The Savannah morning news., 1904-02-14
MAIL SERVICE
TO Be HELPED
POSTAL AUTHORITIES SAY.
HAVE TALKED TO RAILROAD MEN
ABOUT MAKING BETTER TIME.

Effort Made in Response to Chamber
of Commences Agitation About
Late Trains From NOrth-Weather
Conditions Excuse Given by Penn
syIVnnia ROnd-SOuth Has Better
Service Than New York, Chicago
and st. LOuis-POstal Authorities
Promise to Keep Watch on Matter
and Roads VIII Do Best.
The excellent work that the Trans
portation Committee of the Chamber
of Commerce is doing is shown by the
replies that have been received by the
chairman of that committee, Mr..
Frank C. Battey, relative to the recent
efforts made to have better schedules
put on the Atlantic Coast Line be-
tween Savannah and Southwest Geor-
gia, and to get a better mail service
from the North.
Referring to the first matter Presi-
dent r. G. Erwin has written Mr.. Bat
tey that with the beginning of the
year, having put short line between
Jesup and Folkston in first class COIL
dition. the road began to make full
use of it. This required a re-arrange-
ment of trains to large extent and
it was due to that fact that the sched-
ule complained of were made.
I'VE have always worked in the ut
most harmony with the citizens of Sa-
vannah," says Mr.. Erwin, land it will
always be our pleasure, as it is our
duty, to give very careful considera-
ton to any complaint which may be
made by the people of Savannah or
any number of them, as to our sched-
ules'' The former schedule was re-
sumed last Sunday.
To Improve Mail Service.
In regard to getting the through
trains from the North to reach this
city more nearly on schedule time in
the interest of the business men. the
committee wrote Senator A. o. Bacon,
Senator A. S. Clay, and Congressman
r. E. lester, who promptly took the
matter uD with the postal authorities
at Washington. They at once gave
the matter their attention, and Mr..
w. S. Shallenberger. second assistant
postmaster general, has since notified
both Mr.. Bacon and Col. Lester that
he had taken the matter UP with the
officials of the Southern Railway, the
Atlantic Coast Line, the Seaboard Ali
line and the Pennsylvania road.
The lines south of Washington. Mr..
Shallenberger explains, attribute Their
delays in a large majority of cases to
waiting for trains on the Pennsylvania
Railroad north of Washington, and the
officials of that line say that the wealth
er conditions seriously interfere with
the movements of trains; that they are
fully alive to the necessity of expedit-
ing the mails, and are bending all OF
their energies to that end.
Will Watch Service.
In conclusion Mr.. Shallenberger
says: 81 think you can safely say
to the members of the Chamber of
Commerce that the trains will be more
regular hereafter. We will continue to
watch the matter closely"
Mr.. James G. White, general super
intendent of the railway mail service,
has also written Mr.. Battey. He says
the trains between New York and
interfered with for some time past by
bad weather, consequently the South
ern, the Seaboard and the Atlantic
Coast Line have been unable to get
away from Washington On time.
Records Not Bad.
considering these facts" he con-
tinues, 1.-THE records of the Southern
and the Seaboard lines cannot be de-
clared bad when you consider the dis
lance run and the connections to be
made over a single track. Train No.
29 of the Southern went into Jackson
willie on time twenty-one days out of
thirty-one, and train No. 81 of the
Seaboard Air Line, twenty days out
of thirty-one. In a number of cases
where these trains did not get in on
time they We're less than an hour late.
The fast train between New York and
Chicago and New York and st. Louis
cannot show so good a record.
I'VE have the business interests al
ways in mind and will continue to i'm
press upon the companies the necessity
for maintaining their schedule time,
but we must, think, give them credit
for doing their best. We have the
strongest assurances from the Penn
sylvania road that they will do every
thing in their power to bring their
trains into Washington on time, and
if they do, l am sure that the roads
south of here will do their part"