The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-10-31

Washington, Oct SO-The immense
work of transporting the mails
throughout the United States is dealt
with IN the annual report of Second
Assistant Postmaster General William
Shallenberger, which was made public
today. The main feature of the report
is a vigorous arraignnent of existing
star route methods. Mr.. Shanenberger
refers to the present system of specu-
lative bidding for star routes as dis
creditable to the government" He says
the bidders cut a little under the
regular contract prices and risk being
able to sub-let at a profit. The COM
petition results in the greater part of
these contracts being awarded at very
law rates, the accepted bidders or
their agents often using deceit and
MISREPRESENTATION in securing sub-con-
tracts from poor and ignorant men as
principals and sureties. The report
recites the subsequent steps saying
the sub-contractors if complaining of
greater. requirements than they under
stood are threatened with the penal
ties by the contractors or of the sub
contractors attempt service with in
ADEQUATE equipment fines are imposed
upon them. Finally, if the sub-con-
tractors abandon the routes or the de-
partments are compelled to remove
them and employ temporary service,
the cost of which is charged to the
contractors, the latter in turn take
action against the Sub-contractorS Who
may thus lose the little property they
have.
UNSCRUPULOUS CONTRACTORS.
.''Then there are the INSCRIPTIONS
contractors it is added, who fail to
pay their carriers, which causes hun
dreds of claims against the contractors
filed in this office and necessitateS
Voluminious correspondence to get the
claims adjusted. Again, there will be
a -bidder Who in his inexperience and
eagerness, will make his bid at rates
lower than those for which he can Sc
cure Sub-contracts. There follows
general failure TO perform the service
awarded him, and the department is
put to the trouble and expense of ar
ranging temporary service and re-
letting the contracts
The conclusion drawn is that the
profit TO contractors must be consider
able and if the department could deal
directly with the men who do the work,
the total amount paid by the govern
Inent being put into the service, With
out any margin to speculative middle
men. il would undoubtedly produce
better mail service. 1t is conceded that
exclusion of speculative bidders would
increase the cost to the government,
of congress Indicate the additional cost
would be 81. 000 which, however,
would go into effect gradually. The
belief is expressed that a considerably
larger sum for faster transportation
would be well expended if il resulted In
improved equipment, las many OF the
vehicles now used in carrying the mails
present such a dilapidated and dis
reputable appearance as TO be a strong
argument in condemnation OF the pres
ent system.
LEGISLATION is recommended requiring
ali such bidders to reside on or conuS-
ueus to the route covered, or formally
agree to reside and personally supervise
the service. and authorizing refusal TO
accept bids deemed excessive.
COST OF SERVICE.
The report shows the number of mail
routes at the close OF the year was Co.
7e5; total mileage, 3S0,3Sl, and aVeraS-
ing on each route nine trips per week
There We're 49,, 3S2. 691 miles Travelled on
these routes costing almost $101 per
mile of length each, or almost u cents
per mile travelled.
The total annual rate Of expenditure
for both routes within the United
States and in the foreign mail service
was S5S, 923, Ash.
Discussing Alaska, Mr.. ShaIlenberger
SAYS the mail service on the overland
route from Juneau by Dyea to Circle,
providing for letter mail only, was eX-
tremely unsatisfactory, the contractor
failing to render the required number
OF trips, and those performed were IT.
regular and unreliable, serious COM
plants following. The arrangement
with the Canadian Dostoffice depart
Inent regarding a monthly exchange of
letter mail between Dyea and Dawson
also fell below expectations. To secure
regular service in the Alaskan interior,
relay stations were established at IRE
quent intervals along the routes, and
equipped TO meet all emergencies. This
was attached with the consent of Can
AGA The establishment of an over
land mail route from Cooks Inlet or
Prince William sound through the in
terror to the Yukon river has been con-
sidered. but it is not practicable to es-
tablish il at present.
RAILWAY EXPENDITURES.
The expenditures to railroads for
mail transportation, so far as shown by
accounts stated 10 Sept. 80, was $50, i49,
S37, and the estimate for railroad
transportation for the fiscal year end
ing June So 1900, is $33, 275 900. a def
cheney Of nearly S1,000.000 in this fiscal
year for transportation is probable.
Concerning the railway mail service,
the report shows there We're ,2t5 miles
of travelling postoffices, and recon-
mendation is made for a Reconsideration |
of the service, legislation requiring
newspaper publishers TO make primary
separation of their papers and period |
icals for mailing, requiring postal clerks /
to wear a badge instead of the present |
regulation cap. and for general estab- !
lishment OF postal stations in railroad !
depots. For ocean mail transportation
in the next fiscal year $2,154, 900 is esti- !
mated. over II, 100000 letters and postal |
cards have been distributed in transit !
in our international sea postofiices and !
only 1900 errors We're reported. Nego- !
tiations are. now pending looking to Sc !
curing reciprocal benefits from Great |
Britain in the way of a sea postoffice on
the Cunard and White Star lines in the
near future. These two English lines
carry a very large amount of mail and /
will derive extensive profit by separa- |
ton of mail in transit and the conse- |
quent early dispatch and delivery of !
mail by the harbor boat service at New |
York.
ESTIMATES SUBMITTED.
Mr.. Shallenberger submits estimates
for his entire service OF $50, 944. 600 for |
the next year and says the estimated /
expenditures the present year will be I
S54 915 72S SDQcial recognition fc rrfxa,, /