The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-12-19
RAIL ROADS ASKING
MORE PAY FOR CARS
Asserts That Post Office Now Elk.
ponds Only SCI to Earn 500,
Against $34 Five Years
Ago, Meanwhile Rail.
road Expenses
Have Increased

The Committee on Railway Mail
Pay" representing 26S railroads op-
Grating $4,000 miles Of line. has
Just issued this statement regarding
the question Of mail pay:
THE drastic reductions Of recent
years afford unanswerable proof that
railway mail pay Is now too low is
the contention of the railroads Of the
country. according to statement
r,ade public today.
THE committee on railway mail
pay is composed Of Ralph Peters.
chairman (president Of the Long Is
land Railroad; Charles A. Wicker
cham. president and general manag.
er Western Railway of Alabama: w.
". Baldwin, vice president Chicago.
Burlington & Quincy Railroad; W.
s. Atterbury. vice president Penn-
sylvania Railroad: Geo. T. Nichoi-
son, vice president Atchison, Topeka
& Santa Fe Railway: E. J. Pearson.
first vice president Missouri Pacific
Railway; z. G. auckland. vice pres.
ident New York. New Haven & Hart
ford Railroad; c. F. Daley. vice pres
ident New York Central Lines: w.
A. Worthington. assistant director Of
maintenance and operation Of the
Union and Southern Pacific systemc;
w. F. Allen. secretary. and H. 7.
Newcomb, statistician.
This committee has recently been
making a vigorous answer to the
Postmasters Generals assertion thai
the roads receive some 100000
too much mail pay. The carriers
say: The Congressional Joint Com.
mission to investigate the postal ser
vice, which reported on January IA
1901, is authority for the fact that
at that time, railway mail pay wal
not excessive. ScnaOr Edward B
Walcott, of Colorado; Senator Thos
s. Martin, OF Virginia: Representa-
tive Eugene F. Loud, of California
Representative w. H. Moody. Of Mas
sachusetts, and Representative 7. {
Cuttings, of Mississippi. six Of tn
eight members of the Commission
! then united in the following:
Upon a careful consideration
OF all the evidence and the
statements and arguments sub
mitted, and in view Of all SER
vices rendered by the railways,
we are of the opinion that the
prices now paid to the rail-
road companies for transpOrta-
ton of the mails are not excess
I've, and recommend that no re-
duction thereof be made at this
time"
"Since the Commission reported
the volume of the American mails
the revenue Of the American posta
service and Its demand upon TIL
railways for services and facilitie
have greatly increased The cost
ct supplying railway Transportation
have also greatly increased. Tn,
necessary cost Of railway propert.
rer unit Of service has increased, an,
IN consequence. the amount requires
as a reasonable return thereon, on
account Of higher wages and prices
the higher standards OF service de
handed. and the higher value OF tn
real estate required for extended an,
necessary terminal plants.
Operating expenses have grow
b. reason Of repeated advances /,
rates Of wages paid to employees o
every grade and increased prices 0
materials and supplies. Taxes hav
increased with the rapidly augment
- Ing exactions OF State and local gov
ornments and the imposition of al
entirely new Federal corporatio
tax.
yet during this period Of rapid
advancing railway expenses, and i
spite of the fact that IT it's con,
mcncement the railway mail pay W.
not excessive, the rates of paymcn
for railway mail services have bee