Omaha daily bee., 1907-05-06

| New York and Chicago was s67.40 per ton.
| 1t then recites that the express rate is
$50 per ton, but does not in any way, shape
or form attribute this information to the
postmaster generals report
"The figures cited were taken from the
report of the Postal commission, OF which
| Senator Penrose is chairman, pages 592 to
597 inclusive, and were furnished by Mr..
Herbert Noble, representing the Periodical
Publishers Association Of America
Postmaster Generals Figures.
In his statement there occurs the follow
ing passage:
On page 441 of the postmaster gen
| eral report for 1902 and the following
pages, there appears a table showing the
| readJustment OF pay per mile upon the
| section for which the quadrennlal term
expired June 80 1905 The points between
] which each route is operated the names
I of the railroads. the total length Of the
route, the average weight of mail carried
over the entire route per day, the character
\ and frequency Of the service, etc, the
I average number of trips per week, the pay
! per mile per annum for transportation, the
pay for railroad post-ottice car service, and
| the annual rate Of pay Tor transportation
are ali set forth.
From these, BY the process hereinafter
| described, 1t is possible to Inquire out the
| actual amount received by each particular
! railroad for each hundred pounds carried
J over each route, For example. we viii
=
/ RIVER railroad, from New York to Buff
| falo, which is known as Route No. 1904"
! The average weight Of mall carried over
| this entire route per day is adjusted at
| 4ll,S3S pounds. The total annual rate Of
pay for the transportation of same not in
| Guiding the allowance for railroad post
| Once cars Is z6o,SSl.4o This makes a total
! compensation to the road of ~ zol,SO Ol.72 per
! annum for the four years commencing July
l, 1905.
81 multiplying the average daily weight
OF nlSS pounds by 1855 we md that the
! quantity carried yearly Is l5O,320S $40 pounds,
| and by dividing this quantity into S225l,-
! S0l.72 we find that the rate per pound is
| %.OlS9 plus, or practically Sl5O per 100
| pounds, Comparing this with the freight 70
! Buffalo, which is N.25 it will be seen that
| the New York Central a. Hudson River
| railroad Is now receiving nearly four times
! the amount of the first-class rate Qess than
| carload lots) and much more than the ex-
| press rate.
method, We propose to show the amounts
! paid per 100 pounds to the railroads for
| points Of the United States on trunk lines,
| and to compare these amounts with the
| freight rates and express rates between the
| same points.
Hundred Pound Rate Rs Basis.
'Mr. Noble then proceeds to give the
figures as cited I'm the story which General
Manderson criticises. His express rates
are based on the express charges per 100
pounds. AS for mel do not know what
the average sized express shipment is, but
| when Prof. Adams the present efficient
| statistician of the Interstate Commerce
! commission. made an extended comparison
| Of mail and express rates between New
| York and Buffalo, he used the 1OO-pound
! rate as the basis Of his comparison. And
| when one considers that most of the poul-
! try, most of the eggs, most OF the veal
! calves many of the early vegetables, most
! Of the thoroughbred horses and cows and
hogs go by express he will have to agree
| that Prof. Adams was nearer right in
using the 1OO-pound rate basis than
! General Manderson when he says that a
seven-pound package is typical one, Mr.
Noble has figured out the mail pay on the
data in the report OF the postmaster gem
! eral He has given the express rates on
the basis selected as the just basis by Prof
Adams. probably the greatest living and
! certainly the most widely recognized au-
thority on transportation statistics 1t will,
therefore, be seen that the mail figures
are not fake figures at ALL and that the
! EXPRESS figures were computed on the basis
furnished by Prof Adams
when Prof. Adams compared the cost
Of mail and express transportation between
New York and Buffalo. as is shown by his
statement before the Wolcott commission.
he found that the rate per ton for hauling
sg.7s. Taking the 1OO-pound rate as an
/ average express rate, he found that the
rate per ton for express was SOS BY al
lowing the railroad one-half for the trans
portation Of the express he found that it
! received $3.50 per ton for that service.
Since that time II has repeatedly been
stated on the floor Of the house that the
contract rate for which the railroad car
ries express from New York to Buffalo Is
40 per cent, and the statement has never
been denied. Upon the basis given by Prof
| Adams. then, the railroad really received
so per ton for rendering service not
dissmilar to that for which the govern
ment paid it sSl.7s per ton.
Figures that Are DisInterested.
LAS for myself. and I think it will be
the same with the public. I prefer to take
the disinterested statements and conclu-
sions OF Prof. Adams to the Interested
statements OF even so honorable a gentle
man as General Henderson
ct know that General Manderson would
not Intentionally misrepresent any one or
anything. and yet I'm his article he sets
Senator Chandler down as agreeing as
member Of the Wolcott commission. that
present rates Of railway mail pay are not
too high. As a matter OF fact Senator
Chandler says. over his signature. m th.
report that rates are too high The fol-
lowing passage from his statement win
throw light 90 his views. and show what
he thinks Of Prof Adams whose figures
are Quoted above:
! The commission, as authorized by cen
gress. employed a highly competent exnert
Prof Henry G. Adsms1 oud he recon
msnded a reduction Of rer cent OF She
compensation on an routes, ana "a further
. ff o.,
railroads where tha trafic Is most aeaso.
az being IN his Judgment. below the per-
centage of reduction which could Justly
be demanded by reason OF changed conai-
tions The undersigned joins with Roorc-
] sentative Fleming IN recommeudirs the
foregoins reductions. and in the removal
OF the present lIni, of progressive r,dgc-
CContinled On second Page)