Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-01-22

terms letters or packets and all eS-
press companies ara prohibited from
carrying g.
''Solne time ago, Mr.. Nathan VIII
liams. an attorney oi fityette, Atko
called my attention to the fact that
the postoflice department WAS hold-
ms mat the two words letters and
aagkrts were Synonymous. and that
research would prove that the tW"
words arc not anonymous An inNes
tigatiun revealed that the words GO"
NOT mean the same thing aud that
earl, attorneys general ana uostmas-
tiers general held that packets meant
mnfl matter other than letters, ana
that congress also made a distinction
in the terms. when 1t passed laws IN
.lX45. to save the postal system from
ruin threatened by the competition or
express companies.
sFor many Years the p%ostoffico de-
| nartmtnt has been surrcndeflng us
monopoly On the transportation OF
racket mail matter by authority Of q
font-n0to IN thc regulations, when
| foot-note seems to have lis basis IN
"a brief letter to Postmaster General
James from Attorney General Mae
Vpagh. in 1881. heretofore unpuhlish-
cd. in which Mr MacNeagh merely
saia he had no doubt that packets
meant ~ package Of letters
As che resolution introduced by rue
sets forth. The history OF the word in
the statutes shows that Mr. Mac
Neagh'a cursnry opinion Il no iound'
ed in laW or in fact. u Is also oi
Interest IN the matter to note that Tn
federal court convicted q postal clefh
who had rifled a package OF YEA ~ th'
mails ana who commended that th'
word purkets meant only "a package
of letters. the court holding that ]
could not mean merely that.
AIR. Murlock's resolution calls pi
the postmaster general for |inturnlA
lion whether the government hal
taken amy steps to protect ~ maj
MONOPOLY against the incuisiohs %
tho oxpresa companies. Hts stfp y
taken with q Wow to reaching "A rna
| determination whether the express
companies are entitled as q matter o.
law to handle Il large part of the mos
profitable mail matter, leaving the de-
nartment 10 handle the unprofltahle
long-distancc matter at q loss.
rho inquiry il expected to have
YER, important bearing on the who'll
matter ST the government policy to
ward sccond-class matter, on which l
has boon proposed to raise the rates.
The postal iaws aud regulations q
cited BY MIR. Murdoek's resolution
seem 10 intend that the postoftiee DE-
partment shall have q monopoly %
tho transportation Of an matter Whici
is included in the governments rits
sificatton OF mail. whether, first, soc
ona. third uI- fourth class. Mr., Muf
dock finds that much matter, which y
fact h included within these ciassili
cations. especially ~secon0-class mat
Ter. is i'm fact being transported b.
tho eNnress companies Us competition
with the mails. Moreover, ne point
ont Tint whereas the mail rates ar'
lat rates, uniform for All distances
Tho express companies make rates, ol
short-distancc and profitable business
(which are lower than those Of IN
postofrice department, ana get niue
of this business. but un business coy
erinc long distances. nnd unprofitabl
at the nostal rates. thr express com
panios make no effort at al 90 secuf
IT,.
The result of this if MT. Murdocl
i right. Us "a tendency to turn owe
To- the p%ostofficc the Improbable pro
norton 81 the SECOND class business
with The result that thcre is a shown
OF 4 very long average haul on I'M
class of business. and of high eN
. .tfla fhs gvurrse CUmupule