The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-11
END ALL RAILROAD STRIKES?
ESTIMATED EFFECT or THIS
POST OFFICE PLAN.
Decision Announced TO Make Practically
Every Train I'm the United States q
Mail Iraln-Trainnen to he Anx-
Hilary Employees OF tine Postal Service.

mary employees OIL tme FOstah SerNice.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 1O.-Postmaster-Gen
eral Payne decided to-day TO issue an order
which will have the effect OF making prac-
tically every railroad train in the United
States mail train and of placing the rail-
roads in their entirety under the protection
of the United States Government. Incl
dentally this will obviate the possibility
OF interference with interstate commerce
| and passenger traffic by strikers, as in
times past.
The proposed step will be acco mplished
by commissioning railroad conductors. bag
gage masters or other trainmen wherever
desired, AZ employees Of the United States
Postal Service and empowering them to
handle the desired class of mails.
Postmaster-General Payne and Second
Assistant Postmaster General Shallenberger
have had the matter under consideration
for several months The agitation, how
ever, which really led to the adoption of the
new policy has been growing for several
years and, like so many other important
| steps taken by the Post Office Department
Of late years, is a result OF the tremendous
growth Of the rural free delivery service.
1t has been known by the officials Of the
Post Office Department for some time that
this rural service has resulted in more than
quadrupling the mail circulation Of news
papers throughout the country. and this in
period Of less than six years. So when.
months ago, protests began to be received
at the Department from all over the country
regarding the inefficiency Of the mail train
service, officials OF the Second Assistant
acknowledgements Office. which has
jurisdiction over the Railway Mail Service,
endeavored to devise some means Of re-
lief.
After long consideration, however,
was thought impossible to arrange any
plan which would prove satisfactory to
the Government, the railroads, the pub
fishers Of newspapers and the millions of
subscribers.
The fact that the Government requires
all mails to pass through post offices and
handles them only in sealed pouches was
the greatest drawback to the quick service
desired, and in fact, to the sending Of United
States mails on any but mail trains.
The officials Of the Postal Service posi-
lively refused to enter into any agreement
whereby they would DO responsible for
mails not carried in closed pouches and
by sworn employees OF the Postal Service.
The matter hung fire for some time until
Mr.. Shallenberger gave 1t his personal
consideration and devised the present
plan.
The policy adopted by the Government
=. ll,,o - n f,h
has been in use for some time by the pub
fishers of papers who serve subscribers on
rural free delivery routes reached by mail
train facilities necessarily limited. 1t has
been the custom of these publishers to an
trust bundles Of papers to trainmen on trains
which did not carry the United States mails,
with instructions to throw them off at GER
tain places. This system, however, has been
very unsatisfactory.
Now the Government will make itself
responsible for the proper carriage and
delivery Of these newspaper mails, and to
this end will commission and pay a salary
to trainmen over and above the compensa-
ton received by them for their regular
work.
In putting into effect this far-reaching
policy each case where additional facilities
are sought will be considered separately;
that is, when a request for additional mail
train facilities is received at the Department
an employee OF the Railway Mail Service
will be assigned to the case, and will attend
to the preliminaries leading up to the COM
missioning of the trainmen as employees
Of the Postal Service, and of arranging
the train schedules.
Any train-passenger or freight-will be
empowered to carry the 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
the through and local mail trains which run
on regular daily schedule.
And it can be stated that when all arrange
ments have been made and the plans of the
Department have been put fully into effect
there will be very few trains which are
not either regular or special mail trains
In case of interference with any one
of these specials" during time of strike
or mob violence the United States must.
under the statutes, afford it the same pro-
lection by Federal troops il necessary
that has been and will be given TO the regl-
lar mail trains
There are some preliminaries still to be
arranged with the railroads, but there Is
not the slightest reason for doubt that
the various systems will gladly avail them
selves of the privilege extended to them of |
securing almost absolute immunity from |
mob violence by Federal protection
The Government will be permitted to |
settle upon the salary to be paid to train
men for their services. 1t is very probable |
that at the coming session of Congress |
Postmaster-General Payne will ask for a |
special appropriation to pay the salaries
of these special employees of the Postal !
Service.
Until such time, however. tranmen |
employed by the Government will be paid |
out of the general fund Of the Railway |
Mail Service, the Second Assistant Post |
master General having sufficient authority
under the law.
Labor men Of Washington whose views |
we're obtainable tonight would not speak !
for publication OF the newly adopted policy,
but they almost unanimously spoke with
deep disgust Of the underground methods
employed to battle with an improbable
contingency
That the Post Office Department officials
do NOT consider n railroad strike az such an