Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-10-31
UNCLE SANS MAIL SERVICE.
Interesting Itoms Regarding the nerou
lean Task Of Successfully Transporting
the Mails.

out the United states " u'hit "'N' "
the annual report OF Second Assistant
Postmaster General william 8. shallen-
bee. amen was made pubic 'Yu"y'
The main feature OF the report
vigorous arraignmcnt Of existing ssai
route methods. MIR Shallenberger r.
fcrs to the present system of fpceula-
tive bidding for star routes az ois-
credltnbic 10 the government ie
SAYS the bidders cut a little under the
regular contract prices and risks hclhb
nbis TO sub-lot at profit The cpinpe-
titlon results In the greatest paft OF
these contracts being awarded az N'ig
low rates the accepted bidders OF
their agents often using deceit and ms
rcpresentntlon In securing sub-con-
tracts from poor and ignorant men as
principals and surotcs'
The rcport reciteH the subsequent
STEPS saying the Hub-cuntrneintA "
complaining Of greater requirements
than they understood are threatened
with the penalties by the contractors,
OF II the aub-contractora attempt SER
vice with inadequate equipment unes
are Imposed upon them. Finally. u the
nub-conifactors abandon the routes or
the department II compelled o. remove
them and employ temporary service the
cost of which " charged 90 the COM
tractors the latter In turn take action
against the AUTHORIZATIONS, who may
thus lose the little property they have.
A FEW sNAos.
Then there are the unscfupulous
contraotors," u Is added. who fpil 10
pay their carriers. which causes nun
drcdH " claims against the cuntrac-
tors nlod In this office and ncccnaltnteH
volumniouu correspondence 10 got the
claims adjusted. Again. there VIII be
bidder who. In his experience ana
eagornons, will make his bids at rates
lower than those for which he can So
cure Hub-contractH. There follows n
general failure 10 perform the service
awarded him. and the Department IL
put 20 the trouble and expense OF ar
ranging temporary service and re-
letting the contracts.
The conclusion drawn II that the
profit 10 contractors must be consider
able and n the department could deal
directly with the men who Do the work.
the total amount paid by the govern
mont being put into the service. with
out any margin 10 speculative middle
men.lt would undoubtedly produce bet
ter mall service. IL u conceded that
exclusion of speculative bidders would
Increase the cost 10 the government
and recent examinations at the request
OF Congress Indicate the ADDITIONAL
cost would be u. 900 900 which. how
ever. would go Into effect gradually.
The belief IN expressed that consld-
crably large sum for faster Transports
tion would be we'll expended. n II re-
suited In improved equipment. aa many
OF the vehicles now used In carrying
the malls present such delapidated
and diarcputable appearance M 20 be
n strong argument In condeIsnatiOn ~
the present system"
Legislation Ia recommended rcqulr.
Ing all such bidders 10 reside on OF
contiguous TO the route covered. VI
formally agree 10 reside and personally
supervise the service and authorizing
refusal 10 accept bids deemed excea
riye.
The report shows the number Of mai
routes at the close Of the year wal
aJ.i95. total mileage 3s0.3Si and aver,
aging ON each route nine trips pet
week. There were t3i.a12.s9i milc'
travelled on these routes. costing almost
fi01 per mile Of length each. or almost
" cents pei miles travelled. The iota
annual rate Of expenditure for both
routes within the United States ana In
the foreign mail service was iS1.s2s.'
45i.
AMONGST THE les.
Discussing Alaska, Mr.. schallen'
berger says the mail service on N,
overland route from Juneau by Talia &
Circle providing for letter mail only
was extremely unsatisfactory. the con
ractor failing 10 render the numbel
OF trips and those performed were ir
regular and unreliable, serious ctrn
plaintB following. Tho aranFemen
win the Canadian p1stodicc depart
ment regarding the monthly eNchnng
Of letter mall between Tailt and nlw
Aon also fell below expectations, To He
cure regular service In the Alaskan IN
tcrior rchy stations were established
at frequent Intervals along the routes
AMI equipped 70 meet an emergcnclca
This was effected with the consent "a
Canada. The catahliHhncnt % an ov
erland mail roEe from Cooks inir
or Prince William sound through N
interior o. the Yukon river has bee
considered but II N not practicable b
establish q at present.
The report commcnna the use a
pneumatic tubes. but advlcca regret m a
In some cases the tubes are MOI fun
utilised. This service In Boston II -
pvcially cited as operating pNenly-on
hours daily and carrying an the first
elias mail, The New York postmaster
however, takes the position that n ha
not been possible 90 make such rcdur
tions In the regular mail wagon trtf
az d was thought would result from IN
Nituting tube service.
ma ITEMS.
The expenditure 10 railroads Tor ina
transportation 80 far as shown by a,
counts stated 10 September 3oth WI
t30.ifp,sa1 ant the estimate for rallroa
transportation for the fiscal year END
fng June 30, 1900. IL tll.215.00O. \ q.
nciency OF ucarly 81 600 900 In the nsc.
year Cor transportation ~ probable.
ConcerninE the railway mail srrvlc
the report shows there were i2G, mill
OF travelling postolices, Recommend.
tion arc made for u reolassllcit.nA
the service; rdr legislation rruulrln
newspapers publishers o. make pflmir
separation of their papers and prri0d
Gals for mailing; requiring postal cltrl
20 wear badge instead ~ the prpsrf
regulation cap and for gonarll eHtltI
iishment OF postal stations 10 railrll
dspots.
For ocean man transportation IN m
next fiscal year as.i5l.0 900 II estimate
over 1900 900 letters and postal card
have been distributed 10 transit IN ou
International sea poatonlces and lul
1900 errors were reported. Inequalities
are now pending looking 10 securln
reciprocal benefits from Great Brltal
In the way q a sea p1stlfice On a
Cpnard and White Star lines In u
near future These tw, English linz
carry "A very large amount of mail az
VIII derive extensive profits by separl
ton VI mail IN transit and the cons
quent early dTpAteh and delivery
mai by the harb1r boat service
New York
FlFTY-FOuR MILLIONS.
Mr.. Shallenberger submits estimat
FOR his entire service 81 t65. gil. 900 q
heNt year and says the estimated Il