Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-08-15
AMPLIFY SYSTEM
Postmaster General Payne Would
Extend Railway Mail
Service.
ALL TRAINS TO GARRY MAIL
Trainmen TO be Made Employees Of
the United States Postal
Department..

Postmaster General Payne has
about decided on an important
step which will practically put
the railroads of the country
under the protection of the
United States government and pre-
vent interference with interstate COM
merce by strikers. This will be ac-
complished by making every railroad
train mail train and by commits
sioninG railroad conductors. baggage
masters, and other trainmen as en-
ploNes Of the United States postal
service and empowering them to-
handle mails
Postmaster General Payne and As
sistant Postmaster General Shallen-
berger have had the matter under
consideration for several months. The
agitation, however. which really led
to the adoption of the new policy has
been growing for several years, and
like 50 many other important steps
adopted by the postoflice department
Of late years, is the result of the ire
mendous growth of the rural free de
| livery service. This service has re-
suited in more than quadrupliug the
circulation Of newspapers throughout
the country in the period of six years
in the rural districts.
Protests have been received at the de
partmcnts from the entire country re-
garding the inelficicncy of the mail
train service. Officials have cndcavor-
| ed Ia devise means of relief. After
long consideration ii was thought inn
possible To arrange any plan that
would prove satisfactory to the gov
eminent, railroads. publishers of
newspapers. and the millions of sub
scribers. The fact that the govern
mcnt requires all mails To pass
through the pustofIiccs ami handles
them only in sealed pouches was the
great drawback To the quick service
desired and. in fact, to the sending Of
! United States mails ON any except
mail trains.
Closed Pouches Required.
! The postal officials declined to en-
ter into an agreement whereby they
would be responsible for mails not
carried in closed pouches and handled
! by sworn employees. Nothing was
done until MIR. ShalIengcr9cr gave the
matter his personal consideration and
devised a new plan. 1t is really an am
! plitication Of the system used by the
publishers of the newspapers in send
ing out their mail editions. 1t has been
the practice of publishers to cntrust
bundles of papers to trainmcn on
trains which do not carry mail, with
instructions to throw off the packages
at certain points. This system has not
! been entirely satisfactory.
The government has now decided to
assume the responsibility for the car
riage and delivery of those ncwspa-
pers and will commission and pay sal
aries to the trainmen over and above
the compensation received for the
regular work. In putting into effect
this far reaching policy each case
where additional facilities arc needed
will be considered separately. When
the request for additional mail train
facilities is received at the depart
ment an employe of the railway mail
service will be assigned to the case
and will attend to the preIiminaries
of looking To the commissioning of
trainmen as employees of the postal
service and of arranging the schcd-
ules.
Any train-passenger, local, or
freight-will he empowered to carry
mails, and The United States will hold
itself responsible for their delivery.
This means that in case of strike
every train which carries these
special mails will be just as much
under the authority and protection of
the federal government as though
a local mali train which runs ON a
regular daily schedule. and when all
the arrangements have been made
and the plans Of the department put
into effect there will be few trains
which are not either regular or
special mail trains.
Troops Would BE Used.
In case of interference with any of
these specials during the time of
strike or mob violence the United
States must under the statutes af-
ford it the same protection, by fed
eraI troops If necessary, that has been
and will be given TO the regular mail
trains.
There are some preliminaries still
to be arranged with railroads. but
there is not the slightest reason for
doubt that the various systems will
gladly avail themselves of the privil-
eye extended to them for securing al
NEST absolute immunity from mob
Violence by federal protection. The
government will he permitted to set
tie upon the salary to be paid to the
trainmcn. At the coming session OF
congress Postmaster General Payne
will ask for a special appropriation to
paw the salaries of these special en-
ployes. Until such time, however
the trainmen employed by the gov
| l., I'll out nf bp on