New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-06-30
A RAILWAY PROTEST
Mr.. Peters Says Moon Bill WOULD In
crease Mail Injustice.

To the Editor of The Tribune
Sir: An amazing statement from
Chairman Moon of the Postofhce Com
mittee of the House Of Represents
tives is published this morning. eve
have no desire for personal CON
trovepy, but we must take exception
10 SOME of his statements.
Without waiting for the report o.
the Joint Congressional COMMITTEES
which has for two years been investi-
eating the subject of railway mail pay
Congressman Moon had already intro
duced a bill which would still further
reduce the pay and thereby extend the
injustice 20 which the railroads are
now subjected.
The railroads have been claiming,
and they still assert, that they have
proved TO the joint Congressional COM
r,ittee that they were already under
paid at least s15,000,000 year Tor
carrying the mail, and that no far
consideration mas been given to the
question of compensating them for
carrying the parcel post. Yet Con-
gresham Moon casually states that
under his bill "the compensation Is
not much less, if any, than the present
pay"
The Congressman questions the
statement that his bill would produce
a loss TO the railroads of 100000 a
year in addition to the loss they have
already suffered. This is question
Of fact, impossible of determination
except by technical experts, and no.
body can better judge of that fact than
the joint Congressional committee
which will soon submit its report for
the consideration of Congress.
Congressman Moon states that the
introduction of his bill was delayed as
long as possible, and that the policy
of delay has been practised by the
railroads for sixteen years. The fact
is that the railroads have been seeking
ty every proper means during the last
twenty-five years to obtain from Com
grcss fair treatment on this subject
The railway companies have for the
last eighteen months been urging the
giving attention to adequately com
pensating them for carrying the in.
creased burden OF the parcel post
They have, indeed, brought to public
attention every reason that they could
suggest why Congress should indefi-
nitely delay any action to give them
less than their services are worth.
We are in full accord with the con.
illusions Of Chairman Moon that the
old method of weighing the mails once
in four years is altogether unfair, un-
scientific and unbusinesslike. We have
urged for many years that the mails
should be weighed every year for the
whole country end the pay adjusted &C.
cordingly. The claim is also unbound.
&c that the railroads divert the mails
50 as to pad them when the regular
weighing is in progress. The railroads
have no control over the movement OF
the mails; the routing is all done by
the officers of the Postoffice Depart.
ment.
The railroads are prepared TO abide
by the conclusion OF the joint Con.
gressional committee upon the fact a,
to whether or not they are now over.
paid. They are also eager TO cooper.
ate with the government in arriving al
a policy to govern future methods oil
payment which will protect the gov.
eminent and AZ the same time secure
TO the railroads that pay to which
they are justly entitled.
RALPH PETERS.
Chairman Committee on Railway Mai
Pay.
New York, June %, 1914.