Industrial freedom. [volume] (Edison, Wash.) 1898-1???, 1898-05-28
EDISON, skAGT COUNTY, WASH, SATURDAY,

DISON, SkAGl ! COUNTY, w
road, asked the General
why the Seaboard Air Line has been
singled out for criticism for stuf1ing the
mails when it was well known that
All Railroads practiced the Same Fraud
Upon the Government.
The way in which this particular
fraud happened to be brought to light.
says the Senate document from which
the evidence is taken, was that some
agents bungled matters, and Il little
newspaper at Ellenboro, n. c., pub
lished short article headed "a Mis-
take" stating that Senator Gordon. in
mailing documents to his constituents.
had by mistake addressed them to
agents along the Seaboard Air Line TO
be remailed by them. a division SUI
perintendent on the road, learning of
this article, proceeded to the town.
and induced the editor to cut the item
out of every copy of his paper, on the
ground that it would hurt the road"
When the Postmaster General learned
of these frauds, and also the frauds
connected with the second weighing.
he found himself
Unable to Punish as a Criminal
the railway officials who took charge of
this abominable work for his company.
In letter dated March ,. 1897, Post
master-General Wilson says. Il beg
leave to call attention to the fact that
the Attorney-General, in his letter of
December -, 1896. holds that the only
criminal statute under which prosecu-
ton can be attempted for such offenses
as this is the statute against conspira-
cies to defraud the United States, and
that it was impossible under that stat
ute to bring to justice the chief offender
in this case" In short. the Postmaster
General was unable to do anything more
about it than the railway officials
thought. Whether General Superin-
tendent McBee was equally correct in
stating that all the railroads practiced
the same fraud cannot be determined
Such charges have often been made,
and made by responsible parties with
no anti-monopoly prejudices, but those
who have made them have been unwill-
ing to make them in print against in
iriH Srtl,
selves to suits for criminal libel: and
vague charges against railroads in gen.
eral The outlook has always been UNI
willing to print.
But the case against the railroads
for excessive charges
Does Not Stop
with excessive charges for mails actu-
ally carried nor with fraudulent
charges for mails carried only during
the thirty-day weighing period. One
of the most serious elements in the eX-
tortion practiced upon the Government
relates to the rent Of the postal cars
used by the department whore the
mails are heavy. OF these cars there
are now nearly seven hundred in use.
and the Government pays for them an
average rental of $5,7c0 each. Yet
when ex-senator Villas was Postmaster
General during Mr.. Cleyelaud's first
term he Investigated the cost of such
cars, and reported that they could be
built for
Lees Than the ANIMAL Rental
paid by the Government. Careful in
quiry," said MIR. Villas in the Uuited
States Senate, 'discloses that very
many OF these ears, such as they are.
would not cost to build $1,000 each, and
that, taking together all the post-oilice
ears in the United states, their average
value does not probably exceed s., 50).
In support of this estimate Senator vi
las cited Senator Brice. of Ohio, rail
road man whom no one ever suspected
of anti-monopoly leanings. The aver
age life of these ears, says Representa-
tive Smith, of Michigan, is at least
twenty years, so that IN annual rental
of 800, or twenty per cent. upon the
cost of these cars, would seem to be an
eXorbitant charge yet the Government
goes on, year after year, paying the
railroads an annual reatal Of So, 900, or
more than 200 per cent. Of their proba-
bic cost. When few Of these ears
were first tried as an experiment, this
rental may not have been 50 preposter-
Gus. but these cars have become an es-
tahlished part OF the postal system, and
their number increases every year.
The annual payment for them is now
Very Nearly s4ooo,ooo.
This outlay could, by the Governments
purchase of the cars, be reduced to far
below 81 100000 a year. Postmaster
General Villas recommended this course,
and his recommendation has been be-
fore the country for years, command
fpU oprpoVnl Nvhapavar II has hpan