The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-09-19
rilLS IN SCREEN WAGONS.
mp ,uTMENT INVITES PROPOSALS
FOR FOUR-YEAR CONTRACTS.


f s,puah One of thc Cities IN Which
tbe Present Contract Expires Next
Venr-New Contract to Run From
IuIy 1, 1900, to June 80. 1901.
schedule of Service Required Dur
ing Representative Week of the
current Year-SuccesSfuI COntrac-
Ter Must Furnish New Screen
WagOns-Bids to BE in the Office
of Second Assistant Postmaster
General by Nov. 80.
postmaster Doyle has received from the
asnartment at Washington copies of the
advertisement inviting proposals for car
rytng the mails in screen wagons, in this
and other cities of the South. Contracts
for this service will be awarded in De-
omber of the present year, and will run
H from July l, 1900, to June 80, 1901
8 The work for which proposals are in
vi,ed is known technically as the screen
4 wagon mail-messenger and mail-transfer
4 service" 1t is a rather prevalent error
that the postofflce department transfers
4 the mails from the railway stations to
4 the postofIice, and from the postoffice to
u The stations through its own immediate
employees. But this is actually accom-
4 plished by letting the contracts to bid
4 ders. by whom all wagons are furnished
snd horses for their hauling and men for
4 their care and management provided. Ev-
erything is done by the contractors, the
department retaining only the direction
and supervision of the manner in which
4 the work is carried on.
The advertisement shows the schedule
Of service as performed in Savannah for
j the week ending Aug. y, 1899 1t shows
j that the mail transfer service made sixty
three trips during the week to the Central
i DEPOT forty-tWo to the Plant System de-
pot. fourteen to the Tybee depot and six
4 to the Bolton street junction of the Sa-
4 vannah, Thunderbolt and Isle of Hope
4 Railway. The screen wagons made nifty
six trips from the Central depot 10 the
4 rostoffce, forty-two trips from the Plant
System depot fourteen from the Tybee
depot and six from the Bolton street juno
q ton For the transfer service one trip a
day or seven a week were performed be-
tween the Central and Plant System de-
a pots,
peclive bidders what they may expect to
do but the department does not under
81 take 10 guarantee that this schedule or
8 one even approximately the same will be
continued throughout the four years over
q which the contracts viii extend. In a
foot-note to the schedule it is stated that
'il is understood that the Florida Cen
trail and Pennsular Railroad contempates
81 building a new depot to be used bv that
~ nd "a Inb d
way, roads now using the Central depot
In the event of such change being made
the contractor viii be required to perform
such additional service as may be neces-
say without additional conversation"
II 1t would seem that the contractor would
he more likely to gain than 10 lose by the
81 new depot that il is 'underst TODD that the
81 Florida Central and Peninsula Railroad
contemplate building, to be used by that
road aud the Georgia and Alabama Rail-
& way For the new depot is to be used by
The Plant System as well as by the two
other roads that are named and the con-
tractor will nave comparatively no fur
Their to carry any of the mails and instead
Of transfer service of a mile in length
between the present Plant System and
q Central depots, will find the distance re-.
duced 10 little more than a block The
new union depot and that of the Central
will almost adjoin each other and so far
as mere questions of distance enter into
the calculations of the contractors, the
construction of the former is likely to
render their bids less, instead of greater.
There is, however, to be considered the
question of the constant aud marked in
crease in the amount of business done and
the amount of mail matter handled by
the Savannah postoffice, and of this fact
me prospective bidders will have to take
ludlcious account. In the instructions TO
bidders, contained in the advertisement,
occurs this statement: 1.-The distances
given are believed to be substantially cor
rect, but no additional pay win be al
lowed should they be greater than here
IN stated. Bidders must personally inform
themselves as to the distances, the run
ming time, the weight of the mails, the
condition of hills, streets, toll bridges,
ferries and distractions of all kinds where
by expense may be incurred and as to
Inc probable increase, additional service
or changes likely to be made. Claims for
additional pay based on such grounds, or
LOT alleged mistakes or misrepresentation
as to the service required, or for bridges
destroyed or ferries discontinued, cannot
be considered"
The contractor is required to provide
wagons, in such proportion of single and
uouDle team vehicles as the postmaster
ShaI prescribe. The wagons must be
Al dCCOIQdnCe WITH SpeCluCdllOHSi
copies OF which are in the hands of the
postmaster and must be new at time the
contract IS entered into and its execution
Inc bond required to accompany the bid
lor the service of the Savannah postoffice
$4,000. The surety on the bond must
own IN his own right property in real
eS'ate worth in the aggregate a sum twice
as large as the amount of the bond and
no married woman will be accepted, either
as bidder or surety. This is one of the
.suel inconsistencies of fate and the post.
ONCE department.
j., 6iaders must bid on one route for each
Sa and will not be allowed to consoli-
sa,e TWO or more. Sub-letting of bids is
NV permitted, and each contractor must
lily out his bid In person or under his
~" ,ssY uctlons. Bids will be received at the
ol'e OF the second assistant postmaster
ynerai until O'Clock in the afternoon OF
NV os, 81, 1899. The decisions will be an
''ulced on or before Dec. 81.
----S-e>-S
an interesting and unusual operation
was performed TODAY nj tho N4ar,orio