The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-11-25
RAILROAD NEWS.
Close Inquiry into Actual Cost
Of Carrying Mail.
Postmaster General Hitchcock
Seeks Specific Information.
PROBLEM INTRICATE.
Information May Save Govern
ment Large Sum of Money.
Other Items of General Interest
in Traffic World.
PROBLEM INTRICATE.

Washington, Nov. 25.-Frank H.
Hitchcock, postmaster general, is try
ing to find out how much it actually
costs the railroads of the United States
to carry the mails. When he gets his
information, it may be, means will be
found to save the government a large
sum of monev.
The magnitude of the work in hand
may be known when it is said that a
large part of the clerical force of the
service is engaged in it. The returns
which the railroads rrake TO the in
terstate commerce coIAA ssion are I'M
der study, and to these Aave been ad-
ded reports direct from the railroads
to the department. Besides this, the
entire inspectors force of the depart
ment is lending it's aid to enable the
officers to get figures which they can
be sure are right.
The country has been divided into
zones, and each zone is considered sep
arately. 1t is more costly to carry the
mail in some places than it is in 9TH
ers, and all this has to be taken into
consideration. Before the department
gets through with it's work. it will
know what part of the expense of 90
Grating the railroads falls to the pas
senger service, what part to freight
service, what part to express service,
and what part to the mail service.
Trains are being considered separate
ly. The number of cars on train is
noted with a separation of those given
over to passenger, baggage, express,
and mail service purposes. The space
in the cars which is used by the post
office department is computed, and it's
relation is gagged to the space given
over to the other carrying purposes.
Some of the men engaged in this
investigation in the department are
problem to be solved is difficult and in
volved. The work is pretty well ad-
vanced, but absolute accuracy is nee
essary and is insisted upon. The de-
partment does not care to make any
mistakes. 1t has been charged in con-
gress and in the press frequently that
the railroads were making too much
money out of their contracts for carry
ing the mails. There have been fire.
quent attempts in the past to find out
just how much it did cost, but there
was lack of proper information, and
it was found to be almost impossible to
drag from their hiding places the facts
which were necessary to bring results.
Today the postoft1ce department is at
the work in earnest. 1t may be that
it will find that the railroads have not
been overpaid for the carrying service.
and it may be also that 1t will be found
that the profit is so great that the
carriers must be forced to share all but
"a reasonab BILE part of it, with the peo-
pie.
The actual labor of getting at the
facts in this case is under the direc-
ton of Second Assistant Postmaster
General Joseph Stewart. The passage
of laws in the last four or FIVE years
which give easier access to the rec
ords of corporations has made 1T some
what easier than it was in the past
for the department to get at facts
which are of service in this work.
If the present investigation shows
that the government can be saved
money on it's mail carrying contracts,
the department deficit will be decreas-
ed a few more millions, but hardly to
the vanishing point.