The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-07-12
Railroad News and
Notes Of interest
ASK NAIL
Be WEIGHED OFTEnER
Committee On Railway Mail Pay
Sends InformAtion TO Congress-
men and Others.

The committee on railway mail pay
has just issued booklet, entitled
What the Railway Mail Pay Problem
Means to the Railroads" presenting
information originally prepared for
the use of the executive officers Of all
the railroads OF the country and sub
mitted at a conference Of executives
held at New York City last May.
Copies of the booklet have been
sent TO all members Of Congress, Of
ficers OF the national administration.
sions. and many other persons In
public or semi-public life. ~ well a.
to all daily newspapers and other
publications The purpose OF dis
tributing this booklet IL TO inform the
public, as fully as possible. concern
ing the facts on which the railroads
base their claim of ineQuitahle treat
ment regarding the transportation of
the United States mails: also to pre-
sent fairly all essential information
necessary for q clear understanding
OF the matter, from every point Of
view.
In the booklet. the committee on
railway mail pay discusses the pro-
payment for mail transportation, which
has been advocated by the postofifce
department and was introduced in the
last session of Congress. This pro-
posed law, known rs the Noon bill.
failed OF passage, but the postmaster
general has announced that he In
tends TO have 4 introduced again In
the new Congress and to bring every
effort to bear to achieve Its enactment.
unffio6. OF
The Moon bill. as analysed In the
booklet. Ii shown by the committee
on railway mail pay to amount to an
rate making power. as far as the
transportation OF the mails 10 con-
cerned. to the postmaster general.
who would be vested, under its terms,
with authority to make the rates any
thing he might choose, not exceed.
ing certain specified sums He could
reduce the rates without restriction
and could also dictate, In almost every
respect. the character and extent OF
service the railroads would be 70
quired 70 render. The railroads would
be compelled 70 perform such service
as the postmaster general might de.
choose to pay, under penalty OF $1,000
per day for each refusal.
In the opinion Of the smmittee On
railway mail pay. as set forth In the
booklet. the defects of the present
practice respecting the payment to
the railroads for carrying the mails
can best be remedied by providing the
following reforms:
That the malls be weighed. and
the pay be readjusted, at least once q
year on every railway mail route. In
stead Of once In four years, az at
present.
That the railroads be paid for the
use ana op- ration OF apartment post
once cArs--for which the present .aw
allows no pay-on q pro rata basis
with the compensation allowed for
full railway postofice cars.
That the railroads be paid for, or
relieved from. the duty of carrying
the mails between railroad stations
and postofllces
The booklet contains the resolutions
unanimously adopted 1t the meeting
Of railroad executives In New York
city on May 10. last. a& which % per
cent Of the mileage Of the country
was represented. These resolutions
completely sustained the position Of
tho committee on railway mail pay.
and Endorsed the remedies 4 has ssis-
gested.
The resolutions also approved the
suggestion Of the committee on rail-
way mail pay that in It's opinion the
ultimate solution OF the railway mali
pay problem would lie In reference Of
the matter to the Interstate Conn
merce Commission. with full power