The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-12-08
UNCLE SAM lVAs1Et
ANNUALLY
ON CAR RENTALS
Pays Out $4,so0,0o0 Each Year for
This Purpose and Railroads Get !,
Additional SAG, 100000 for
Carrying Mails.
Extravagant Donation Of Postal De-
partment Will Be Brought TO
Attention Of Congress.
BY OLSON GARDNER.

WASHINGTON, d. c., Dec. SIN
connection with the efforts TO reduce,
the deficit in the postal service, the
unnecessary and excessive rentals,
paic to the railroads for postal cars
Will receive early congressional atten-
ton
This is probably the greatest waste
In the postal service Every two
years the government pays in cars
rentals a sum which would buy these
cars outright
This fact has been well known
many years. No less than $500, 900
is paid out every year for postal car
rentals. and the railroads draw in adj
dition $46,000.000 for the actual carry
ing of the mails. There is no doubt
that this enormous sum contributes
the largest items of unwarranted ex-
pense entering into the annual deficit
of the postoffice department.
AS long ago as 1887 Postmaster Gem.
eral Villas had this to say in his re-
port to congress-
1T Is within bounds to affirm that
all these (mail cars then being rented
by the government) might be today
purchased, or their duplicates manu-
featured, for $l,600,000. Yet, simply
for the use of these cars for the last
year, including cleaning, ETC., the de-
partment was under the annual rate OF
charge by the existing system OF ST.
S81, $50. In illustration. $50 ,073.75 Is
annually paid on one line for the use
of four cars that might be built and
fully equipped in the best modern
style for less than $l7,500. Instead.
then. of appropriating $2,O00.000 TO
rent the use OF these cars for the COM
ing year, why. should not the appropri-
alton be of smaller sum to buy them,
and OF another-say $3.50. 000-for their
keeping. the two together not aggre-
eating the proposed rent? The de-
partment will thereafter gain at least
81 500 600 per year"
During the consideration OF the last
postofice appropriation bill Senator
| LaFollette brought out some impor.
tant facts:
'sThIb BILL" said he, carrying az
lit does $4,000, 600 for car rental. makes
an allowance to the railroads Tor the
mere use Of the cars OF $4220 per car.
on the average.
1T seems to me an unjustifable ex-
travagance to pay an annual rentai
for those railway mail cars almost sur
! ficient 20 enable the government 10
build and own the cars. These cars
are railway postoffices. The govern
ment appropriates large sums to erect
postoffice buildings. and IL would Do
simply logically carrying out the plan
of the government owning It's own
postoffice buildings. Here 1t can De
done at an enormous saving to the TAX
payers OF the country"
| The senator then submitted res
olution requiring an investigation and
report by the postmaster-general to
| the next congress. He was promptly
ruled out OF order.
The railroads are charging an ex-
orbitant rate for hauling the mails.
For instance. the average distance OF
haul OF newspapers Is estimated at
29I miles, for which the railroads
charge an average OF cents a pound.
The first class passenger fare from
New York to Chicago is $500. A ZOO
pound passenger is thus carried II
900 miles at a rate Of cents a pound.
while the railroads are charging the
government cents for every pound
of newspapers hauled 291 miles, In
mail bags which require no seats,
aisles, air, light, or other convent
fences.
! Postmaster General Hitchcock in his
| last annual report, and President Tat
/ i'm his message TO the last session az
congress, both went out OF their way
in an endeavor to show that the post
age rate on magazines and periodicals
is too low. trying In this way to ac-
count for the postal deficiency, and
totally ignoring the exorbitant sums
paid To the railroad companies tor
the railway mail service.