The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1914-06-27
VOL. XXXvIII
The Edenborn Line Gives Their Side of
Controversy About Mails.

prehension among the population living
in the territory served by the Louisi-
ana Railway & Navigation Company,
as to the probability of that roads dis
continuing through mail service under
contract with the postoffice depart
ment. Reports to this effect have be-
come more or less current from the
fact that the department has written
postmasters along the road advising
them that the company might decline
to take mail after July l, and asking
for information as to the nearest point
from which their Offices might receive
mail in the future should the railroad
so decline.
Vice President H. B. Helm, of the
L. R. & NJ. has given out lengthy in
terview in regard to the present situa-
ton. He said that after considerable
correspondence with the department.
which failed to show what the depart
ment's future action with respect to
increasing the compensation for SER
vices rendered by the company would
be, the company had again stated that
a new contract would not be signed un-
til it had been advised as to the com
pensation it could expect
Mr.. Helm then proceeded into more
detailed review of the situation begin
ming with the formal notice of the
quadrennial weighing of the mails to
determine what the railroads compen-
sation should be for the ensuing four
years. He said:
ION February 8, 1914, the L. R. &
N. company had advised the postoffice
department that it would offer no OBJ
lection, but on the other hand would
facilitate in every way possible the
weighing of mails at the regular period
beginning February Is. 1914. and con-
tinuing ninety days thereafter for the
purpose of arriving at basis Of COM
pensation to be allowed during the next
term, but that as soon as the weights
could be obtained and the amount Of
compensation figured, the L. r. & N.
company would expect to be advised
what the compensation for the next
contract would be, and would then ex-
press its presidents decision as to
whether it would continue to handle
the mail after date of June 80, 1914,
or not.
ION May IL, 1914, the official certifi-
cate showing the distances from one
postoffice to the other was sent to the
postoffice department and their atten-
ton called to the fact that the accept
ance Of the contract, in advance of
knowledge as to the compensation, was
not signed. but inasmuch as the infor-
nation in the certificate would prob
ably be needed to arrive at the amount
of compensation to be allowed, this in
formation was sent them and upon re-
ceipt of the information and return of
contract signature would be affixed if
it was deemed that such compensation
was sufficient to cover the cost of the
service.
Under date of May Is, 1914. the de-
partment replied in ma sner in which
their future action could not be deter
mined, and in order that there might
be no mistake the l.. r. & N. company,
under date of May 81. 1914. referred
to previc=s correspondence and again
stated that new contract would not
be signed until the company had been
advised as to the compensation it could
expect.
Awaiting the return and approval
of the president, however, this letter
was not mailed until June IL, and on
June II the department replied thereto.
In their reply they ignored the cores
pondence of February and May and
claims reasonable notice had not been
given them regarding the matter.
The work of reweighing the mails
was completed June 2, 1914. The task
of figuring the compensation was not
considered very great one and it was
assumed that fifteen or twenty days
time would be sufficient. However. il
has not been the policy of the depart
ment to give any railroad any idea OF
what their compensation was to be for
a new contract. until after the contract
had been signed and was in effect. The
L. r. & N. company thought that this
was hardly fair basis of agreement.
Assuming. however, that for some
reason the department has been unable
to give US the information and will be
prior to expiration of the present con.
tract. and not desiring to subject the
people along its line to any unneces-
sary inconveniences or add any great
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