORY.
Eva received notice from the DEPART
ment on January 23d that mall would
he weighed on all routes on our line
south OF Weldon for thirty consecutive
working-days, commencing February
2sth. and on March 2Oth we received the
following letter. bearing date OF March
l7.h.
"Sir. Your telegram Of the 18th instant,
10 General Superintendent White, relative
TO continuing the weighing on your lines
for an additional ten days, has been re-
ferrcd to this office.
IN reply. you are Informed that it Is
the uniform rule Of tho department 70
weigh the mails on railroad-mail routes
in a State or section at the same time,
and for thirty successive working-days
as required by law.
This being the case. the department
could not do as you request without
throwing itself open 10 the charge OF
doing FOR your company that which 10 Is
frequently compelled 10 refuse TO do
for other companies. This It must decline
10 do
"The reports OF the Weighing. so far
as received, Indicate that II IS progress
ing satisfactorily. and that the results
are likely 10 be as favorable 70 the rail-
road companies as can be reasonably ex-
Dected.
Every respectfully,
(Signedl &C NELSON
Second Assistant Post-master-Gene
In confirmation Of the above, / received
at my office. on March 18th. the follow
ing:
"Railway-Mail Service,
"Ofice Of
Superintendent Third Division.
Washington, March %. 1896.
Subject: Completion OF mail-weighing.
~ J.. Melee Esq, General Superin-
tendent Portsmouth, Va:
"Sr,-The weighing Of mails on all
seahoard Airline routes will DO discon-
tinued Pafter Tuesday, the 3lst Instant.
Kindly have scales kept in maitland bag
gage-cars on all trains departing from
any point on the line up 20 y o'clock
midnight Of the 3lst instant"
Very respectfully.
(SigneO "CHAS. W. VICKERY,
superintendent"
UNFAIR TREATMENT
ION receipt Of the above official notice,
we arranged for the adoption OF our sum-
mcr ec'hedule. and on March 10Th discon-
tluucd two trains which had been carry
Ing mail for over two years for which
service we had received no pay from the
government. Under these circumstances.
10 was matter Of much surprise when
received. on March 3lst 1.-TWO days after
the change Of our scheduie). n telegram
from the department stating that the
weighing would be continued for thirty
| DAYS more. on the 81 OF April I called
at the office Of the Gererol Superintendent
! of Raiway-Aiail Service and asked him
why he proposed 20 continue Weighing
malls after notifying me that he would
not do so. and his reply was because We
| had changed schedules. 7 asked him II IL
was usual 10 reweigh every time sched-
ules changed He said IL was not
Now / do not object 10 weighing every
month in the year but I claim the right OF
proper notice and the privilege OF re-
establishing the two trains which We're
taken of.
NOT GIVEN PROPER NOTICE.
81 was not given the proper notice.
but on the contrary. was deceived as
shown By the Second Assistants letter,
! and thereby lost Loo pounds Of mail per
day. which he arbitrarily diverted from
| tro Seaboard AIRLINE. / had advices
from the department the latter part
az April. hOWyer. that the weighing would
be- discontinued on the 9Th OF May. and
have received tsbulated statements OF
! the weights over our line for April. which
are signed by the Socond-Assistant POST
/ master-Geneml, and certified 10 by the
| superintendent of Railway Mail-Service,
as follows:
u 10 hereby certify that the foregoing
/ statement Of weights OF mail is correct.
according TO daily returns made by
sworn employees Of the department. and
the statement OF service is correct 20 the
best Of my knowledge and belief.
lSignedO "CHAS. W NICKERY.
superintendent Railway-Ma Service.
Third Division.
(signeO IL. VI. TERRELL.
SUPERINTENDENT Railway-Man Service.
Fourth Division.
I'VE have had no noticefro m the POST
Office DEPARTMENT 10 the contrary that
weights were not correct and We are
entitled TO our pay under the legal
methods OF computing weights and their
sworn certificates OF the correctness OF
I
VNBECOMING AND LfBELOUS.
The published statement alleged TO have
been autorized by the Postmaster-Genera
is unbecoming and libellous. and I am
prepared TO court a full, free and fair
Investigation throughout with n further
Investigation OF other lines. including the
different methods and prevailing customs
by which the mail-pay IS adjusted. or
| will the POStmaster-General authorize
the publication OF another statement and
give his reasons why the Scaboard Air
Line was singled out and made the objec,
OF unjust criticism. or why we are dis
credited for carrying public documents.
when IL was known 10 him that other
| lines had carried tons OF public documents
| I'm March which had been shipped ara
reshlpped. weighed and reweshed. che
sides thousands OF pouns OF other
| matter. including extra carload iots OF
patent medicine Advertisements. all or
which passed apparently unnotced py
him? II is certainly a new departure FOR
| a lack OF vigilance on the part or ms m
| spectors. or were reports Withheld from
him. IL IS cerdtainly new departure Tor
the head OF one OF the chief departments
of the government to use the great
powers OF his cffice through au'noti]en
lrxta xaNI