New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-10-31
THE NAIL SERVICE REPORT.
MR.. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES VIEWS OF THE
PNEUMATIC TUBE SYSTEM.
PRACTICE OF sUB-LETTING CONTRACTS DIS
CoURAGED-POOR ALASKAN NAIL

PRACTICE OF SUB-lsEIIlNt CoNIhh'lo us
coURAGED-PooR ALASKAN MAIL
FACILITIES.
Washington. Oct. 80 (speciaD-The Second AS
sistant Postmaster-General. w. S. Shallenberger.
has sent his report to Charles Emory Smith, Post
master General. He gives the total cost OF the
mail service In operation on June 30 as S3,OZS f %.
over 1875 routes, aggregating 4SSl miles In
length.
Speaking OF the pneumatic tube service. he says;
The postmasters at Boston. Ncw-York Brooklyn
and Philadelphia and the contractors for carrying
the mail through pneumatic tubes in those cities
were invited by me to submit statements showing
From "A careful reading Of these letters It Will he
iunct to mail transportation II carries the mail
more rapidly than do the wagons, 1t admits OF
later cosngs OF outgoing mails. making train con-
nections that would otherwise be missed. II places
the incoming mail into the hands of the city car,
speciadelivery letters. At the same time II Is evil
dent that better results could be ontained II me
system in particular city were made more com;
plete as to connect the main postohce with an
the most important branch offices and railway sta
regret to note that in some cases the tubes are
not fully utilized. and that the New-York office
takes the position that 1t has not been possible 10
make such reductions IN the wagon trips as in my
stance OF this take the tube between the New
York General Postoffce and Branch II 355 miles
The report Of the postmaster shows that this tube
is operated sixteen hours day. from a. m to
m OF the ma handTd o CUTIE fEo rnGse 'e e
the General Postohce and 81 per cent Of the letter
also small amount of mail Of other classes, per
cent from II and per cent from the main post
office Although the wagon service has been re-
lioved of all this the postmaster reports that II
has not been possible to discontinue any wagon
service between the points named. but that wagons
continue TO make sxty-fo trips day during the
sixteen hours the tube Is operated which is equiva
must be apparen, that the very frequent wagon
service was originally intended 10 expedite letter
is carried by the tube It Is difficult TO understand
why the same frequency of wagon trips should ~, he
continued for other classes Of mail matter which
do require the same expedition. II would also
seem as though it might he arranged to have the
ported being carried by wagons from the main
oS.onCP 20 II , Wi b,n s nvo ,nin'1to uhil nv
wagon II - forty minutes.
TO REDUCE THE WAGON SCHEDULE.
Again. the tube between the New-York and
Brooklyn postOfices IL operated sixteen hours
day or the mail handled during those hours the
postmaster at NewYork reports that the tube
carries practically all the letter mail from the
Brooklyn pos office to the NewYork postOffice and
9S per cent Of the letter mail in the reverse direc-
ton besides 10 per cent OF all other classes OF
mail matter from the New-York postofce and 10
per from the Brooklyn postofiice. Yet he says
It has not been possible reduce the wagon trips
between those points but that the wagons con-
tinue TO make fifty trips day during the sixteen
hours. equivalent 70 one trip every nineteen MIN
utes They carr 1872 pounds of mail. average
Of bu, 40 pounds each trip.
In this connection will state that. in view OF
diversion to Them Of iarte pT'P%2pon Of Sse a ,T
ter mall hay by ie1itrs 81 May H. iS' %h ha
Ncw-York office the desirabiity Of rearranging the
schedules for IN" wagon service 50 as 10 reduce
the number Of trips which believe Could be done
and still provide amply for transporting second,
masters reports that he has not round it possible
to make such reductions this office has not felt
In contras, with his. 1t is shown that in Boston
the tube between the main posofiice and the north
each day II carries oil the nrst-class mail and
the wagon trips have been reduced SO per cent.
has made some reductions In wagon trips between
the main postoffice and TWO other mail stations.
AGAINST SUB-LETTING CONTRACTS.
one Of the features Of the report is vigorous
arraignmcnt Of the existing Star Route methods.
Mr. Shallenberger refers to the present system o;
speculative bidding for Star Routes as "dIscredt-
able to the Government" He says the bidders cut
little under the old contract prices. and risk be-
ing able to sub-et at profit. The competition re-
suits in greater part Of these contracts being
awarded at low rates. the accepted bidders or their
agents often using deceit and misrepresentation in
securing sub-contracts from poor and ignorant men
as principals and sureties. The report recites the
subsequent steps. saying the sub-contractors, II
complaining of greater requirements than they un-
dorstood are Threatened with the penalties by the
contractors or If the sub-cOntractOrs attempt ser
vice with inadequate equipment. fines are imposed
the routes or the Department is compelled TO re-
move them and employ temporary service the cost
of this is charged 10 the contractors the latter in
turn taking action against the sub-contractors who
may thus lose the little property they nave.
no MARGIN FOR MTDDLEMEN
Then there the inscriptions contractors who
fail to pay their carriers. which causes hundreds
of claims against the contractors 70 he filed In this
office and necessitates voluminous correspondence
20 get the claims adjusted. Again, there Will be
bidder who in his inexperience and eagerness. will
make his bids at rates lower than those for which
ne can secure sub-contracts There follows gen
eral failure perform the service awarded TO him.
and the Department is put TO the trouble and eX-
pensc Of arranging temporary service and relettng
the contracts.
tractors must he considerable and If the Depart
mcnt could deal directly with the men who do the
being put into the service without any margin 10
speculative middemen. II would undoubtedly pro-
duce better mail service 1T Is conceded tnat eN-
clusion OF speculative bidders would Increase the
cost 10 the Government. and recent examinations
az the request Of Congress indicate that the addi-
tona cost would be N,0W,VU winch ho"eNei'
would 90 into effect gradually The belief Is eX-
pressed that a considerably larger sun Tor faster
transportaion would be we'll expended II J. resulted
In Improved equipment. as many OF the horses and
vehicles used in carrying the mails present
such dapidated and disreputable appearance as
TO bn n strong argument I'm condemnation of the
present system" Legislation Is recommended re-
during all such bidders to reside on or contiguous
reside ana personally to supervise the service and
AUTHORIZING refusal to accept bids deemed excessive
USE OF SEA POsToFFICEs
AS to sea postofices the Assistant Postmaster
General says:
satisfactory operation during the last on the
seven fast mail steamers Of the North German
four OF The International Navigation Company',s
line over fourteen million letters and post CARDS