The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-12-31

Ralph Peters, president OF the Long
Island Railroad Company and chairman Of
committee on railway mail pay which
| has been at work for more than "a year.
has reached some definite conclusions in
regard to the inadequacy Of the rates paid
by the Government for transporting par
eel post and other matter. and the res-
sons therefor.
Mr.. Peters speaks not only for his own
line but for 263 other American railroads,
with 30 per cent. OF the total mileage of
the United States. Members of the COM
mlttec who were in the city yesterday, not
withstanding the seriousness of the sit
uation far as the railroads are con-
cerned, were INDUCING in smiles because
OF statement made by Representative
Moon. chairman of the House Committee
on Post Offices. 1t Is intimateL that with
out in the least intending TO do so. Mr..
Moon has at last 'lct the ca. out of the
bag" that he has unwittingly exposed the
game that the Administration is undertake
ing ~ play on industrial enterprise.
True Purpose of Rider.
The true purpose OF the Moon rider
to the post office appropriation BILL" Mr.
Peters said. las revealed in debate before
the House of Representatives by MIR Moon.
is to reduce railway mail .ay by many
millions a year. and in particular to force
the railroads TO carry all of the parcels
post. in Chairman Moons own words
without additional compensation
Chairman Moon openly advances this
proposition despite the injustice manifest
on its face and In direct disregard OF the
finding submitted 10 Congress last sum-
mer. after nearly two years of careful in
vestigation and study by the Joint Con-
gressional Committee on Railway Mall
Pay. under the Craftsmanship OF former
Senator Bourne
1.-THE finding Of the Bourne committee
was that the railroads were as a matter
of right and justice entitled TO an advance
of at least s3.000.000 year for carrying
the mails. with relief from certain incl
dental services now rendered without pay
ment and representing several million.
more,
Chairman Moons committee. II is true,
recommended TO the House an increase
of more than $4,000. 900 in next years
appropriation for railway mail pay and
embodied this recommendation in the post
Office appropriation bill. But that the
apparent promise OF the bill and it's real
object are vastly different things was
made clear in Chairman Moons recent
statement at Washington"
The statement referred to by Mr.. Peters
says that the new appropriation bill does
not show a saving upon its face and can
not do il. but only shows an admin
istratlve proposition OF saving" Not
outstanding tils Chairman Moon liz con-
fldent that the saving will occur in the
handling of the mails-this saving
being understood to mean redu ton in
payments made to railroads while the
parcel post business continues to increase
by leaps and bounds.
"In other words" Chairman Moon said
you have changed from the quadriennial
weighing of the mails on a weight basis
on which the pay Il TO be computed TO
the space provision and you will have
enough space under the contract 10 carry
all your parcel post probably without any
additional compensation. and save many
millions annually"
The old method was to pay the roads
according to weight of mail carried: this
new idea is to hire car space for mail
pouches and parcel sacks. load up the
space TO the last cubic foot and pay for
the area occupied regardless of weight
In Chairman Moons opinion this will re-
suit not in giving the roads the increase
of 100000 as indicated. hut will reduce
their payments by $4,000 900
Specious show Of Economy.
In his commen; OF the new and threat
ening situation Mr. Peters said:
The railway mail pay rider in the
post office appropriation bill was not con
ceived in a spirit OF candor and Justice
II is bold attempt to create "A specious
show of economy in the operations OF
one department of the Government by de-
priving the railroads of n large part Of
the compensation they fully and fairly
earn in the performance of an indispen-
sible public service"
IL one happened TO have hundred mill
ion dollars in gold lying around. accord
ing 10 the railroad committee. and wants
10 send II out to the farm. or anywhere
else for that matter. he need not take the
trouble to arrange for special transpor-
tation at rates proportionate to the risk
involved All he has to do nowadays is
to put the gold up in neat packages, and
lot il 20 through the mails at parcel
post rates. At least that is'what the Fed
cral Government has been doing and the
railroad men don't feel very happy over
it either
Looking at the matter from the railroad
point OF view the trouble lies in the fact
that the roads are carrying ordinary par
eel post matter for almost nothing-nour
sugar, clothing, laundry and thousands
of other articles. This was bad enough
but here comes the Treasury Department.
the committee says. sticking lot of or
binary stamps on actual gold ordering 1t
transported. paying ordinary parcel post
charges and sending along "A dozen armed
mon to watch over II.
Somehow the railroad presidents fail
to see the joke. especially since the roads
have to carry the squad OF guards with
out payment OF fare. not being allowed
to charge even live stock rates for them
Bulk Largely Increased.
This is merely one of the details brought
out by railroad officials who have Just
finished a careful examination OF the
position they have been forced into by the
Post Office Department during the year
now ending.
They find, for instance. that while GER
tain roads have been granted an in
crease of something like per cent for
carrying the mails the main matter
itself bulks very much larger than when
the increase was granted.
For example. the holiday mail in New
York city this year was from so to 10
per cent. greater than during the Christ
mas season of 1913. In other words the
railroads were given per cent. extra
money for carrying from 90 TO 20 per
cent more in the way of parcel post mat
ter.
Naturally the railroad men are some
what dazed by the Governments an
nouncement that now, for the first time