The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-03-29
Claim That Cost of Carrying
Mails is More Than
Pay Received.
FIRST VIcE.PREsIDENT MAPoTH.
Err, OF l.. G. NJ, AND PRESIDENT
cHAS. A. WIckERSAM, OF At
LANTlc AND WEST POINT,
WRITE LETTERS DEALING WITH
GOVERNMENT MAIL G o NJ
TRACTS.
Louisville, KY, March %, 1910.

Editor Pensacola Journal.
AS you are doubtless aware, the
United States postal deficit, postage
rates and the compensation allowed
the railroads for transporting the
mails, ETC., are just now lively sub
jects of public discussion. Recent
press reports and editorial express
sion indicate a rather widespread and
quite serious Misrepresentation upon
the part of the public in regard to
the compensation allowed the rail-
roads for transportation of the mails,
and the relation Of same to the pos
tai deficit.
Sometime since the railroads Or
ganized a Special Committee on Rail
way Mail Pay for the purpose of
subject and to present facts and
figures bearing upon the compensa-
ton paid the railroads. The rail-
roads have no object other than the
development of the, real facts in the
matter, and feel confident that they
will clearly illustrate the inadequacy
of the compensation now received
for the superior service which is rem.
dered. Mr.. G. A. Wickersham, presi.
dent and general manager of the A.
&, w. P. and Western Railway OF Ala
hama, who is member of the Spec
ial Committee above mentioned, has
asked me to transmit the attached
communication enclosing literature
published by the committee.
I respectfully beg your careful con.
sideration of the matter.
Yours truly,
w. IL. MAPOTHER,
First Vice-President.
From President WickershanL
Atlanta, Ca, March 81, 1910.
Editor Pensacola Journal.
You have, of course, seen the repe.
titions of the allegation that the gov
eminent pays the roads at rate of
nine cents per pound for hauling the
mails, based upon the broad state
ment by President Taft to the effect
that this figure was the cost for
transportation of the mails.
The president failed to point out
that this transportation" as he used
it, included handling by the depart
ment. and that only 3.19 cents per
pound of net mail matter was paid
to the roads. Neither did he point
out that for every pound of mail mat.
ter we handle, we also carry pouches
and government equipment to the eX.
that the compensation derived by the
railroads is only 100 per pound of
actual weight hauled for the govern.
ment. Furthermore, this one and
ninety-one hundredths cents per
pound includes the payment for pos.
tai cars.
The average person is astonished
almost to the point of increduliblity
when informed that the roads haul
the mail at a loss. and especially the
extent of that loss. 1t Is none the
less a fact that for every dollar the
Itroads are paid, it costs them over
two dollars to render the service
The statement is often heard that
the roads get a fabulous sum for
furnishing the postal cars. The. truth
is that what they get for furnishing
the car and hauling it is not half
what they would receive if they fur
nished the car. hauled it free and
charged only the regular passenger
fare for the mail clerks.
For your detailed information | beg
leave to hand you some papers which
will doubtless prove Interesting read
ing.
l might say further that it is fire.
quentlv alleged that the roads get
more for hauling the mail than for
hauling express. This is not true
not only do the mails get d higher
class of service, but the earnings de.
rived from express are much greater
This is shown by the ENCLOSED papers
but sometime since lie government
asked the roads for Information look
ing towards a comparison, and we
are hard at work getting up detail
ed data for this purpose. which We
will be only too glad to make public
when completed, and same will be
subject to the most rigid scrunity and
analysis.
We are prompted to write you this
because the undersigned is the mem,
her from the South of the COMMITTEE
on Railway Pay, and we feel some