The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-09-21
Government Is After Informa-
ton Regarding Mail Profits.
Will Make Investigation Using
Authority of Old Law.
PROBE SANTA FE CASE
Pestoffice Officials Think Sher-
man Act Was Violated.
Other Items of Interest in
Railway Circles.

Washington, Sept. 21.-It became
known here today that Postmaster
General Hitchcock has decided to in
stitute an inquiry with view deter
mining whether the approximately
S5O,O0O,0OO which the government an
ruaIly pays the railroads for carrying
the mails is too much or too little Tor
the service performed.
The railroads are required by law
passed in 1879, but never enforced, to
supply the postmaster general in
formation as to what it costs them to
carry the mails. Mr.. Hitchcock will
take steps to obtain this information
from all the roads during the month
Of November.
There are those who claim that the
basis for statutory rates was hxed
many years ago; that rates for other
public service have been reduced in the
meantime and that the companies are
receiving too much for this service.
On the other hand the companies
claim that the conditions of the serV-
ice are more exacting and onerous and
that the rates were fixed, and that a
careful consideration of all the facts
will show that, especially since the
material reductions by congress and
the effect of the new division they are
more poorly paid for this than for
other classes of service.
The postmaster general wants to
know the facts, and to be fair to the
companies as we'll as to conserve the
Is pushing this inquiry, which, when
completed, will give the department
and congress very important data.
Find Why Santa Fe Withdrew Offer.
In this connection it is said that the
postof1ce department is interested in
knowing what prompted the with
crawal of the proposition of the Santa
Fe to put on a new mail train to run
On fifty-hour schedule between Kan
ass City and Los Angeles just as the
government was about to accept the
offer and enter into a contract.
The postoffice officials believe the
withdrawal was due to strenuous infiu-
ence brought to bear by the Rock
Island and the Southern Pacific. 1t is
said that as soon as the offer of the
were held by the officials of the three
roads interested, and that the Santa
F'e was threatened with severe re-
Irisals in the event of its cutting the
time between Kansas City and south
ern California.
Federal authorities contend that If
such is the case the participants in the
conference are guilty of a fragrant in
fraction of the Sherman law and for
this reason an investigation is being
made to ascertain, if possible, the mo-
tive that prompted the eleventh hour
action of the Santa Fe management.
Government Favors Fast Time.
No secret is made of the fact that
the postoffice department is extremely
DESTROYS of effecting a saving of time
in the transportation of transcontinen-
tai mail, and that it will use its every
resource to secure a schedule that will
result in reducing the running time be-
tween Chicago and Pacific coast points.
1t is expected the government will
readily accept the new offer of the
Chicago, Milwaukee & st. Paul for a
s:xty-two-hour train between Chicago
and Seattle.