Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-02-09
MlXUP IN
MAIL HAUL
ROCK ISLAND HEARS OF SOS 900
SLASH MADE IN BuRLING-
TOMS REMUNERATION
New Phase Of the Controversy Makes
the Question One Of the Worst Mud.
dies the Postoffice Department Has
Dealt With For Years.

Chicago, Feb 8.--The controversy
over carrying trsnscontinental mails
between Chicago and Omaha has be-
come one of the worst muddles the
postoffice department has had to deal
with for many years.
President Winchell of the Rock Is
land said he received a telegram from
Washington yesterday stating the Bur
lington had offered to cut the mail
compensation to the figure which the
government would save if the mails
were diverted to the Rock Island, a
cut of S65,000, or about 10 per cent a
year.
Eustis Denies Cut.
P. S. Eustis, passenger traffic man
ager of the Burlington, said this was
incorrect and that he regarded the
mail controversy as settled in his
favor. He declared the Burlington
for some time had been. running
through cars from the east to Omaha,
thereby saving the government the
expense of transfer here and also cost
ing the Burlington good deal Of
money.
Postmaster Cortelyou has given the
Rock Island until today to submit ad.
ditional figures regarding the money
and time which will be saved by di.
verting the mails to its new train.
President Winchell declares if the Bur
lington retains the mail the govern
ment will be going in the face of all
precedent, and that it would be the
s'most peculiar thing that has ever
happened in connection with the carry.
srer of all tho roiirnadc'
Pres. Winchell Is Nonplussed.
President Winchell also said: IF
the Burlington has made this offer it
is difficult to understand 1t means a
good deal for company to voluntarily
reduce mail pay $4,000 a year on a
single route at time when that same
company is protesting at Washington
against action by congress looking to-
ward the lowering of pay for the
transportation Of the mails.
"Our train is putting mail into
Omaha and points southwest, includ.
ing southern California and parts Ut
Utah, earlier than ever before and
pn a schedule hitherto thought i'm
possible. We have been performing
this service regularly, and we presum
ed that under all postal regulations
we would be given the competitive
mail.
"A more or less clumsy substitute
for transferring the mails to us at
Englewood has been worked out by
the Lake Shores sending mail cars
through crowded terminals to the Bur
lington tracks. If this was desir
able step it could have been taken
prior to the Inauguration of our ser
vice.
Mail always has been diverted from
The Burlington Has Been Favored
the Rock Island where cheaper =
2 quicker route could be found, say
a saving of ten or fifteen minutes il
time and small saving by reason (.
a greater Immigrant haul.
"The important point to decide y
this matter is whether the government
is actually looking for competition "
movements of this kind. If the gov
eminent does not want the best it car
get we shall not whine about it, bu
it will probably make the railroads
less and less inclined to make efforts
In the direction of lacilitation of the
mails and saving i'll expense to th'
department"