The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1897-11-17
FACTS ABOUT MAILS,
Official Scores the Present Star
Route System.
REPORT OF POSTAL DEPARTMENT
An Immense Amount of work Acco,,
plished by the Railway and
Ocean Divisions.

NdShlngtoh.-l Inc immense work of
transporting the mails throughout Tia
/ United States is dealt with in In
annual report OF Second Assistant post
master-General William S. Shallen.
berger, which was made public. Tba
main feature of the report is a yiqorors
arraignment OF existing star-rorts
methods. Mr.. Slmllenberger refers 10
the present system Of speculative bid.
ding for star routes as 'discreditable 70
the Government. lie saws the LA
ders cut "A little under the regular CON
tract prices and risk being able to snb.
let at profit. The competition re-.
suits in the greater part Of these con.
tracts being awarded at very low rates
The evils OF the system are set forth
at some length, and the conclusion
drawn is that the profit to contractors
must be considerable and in the de-
partment could deal directly with the
men who do the work, the total amount
paid by the Government being mt int,
the service without any margin 10
speculative middlemen, it would M.
doubtedly produce better mail service.
1t is conceded that exclusion of specu.
lative bidders would increase the cost
to the Government, and recent exami.
nations at the request of Congress in
dictate the additional cost would he
81, 500, 900, which, however, would 20
into effect gradually.
The belief is expressed that a eonsid.
erably larger sum for faster transporta.
ton would be well expended if il re-.
suited in improved equipment, las
many of the vehicles now used in carry
ing the mails present such dilapidated
and disreputable appearance as TO be
strong argument in condemnation of
the present system"
Legislation is recommended requir-
ing all such bidders to reside on or
contiguous to the route covered. or
formally agree to reside and personally
supervise the service and authorizing
refusal to accept bids deemed excessive.
The report shows the number OF
mail routes at the close OF the wear
was 33, 795, total mileage $50, 1881, and
averaging on each route nine trips per
week. There were 43I, 1872, 69l miles
travelled on these routes, costing almost
$lO7 per mile of length each, or about
II cents per mile travelled. The total
annual rate of expenditure for both
routes within the United States and in
the foreign mail service was $53, 92B,.
454.
Discussing Alaska, Mr.. Shallenber-
ger says the mail service on the over
land route from juneau by Dyea TO
Circle, providing Tor letter mail only.
was extremely unsatisfactory, the CON
tractor failing to render the required
number of trips and those performed
were irregular and unreliable, serious
complaints following. The arrange
ment with the Canadian Postofiice De-
partment regarding monthly exchange
OF letter mail between Dyea and Daw-
son also fell below expectations. TO
secure regular service in the Alaskan
interior relay stations were established
at frequent intervals along the routes
and equipped to meet all emergencies.
The establishment of an overland mail
route from Cooks inlet or Prince Will
liam sound through the interior to the
Yukon river has been considered, but
it is not practicable to establish it at
present.
The report commends the use of the
neumatic tubes, but vices regret that
in some cases the tubes are not fully
utilized. This service in Boston is
especially cited as operating twenty
one hours daily and carrying all the
tirst-class mail. The New York Post
master, however, takes the position
that it has not been possible to make
such reductions in the regular mail
wagon trips as it was thus would re-
suit from instituting tube service.
The expenditure TO railroads for mail
transportation, SO far as shown by ac-
counts stated to September 30th was
$50, 449, 1877, and the estimate for rail
road transportation for the fiscal year
ending June 80, 1900, is 1913, 275, 900.
A deficiency of nearly $1,000, 600 in
this fiscal year for transportation is
probable.