The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-06-19
THE MAIL PADDING.
The Charges A RRtnst the Seabeard Air
i.thc-A Thorough Investigation of
ahe Mail Weighing Business Ex-
pecied-The Press ana Public De.


pectcd-rhc Press ana Public De.
InRnd II.
The published statements of the Post
master General n short time since. bring
ing charges against the Seaboard Air
Line FOR alleged improper handling Of
malls during the weighing period on
uhat lire. and the reply of General Su-
pefintendent McBee. have been widely
commented upon by the press through
out the country. and altogether 1t has
made Interesting reading matter for the
public.
Captain McBee's statement created
something of q sensatlon. as he claimed
to nave acted strictly within the scope
OF the law
The Knoxville Tribune of June 10Th,
comments as follows
Chattanooga, Tenn. June 14.-Con-
siderable discussion Is going OH In rail-
road and postofflce circles here since the
Seaboard Air Line has been accused OF
padding the mails during the reweigh-
Ing period.
prominent official said to-day to your
correspondent that the Seaboaid Air
Line Is not alone guilty OF such conduct
In snort. said the gentleman, every road
III the country has been scheming for
all that was In sight and every sort OF
policy has been purzued to make the
weight heavy.
at tne fraud and In one or two instances
that know of the post-ofice department
allowed mail to be diverted from one
system or roads TO another Caring the
reweighing period In order to play into
the hands of their favorites. Mails from
the east that should have gone south
via the Louisville and Nashville went
around by way of the Southern.
There wera all sorts of schemes and
tricks worked. On the Southern rail-
road wagon loads OF patent medicine
huvertlsements were sent through the
mail by q certain ALBANIA, congressman
who shipped fully carload of public
documents.
The Atlanta Constitution prints a
lengthy article on Observation-Disclosures 8
share OF the steal, which Is as follcSys:
Ihe government requires that the
mails shall be weighed at least once in
every four years On the average weight
carried per month the government bases
the amount II pays. This revenue for
hauling the mails Is avn Important item
with many of the roads The Southern
gets n million dollars year from this
source, the New York Central gets n
million and half dollars or more. and
the pennsylvania gets $3.000.00O a year
from its 5000 miles. and the Seaboard
has been receiving $77. 900 for hauling the
mails 1000 miles
- - NCi-hncNn III DOSt-OIJlCe and
railroad circles that the shipment of
postal matter is almost invariably heav-
Ter during the reweighlng month than
at any other time. The onus of the
aboard affair was placed on General
Superintendent V. IS. McBee He made
no reply at the time and said few days
ago when down here that he would make
no statement until the Seaboard got it's
monev. from the government. He did
not WILT to have that part OF the trans
action hung up. Laat night he gave out
a statement and 1t Is assumed that the
road has received It's pay. Captain Nc
Bee stated that he had not violated any
law and the postal department could
reweieh every month In the year if 1t
desired to do so.
III the government has paid the Sea-
board II follows that the investigation
which was instituted showed that the
railroad had acted strictly within the
law. Otherwise the government would
not have paid the company"
In the meantime the public are look
ing forward TO an investigation. which
II appears must necessarily be far reach
Ing in its consequences.