Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-02-18
F|GH 7
FOR FAST MAIL
CONTRACT
BURLINGTON RETAINS
C~HICAGO-OMAHA ROUTE
offered to Meet All Cuts Of
Rock Island Which Sought
Job Alleged to Be Profit
less to Carriers,
Especial correspondence Morning JournnlI

Especial Correspondence Morning Journal
Washington. ID. c., Feb. l4.-There
was issued from the %postOftiCe depart
meut this week the simple two line an
nouncement. "rrans-Continental mails
from Chicago to Omaha VIII continue,
as heretofore, to be carried owe the
Burlington route This did not
sound startling On the face of it, and
II was strangely overlooked by the To-
cal papers, but it marks a period in a
fierce fight for railroad mail patron
age that has been raging here for
weeks and has to do with the general
matter of railroad mali compensation
that the senate has been promising for
several months to look INTO without
ever doing more than promise.
Perhaps it was a case of dog feast
ing ON canine, and neither side is due
much sympathy, but it shows how
queer things still happen in the post
office department in spite, of the re-
cent house cleaning The Burlington
is the road that has been carrying the
mails from Chicago to Omaha since
1884. There is no contract for this
or similar fast mail service. out ii is
given to the most available road by
the p|ostoffce. II is a fine advertise
ment, the railroads claim they make
no N out of it. There are con
trary reports that they make entirely
too much, but that may possibly be
settled by congressional investigation
Anyhow, there Is a fierce fight of the
railroads for this poor paying job.
AT the beginning of the mail Weigh
ing period, which ends this week. the
Rock Island wanted To get Tho mail
service, and it had begun the fight for
il months hack Tho R~urIfnrtnn has
been in the habit of picking ~ tho
mails on the west side of Chicago. the
matter being carted across town by
mOunt to about S3OO. 600 "A wear.
Tho Rock Island had tracks to run
thp trains strlipbt brourb tho city
and eliminate no time and cost of the
wagon ham So il nut lis plea before
tho denariment The burlington was
promnfIy nottdod of Tho aftemnt to Sc
emo M mau enr,ioo ana disroverpd
mar If had a aart interest i'm a rack
across tnyvn ana [otIld nan! mo mail
trains straight through Tins meeting
mo offo, Of rho RocL Is!and Then
tho Rock Island announced that he
ing "A land Grant road II would be
choaner for tbo government to shin
over its line even at the same contract
Drice as heretofore If made no spc-
cidc offer, hut then a oueel thing han
pened The Rurlinpton rot wind of
Inc offer and announced boldly that
II would meet any offer thar inc Rack
Island could make. Roth roads kent
representative here working dav and
night to bring Influence 10 hear to Sc
each others movements, and as both
had representatives in the postofdce
department they were made aware OF
each others moves. Finally, twenty
four hours before the event the Bur
lington learned that it was the ia
vored one. and the service was
awarded, quite properly too from the
postmaster generals point Of view.
because with equal cost. the decision
saved switching the service from one
road 10 another which woulB have