People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1898-03-17
Why the Postal Deficiency?

Botkin NarchS.
The report accompanying this bill
states, on page 2, that the cost Of
transporting all mail matter averages
Scents per pound. POstmaster.Genera.
Bissell's report for 1894, page 80, and
Wilson'S for 1895, page 81, make the
same statement. This s cent per
pound, according to the same reports,
is for an average distance of AS miles
In the first volume Of the Inter
state Commerce Reports, page 35l, it
is stated that the actual contract be-
tween the express companies and the
railroads is one under which the ex-
press companies pay 40 per cent Of
their gross earnings to the railroads.
The average rate
charged by the express companies is l
cent per pound for 800 miles. Thus
the rate paid by the express com
panles to the railroads for transpOrta-
tion is about fOur-tenths of cent per
pound, while the rate paid by the
government to the railroads is s cents
per pound.
!
If such enormous profit can be
realized by the railroads at such low
rates, what must be their profit at 5
cents per pound for transporting the
government mail? 1t is stated on
reliable authority that the New York
Central Railroad, between New York
and Buffalo, receives from the gov
ernment of the United States COM
pensatiOn sufficient to pay the interest
on the cost of a double.track railroad
every year.
But the full enOrmity of the ex-
tortiOnate charges of railroad CON-
panies for carrying the mails can
only be seen by taking the aggregate
annual amount.
But the enormous amount paid for
the transportation of mail is not the
only tribute which the government is
paying to the railroads. Here is what
the pOstmaster-general in his report
for 1896, pages 22l and 222, says in
regard to the rental of railway post.
office cars:
The annual rate of expenditure fol
full railway pOst-Otfice cars in service
was on
July 301S96. ........... .......... S3463,9 16 Z
July !, 1870 ....... ...... '.'''' o,49l,ozo'I
september 81, 1885. ........... ..... 1854, SOL
The amount estimated as necessary
for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1888
is S3,600,000, an increase Of $500, 900
5.SS per cent, over the amount ap
propriated for the current fiscal year
Thus we see the amount paid b.
the government to the railroads 70
the rental of the postal cars is $500,
900 annually. There are in use at tn
present time $50 postal cars, COSTING
at the highest estimate not more thai
$1,000. Yet the government pays al
: annual average rental for each car o
$500. The average postal car will
last twenty years. In that time, a
the rate of $780, 900 per year, the gov
erument pays $72,OOO,OOO rental 70
property that cost only S3,25O,OOO T.
,, build. The railroads realize a prof
of more than 200 per cent.
Mr.. Speaker, | submit in conclusion
that the American people should loo
into this matter without delay. Tn
official figures and estimate quote
show that the S3O,0OOO0O paid tn
railroads each year for tranSpOrtatiO
G alone is at least twice as much a
should be paid. Here We could say
4 Sl5,000,000 annually under yer
e liberal administration OF our posta
= department. Besides this, We pa
each year on car rental alone an avel
age of s., 800 per car, or $500 more tina
the estimated cost OF the car, or 1925,
900 more than the cost of the IS
postal cars now in use.
When prejudice gives way to CON
mon sense, ,and foolish devotion t
old theories yields to sentiments {
self-prOtectiOn and patriotism: whe
we come fully to understand tina
this government is for the people il
stead of the corporation, we sha
build and own our own postal Cal
and thus save s9,6OO,OOO year.
little later on, under the increasin
light that is surely coming, we sha
own andloperate the railroads, an
thus save the s9O,OOO,OOO year no
paid 10 transportation. With sue
economy, the government could easil
establish system of free rural ma
delivery, so long the dream of millior
of our best citizens. Applause.
Best of All