The times., 1897-12-29
Do THEY PAD The MAILS !?
Charge Against Railroads to Be
Investigated.
Postoffice Officials Say That tue Ac-
cusation Is GrOuEdiess Alleged
Schemes of Robbery.

] There is To be a Congressional investi-
ment is being robbed annually Of from
| Sc, 600, goo to S. 100000 ia payments to
| railroads for mail transports tinn.
This matter will receive careful and
| Committee on Postoffices ard Pcstroads
frames its appropriation bill. Fhe prin-
cipal postal officials viii be called IpOn
! for testimony along the line Indicated
Several OF the Postofrice officials told
| reporter for The Times last night that
the charges are without foundation.
Second Assistant Postmaster Geasral
Shallenbs ger within whose province this
matter lies. S out OF the city
Chief Clerk Stone, of the TraDsporta
ton Bureau, said it would be Impossible
for extensive frauds 70 be perpetFated in
| weighing by the railroads carrying mails
past Junction points and sending them ba OK
TO such points, thus having them weighed
i'll each direction He said such action
would require the C0iiusion Of all postal
clerks on the road. all clerks on the branch
road and all pCstmaSters on that road
each one of when Is required to report
any DisSent mail matter.
Mr. Stone admired IL was possible that
mails might he weighed on certain roads at
times when the amount carried was greater
than the average. He said il would be i'm
possible. however, for the reads to make ar
rangements with large adv ertisers or Others
to send out their mails a weighing times, as
they do not have advance notice of the
Government intention.
Roads have been suspected of padding
the mails. he said. Il notable instance
occurred two years ago, when Southern
road carried cut a large amount of free
public document mail from Washington
to a poin { neaI the termination OF it : line
and then had the matter shipped back
during the weighing month. The depart
ment deducted the weight Of all hismatter
in making up the allowance.
Mr.. Stune 81 id an effort was made by the
department TO weigh the mails ON each
road at such q season OF the year as would
strike a fair avera ge so as to avoid in
justice to eitLer the Government or the
road.
He slid the weighings stermine the com
pensation for four years, and on most OF
the roads there is a great increase in the
crease OF Compensation.
The officials seem % think that the
charges OF extortion tave referncee alto
gether To ''paGding'' Railroads ere paid
So IN Ich per pcurd for carrying tsie mails
These mails are weighed by the puStUffice
once each four years. THE weighing con
tinues thirty da IS. and the calculation
for the tote weight carried by the rail
roads computed On this THIS weight for
one month is ascertaiued Tits is multi
Piled by twelve for the annual weight
and the annual weight multiplied by four
for the total weight for the term of four
years. Now, during the weighing season
railroads have padded the bags over their
lines in various ways, usually by causing
an unusual amount OF mail 10 DC sent.
sometimes actually mailing it. Some fraud
has been practiccd in this way, ana it is
probable that not all these fraudulent
transactions are discovered.
In addition tC receiving pay per weight
for carrying the mails, the railroads re-
ceive so much mile for ha uIing the post
office cars, III which this mail is carried
Then again, in addition to all this, many
lines receive extra compensation for what
is termed special rdciliries.'' that is, they
receive a bonus for carrying the mail be-
tween given points within a certain time.
II they fail to make schedule time they
are ''docked'' 80 per cent OF the bonus, So
that whether they make schedule time or
do not make it, they are sure OF premium.
This is one OF the things which the com
Tuittee viii investigate