Evening journal., 1906-12-26
MAIL CARRYINGLAW
YEARS BEHIND TIME
Present Session of Congress
is Expected to Soon
Change Them

WASHINGTON. Dee. 26--Congress
at this session VIII probably direct that
ali mail matter carried by the railroads
between July l. 1907. and January J.
1905 be weighed. This win be done
simply by means Of resolution. and
will he preliminary to the enactment
Of definite aid permanent legislation
relating 20 the cost OF transportation
Of the mails ana tho rates Of postase
on certain kinds Of mail within a given
class. With a complete record of
weight Of every ceass or mail for a
period OF six months, Congress. u is
believed, would be able to enact some
important postal legislation. II this
weighing record is kept the result VIII
be available in time for use of Con-
gress at the next long session.
Murdoch Submitted Statements.
Representative Victor Murdock Of
Kansas. a member OF the Committee
on Postofices and Post Roads, sub
mitted some statements the other day
on the intricate subject OF railway mali
pay which have attracted much atien-
ton from members OF Congress. He
| insisted that there are practices and
methods followed in fixing the present
compensation OF the railroads for car
rying the mails which shoull be
changed before February next year,
when under the existing laws the
mails VIII be weighed in that section
Of the country comprising Indiana, I'LL
nois. Ohio. Michigan, Wisconsin,
Minnesota. Iowa and Missouri.
He pointed out that IN the report OF
the Postohice Department for 1905 the
average daily weight OF the mails
on Route No. 107O11. being the New
York Central, from New York to Buff
falo. is given at 4l1s5s pounds for a
period OF IS DAYS from February H.
1905. IF 1 am correctly Informed. Il
was not All, s3S pounds. but the average
daily weight was $50 900 pounds: that is
5000 pounds less per day." said h.
Many Errors Shown.
"The annual rate Of compensation IS
given at S19s5,OOO. II I am correctly
informed. It should not have been that
but should have been si,72soo0. or
S257O0O less.
THE average daily weight Of the
mails on Route 10000. the Pennsyi-
vania. from New York to Philadelphia,
is given for the same period at 1854
pounds. Apparently it was not thati
Il was in all proba ability $4,000 pounds.
That is Os,000 pounds less. The annual
rate Of Compensation is given at s491009
and it should have been $4,000, or
$4,000 less.
The average daily weight Of the
mail on Route l10OO1. on the Pennsyl-
vania, from Philadelphia to Pittsburg,
Is given at $500 pounds. 1t was prob
ably. in fact. $4,000 pounds. and the
annual rate Of compensation is given
as s1ilOt00. That should have been
81 22s,OOO. or $4,000 less.
IF this Is an over-payment on these
three routes. the figures would reach
sos 900.
Lost Millions in Last Ten Years.
The basis Of most Of our enormous
outlay for the railway carriage Of mail
--s45 ooO,OoO this year Mr.. Murdoch
said. lis the average daily weight. An
tiquated and faulty as the system Of
pay is, still, If we are to retain it then
the basis OF that pay-the average
daily weight--ought to be a. true and
not a false average. That the average
is automatically false 1 believe and
an accountant woul1 show that this
government N the last ten years has
raid something in the region OF $4,000, =
900 for the carriage OF the mails more
than IL would have paid on a true aver
age. If the average is corrected, the
system OF pay is still antiquated and
inequitable and should be changed"
In explaining how. according 10 his
information. a false average is struck.
Mr.. Murdoch said that the mails for a
certain territory are weighed for JOE
DAYS. Sundays ana all, and this IS al
/. totaled Then to secure the average
daily weigh5." said he. "the total IS
not divided ny 1885, but by 30 days that
Is. the Sundays are. excluded. Reduc-
ing the system to the basis Of a week
seven days Weighing are aggregated
and the result is divided by six. This
increases the average. OF course. AS
nearly all heavy averages come from
routes which nave Sunday mails. the
loss to the government is enormous"
Mr.. Murdoch asserted that this sys-
tenn has continued. apparently, foi
years. The department, he explained
has a warrant for II in an opinion given
by him ana the present rate:
, New Rate Proposed.
Mr. Murdoch is the author Of bill
to reduce the rate of pay of the rail-
roads for transporting the mails. Here
is a table showing the rate proposed
b yhim and the present rate:
Average weight of
mail, whole dis Proposed Present
tance per day. Rate. Rae.
200 pounds ...... S42.75 SAFE
500 pounds ....... 6413 Gf.1'
1000 pounds ....... $3.50 Si.5l
i,5OO pounds ........ 1868 106 IS
1000 pounds ...... 1885 I2S2-