The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-02-25
RAILROAD NEWS.
Roads Give Their Defense in
Postal Controversy.
Carriers Claim Remuneration
Is Wholly Inadequate.
EXPRESS NO GUIDE.
In Handling Mail Only IL Per
Cent Goes to Company.
Other Items of General Interest
in Railroad Circles.
EXPRESS NO GUIDE.

In answer to arguments which nave
been published contending that the pos
tai deficit Is due to improvident railway
mail pay contracts. rental and haul OF
railway pcstoffice cars and to grossly
discriminatory rates in comparison with
those paid express companies, the COM
mittee on railway mail pay, represent
ing 1879 railroads and headed by Julius
Kruttschnitt, vice president and d1rec-
tor of maintenance and operation OF
the Hartman lines. has come forward
with a statement in rebuttab claiming
that the remuneration to the railroads
for handling the mails in comparison
with that for other services rendered.
is wholly Inadequate
The committee describes in detall the
successive reductions which have been
made in the revenues of the railroads
nv the poStoffice department and then
goes on to show that although the pos
tai deficit from 1907 to 1909 increased
162 per cent the amount OF secono-claSs
mail carried remained almost constant
and the pay to the railroads increased
only by IA per cent. so that the IN
crease in deficit, it is held, must De
due to other causes. It Is then SHOWN
that of the entire cost Of handling
the mails only IL per cent goes to the
railroads. while SO per cent goes else
where, and that the actual amount pa1d
for Transporting second-class matter by
the railroads is only 319 cents per
pound, while if the weight OF equip
ment is taken into consideration, the
raw is only so more than one-half that
1T is the porular IMPRESSION, says
TIE committee in part. that the COM
pensation paid the railroads for post
Office cars is a rental simply Nothlng
could be more erroneous: Inc pay Gov
ers not only the exclusive use, very
small part of the expense to the car
rier but the very burdenSome and ex-
pensive duly of hauling the car fully
equipped postoffice on wheels, IN fast
passenger trains For the use and cost
Of hauling this car, ridiculously made
ouate railway postoffice pay is allow
ed.
FOR a 60-foot railway postal car the
carriers receive 5.5 cents per mile haul
ed. These cars weigh about so TONS
so the average earning per gross ton
mile hauled is IL mills. The depart
nent on many lines uses the car one
way only, forcing the carriers to maui
II back empty. so that on such lines
the car mile earning would De reduced
to % cents, or about the same earnings
per mile as from III first-cl2ss paSsen-
gers To move empty cars in freight
trains carriers receive more than they
receive for moving postal cars IN pas
senger trains"
Turning to the disparity between mail
end express rates Of pay the commlttee
gays in part:
considering the conditions and recip-
REGAL obligations, express is far more
attractive and remunerative than mail
traffic and would be so though the ton
mile earnings from express are far less.
Bearing in mind that economical train
operation means good car loading and
good train loading, express is handled
with baggage in cars loaded to full
capacity; mail requires a pOstoff1ce on
wheels with space for mail racks and
Uostal clerks working en- route, and
loaded with an average of but two tons.
The design and specifications of the
postoffice car are made by the depart
ment regardless of expense, and there
fore. because Of it's special fittings for
postoffice use. is much more costly to
build, equip, maintain and haul in
trains, as it's lead weight is so per cent
greater than baggage and express cars.
on the other hand. it brings in less
revenue as it's ret carrying capacity for
mail is not more than 21a tons, while
express cars can be loaded to Is and
&c tons. Any comparison of mail with
CYPRESS or freight rates is valueless
Irless all conditions are considered and
valued"
Figures are given to show that rates
per ton mile for transporting freight
On freight trains are often higher than
rates charged for hauling and furnish
ing postoffice car facilities on passen-
ser trains for carriage of mails. In
Conclusion the committee says:
Whether the service shall be i'm
proved with an annual deficit or remain
stationary with no deficit, or with a
surplus, depends on whether further