The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-10-31
COST OF CARRYING MAILS.
REPORT OF THE SECOND ASSIST.
ANT POSTMASTER GENERAL.
The Method Of Letting Contracts to
Spectators Condemned and
Liquidation Suggested Requiring
Bidders to RNsfde ON the Lines.

fes General Slaliea5erSer. waiei was made
pubic today. The main feature Of the
report Is vigorous arra.gnmenr % exist
ng star route methods Nj. Snai-enbergeT
refers 10 The present system OF speculative
bidding for star routes -'dlscrsdaiahls 10
TIE government" He says the bidders cut
4 lille uF1aer tZe regular contract prise ana
-ish Being a1le 20 Su5let a. "a prot.S- The
ecmpetst.oyI results Ia the greater part %
IasSe contracts being awarded at very lev
rates tie accepted bidders o. Their agents
01,en using deceit and Iaisre-resent NATION
IN securing suo-@ontracts from poor and
ignorant EnsE as principals and sgre;.es.
IAe -egor; recites ghe subsequent steps,
saying the s0b-contract0rs II comp planning
u gree ter requirements than they urdsE-
stood. are threatened With the penalties by
me contractors, or Il the sub-coIItactoss
nieni. tines are imposed upon taeu-- Final
~. Il the sao-ccntTactoTs abandon the
routes or the department Is compelled 10
remove them and employ temporary ser
.ice. the cos, % which = charged 10 the
contractors. the latter in turn take action
against tue suh-contraci9rs who may thus
aoss TIE little property they have
There Will be q bidder no. in his in
experience and easeraess. VIII make his
I'D at rates lower than those for which ne
can secure sub-coatracts. There follows
awarded him. and the department Is put
to the trouble and expense OF arranging
temporary service and re-letting the con-
The conclusion drawn is that the profit
% contractors must be considerable and II
Ire department could deal directly with the
men VINO do me work the total amount
paid IL the government being nut into the
service without any margin 10 speculative
ua!d1-en@n. II would undoubtedly produce
better mail service. II Is conceded that
exclusion or speculative bidders would in
crease The cost 10 the government, and re-
cent examinations at The request OF con-
gress Indicate the additional cost would be
s.9t".p1 which, however, would so into
eTecr gradually Ths. belief IS expressed
that considerably larger sum for faster
transportation would be well expended IL
u resulted in improved equipment las
many or the vehicles now used In carry
IN. TIE mails present such , dilaDidated
ara d!srepuisn-e appearance as TO be
strong argument in condemnation OF the
present system"
Legislation IS recommended recurring all
such bidders to reside on or contiguous 10
the route covered. or to formally agree 10
reside ana personally supervise the service
anu authorizing refusal 10 accept bids
deemed excessive.
The report shows the number OF mail
routes az the close OF the year vas So 795:
total mileage 3ss,Ssi and average on each
route nine triDs per week There were
iSl. %a-.6ai miles travelled on the routes,
costing Almost :ios per mile length Of each
or almost y cents per mile travelled. The
total annual rate q expenditure for both
foreign mali service was $50 Is Az
Discussing Alaska. Mr.. Shalenberger
says the mail service OF the overland route
from Juneau by Dyea to Gree CITY pro-
yiding for letter mail only, vas extremely
unsatisfactory, the contractor failing 10
render the required number OF trips and
those performed we're irregular ana unre-
liable. serious complaints following. The
arrangement with the Canadian police re-
garding a monthly exchange Of letter mai
between byea and Dawson also fen below
expectations. To secure regular service
in the Alaskan interior. relay stations were
established a. frequent intervals along the
routes and equipped 10 meet all emergen-
cies. This was attached with the consent
OF canada. The establishment OF an over
land mail route a Cook Inlet or Prince
il!am sound through the interior to the
Yukon river has been considered. but II is
not practicable 10 establish X at present
The report Coumeuds the U.S.. Of The
pneumatic tubes, but voices the regret that
IN some cases the tubes are not fully util-
ized; This service in Boston is especially
cited As operating twenty-one hours daily
ana carrying al. the hrSt-class mail The
New York postmaster. however. takes the
pc$;fion tina, Il has not been possible 10
wagon tT.ps as il was though, would re-
suit from snsti;uting tube service
The expenditures 10 railroads for mai.
transportation. so far as shown bv ac-
counts stated 10 September 81. were so it9-
So. and ihe estimate for railroad trans
poTlation for The fiscal year ending June
-. 800. Is 30. @1s5.s1 A deficiency OF near
~ $ltse,eQp n this fiscal year for trans
pogtation Is probable.
Concerning the railway mai, service the
report SHOWS there were -sS miles Of trav-
ei'ug postoff.ees. and makes recommenda-
t.oH Ter classification ~ the service.
legislation requiring NEWSPAPER publishers
- make primary separation OF their ;lapers
ana peFloGieas for mailing. requiring postal
clerks % wear a badge instead OF the
present regulation cap. and for general
tsiao i.s-inent az posta. stations in railroad
dtpots.
For ocean mail TRANSFORMATION in 7ha
rex fiscal year S1-ltf.0s- Is estimated Over
lA.-9tss5 le;ters and postal cards have ban
4lstFlbGlea n transit II cur international
sea possoTflees. ana 0n-y loa errors Were r.
ported Negotiations are TOW PENDING
looking = securing reciprocal benefits frorn
treat Britain in The Way or a SEA post
utf1Nt on TIE CEn8T1 ara " bike Star lines
= me Aear future These two f.ngEsa
ans carry q very large amount q mali.
ana VII derive extensive prOst IS seoara-
uoN % mail IN tsarSit and the 90, segment
car q 44si 't1A ana delivery o. mail by the
FGe! SD hts' : estimates for lis en-
iire service e.. %~.stt,t'n for usxt year. and
say tAe estimated expenditures fer he
DEtsen. Eea- NIL Il s4-l5.-sS Special
70 &HlElDR = given 20 the eouYace and
fa.tAfu'ress q The postal Jerks ard otner
9t1ctrs ~no CURING tne yellow fever e,,i-
1ei'ac ~ The so1,a remained "a their sos-s
Nj SA3lienbet-e a.S0 submits A sr..rsai
report upon The lives CATION recently ,,n
GUIDED ~ Great Britain. Frarra ara o..
IA v. Into ne character OF their, railway
G-t-. tTaQspoTta don.
= SAYS me average distance = re mai
c@fTtel ~ railroads hsre IS three tf-,e.
EstAtsr taan - CfTea; BRIAN TIE T-nf.eG
S-.'.-s carries c0toie he per cent y ma
mater q al classes than Great Britain
w eNrg >""p' mere Es-et-otIices aa,f -
ef"s sreat0- Per capita expenditure -
Tasis ''4
Tie }.osral system G., France = not a<7,af
- re United safes IL raaGy res.,e.,.,S ~
tre3 H:-aAy, As III Frame. the ra5.rostss -
tAEEe4y -r3er government ecrf-c. ar,ff -
ts.f'AAh system ~ parcs.s post. r-ef,ry7a ~.
s''Ees seTN12s sat telsea3cs t-a9cn u ne
service arr especially cosur, ended
Why lie Failed
9. '&rse9 81 ys,y Occurring tor w.
tie @fovs1 intention a.. tensnc IT. -