Albuquerque evening citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1905-1907, 1905-08-09
WESTERN ROADS
AFTER Big CONTRACT
Santa Fe and Rock Island
Would Carry Mail From
Chicago to Western
Points.
A MATTER OF $l,4O0,0 900

The mail contracts comprise an i'm
union depot at Kansas City. 1t is
now a contest of long years of stand
ing; annually, more money is in
volved.
Under the ruling of the postoffice
department the pioneer road gets the
mail as long as a favorable connect
ing schedule is maintained. In short,
this means that the Burlington road,
having a line between Chicago and
Kansas City before the Rock Island
and Santa Fe, gets preference of mail
weights from Chicago to Kansas City.
Not only does this apply to Kansas
City local mail, but it applies to mail
intended for all points west on the
Santa Fe and Rock Island. A letter
to Newton or Guthrie from Chicago,
must come to Kansas City over the
Burlington and transfer to the Santa
Fe here and proceed on its destina-
ton. A letter to Marion or Ell Reno
from Chicago must come here on the
Burlington and transfer to the Rock
Island.
The officials of the Rock Island and
Santa Fe insist hat a line should han
die the mail to be delivered by it for
all possible mileage. If the Burling-
ton is late into Kansas City, the
trains west over the Santa Fe and
Rock Island leave on time. Connec-
ton is not made and the mail intend
ed for the west is delayed in Kansas
City twelve hours, which to the bust
ness man for whom it is intended,
means possibly twenty-four hours.
Dnn1r TC1anl nAaafa1. 49,. a,.4rNAI
that mail out of Chicago intended for
points on their line west of Kansas
City, should be given to the Rock ISL
and at Chicago; that the Rock Island
connects with itself at Kansas City,
and If late into Kansas City, would
reach western points hours earlier
than If connection is missed with the
Burlington. The same argument is
put up by the Santa Fe, but s far 1t
has never appealed to the p~ostofice
department.
The weight period comes once in
four years, and lasts about a month.
From this an estimate is made for pay
for a term of four years. In that time
the Burlington sees that its trains
are not late into Kansas CITY: that
connection is made. 1t gets the vol
ume OF mail and pay on that basis.
AS soon as the weight period is over.
the schedule on the Burlington may
not be made so scrupulously on time.
and mail may not make connection
with the Santa Fe and Rock Island.
But the pay for the full four years
time goes to the Burlington and the
other roads are forced to do the work
by II g department or they get no nav
This game has been worked for
years, and under the ruling of the de-
partment there is no end to It. 1t is
a matter Of $1,000 900 annually now
to the Rock Island and Santa Fe II
means more as the country develops
and the volume of mail increases.
This is worth fighting for, and there Is
a fight for II.
If the Santa Fe had a depot in Kan.
sas City separate from the Burlington
then that road would get the mail II
claims, for the government could not
make the wagon transfer from the
Burlington depot to the Santa Fe de
pot. If the Rock Island could get a
depot and keep the Burlington out
or 1t, then that line would force the
department TO change the plan. This
means to the Santa Fe $500. 900 annu-
ally now and $500 900 to the Rock
Island, and ii will be more every year
It is safe to say that the Rock Isl.
and n Santa Fe would be able 10
go into the union depot plan with
more willingness If they could get the
mai out of Chicago. So far, the Bur-
lington has shown no disposition TO