The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-03-18
BEGINS NEW FIGHT
FOR JUST MAIL PAY
Ralph Peters Calls Upon 26t
Roads to Resist Further
Efforts by Moon.
FATE OF RIDER PLEASES

Ralph Peters. president Of the Long
Island Railroad and chairman Of the
committee on Railway Mail Pay directly
representing ga leading railroad COM
panies, addressed the following letter
Yesterday 10 all railroads carrying the
United States mail and the parcel post
THE Senate of the United States
acted most wisely md justly in declin-
ing 10 pass the post Office appropriation
bill carrying Representative Moons rail
way mail pay rider which provided a
new system OF rates on the so-ctlled
space basis OF payment
THE stand of the Senate against this
measure was simply = stand against an
such as was never before ATTEMPTED in
he Congress OF the United States.
The enactment Of the o rider
would have clothed the p~oStinaster-
General with autocratic n unoridled
power 10 reduce railway mai pay Al
wilt to nix rates even lower than those
which were called absolutely confisca-
tory by a joint committee Of Congress,
and. finally, to compel the carriage of
tho mails and the parcel post at such
rates by means Of a new law that would
fine any railroad mpan $4,000 a day
for n refusal to perform service on the
terms and conditions named by the
Post master-Genersl.
I'm his Official capacity a. chairman
Of the House OF Representatives Post
once Comm ttee Congressman Moon
publicly said that the Post Oifee De-
partment proposed to utilize this power
Ivy compelling the railroads to carry ,ns
parcel post for practically nothing. thus
reducing their compensation IS, uHo. zoe
TO $4,000. 900 d year. II 80 svertine an
impending Post office deficit.
The injustice of such a plan I,
saddle the postal deficit upon the rail-
roads IL emphasized by the fact that
The joint committee Of Congress espe.
cially appointed TO investigate the ques.
lion OF railway mail pay reported onl,
last summer after TWO years Of study
chat In all fairness the compensation oi
the railroads should be Increased an,
not dim inishtd.
Cost PASSAGE al nil.
THAT the post office hIl-the mos
important, oil all the appr priation meas
ures. carrying $3.50. odJ. o00-failed 90
massage. thus necessitauug emergencN
leaislation in the last mUinents Of tn.
session. h due solely to the refusal o
RePrese ntst!ve Moon and his associate
10 permit the withdra wal OF the ride
after IL had become perfectly clear tina
the Senate would not he a party to con
ftscation.
an ~seaus % Chairman Moon
unyieldins attitude a situation has beel
oroated which has not been parallele,
n = generation and which may unfor
tunately hamper The a.. >tAns of IN
Post Office Department & is commit
fiscal year.
President r-,ers then contr~ei1-d
published statement BY Chairman MuO
hat the inquiry upon which his ride
vas based had cost The Covsrnm.ti
$500. 900. Hs bowed the total .ost 1
he Government 10 have been on.
s.5,ss3.1 40. and emphasized the fact tina
he railroads themselves had borne IN
labor of compiling the information a
a cost to them Of ap~proX!mately 4 uuaI
ter of a million dollars. His letter con
tinues:
elm his letter 10 Postmas,er-,ienera
Burleson, regarding the failure Of IN
post office appropriation bill CIalr1ns
Moon said
"'The ra ,lroads are charging the GOV
nme twice a. much a. they charg
the express companies
Facts In Road. Favor.
This ~cNtrayigant and MANY time
refuted assertion Nas made IN The fac
of the Joint cougr"S>ipuAI Committee
authoritative finding On the subject
The committee said
"'Certa!nly there is no warrant IN th
oft repeated ass. ton fha, the ioy~rr
nent Is being robbed in is mail PAY
ments by comparison VITA what TIE eS
press companies PAY. There has bee
an amazing amount uf reckless assei
lion on this subject
Mr.. Peters testihoe 20 the far trea
nent Of the roads before the joint cor
gr. ssionaI Committee on hallway Ma
PAY and the senate Post ono" Con
nittee. but says that the House fo'
Office Committee. uuder the chni, ma
ship of Representative Moon, r"f\lsed
near the railroads az all and even tre
% rush It's measure through Cpngre'
before the Join Congressional comm
Zee had time to report"
1.-THE press OF the country CONTINUE
the lettc-. has WIKI practical lutlGmi'
advocated fair play for the Railroads
ne matter OF compensation tor cirryil
he mails, especially since m" pare
post has so greatly increased the
burden.
The American people, II - auite CIV
dent, Ike TO paw their lust debts '
sent being shown now to repadia'e the!
Many boards OF trade. cha'ubcrs
mlne and pther organizations
business men throughout the count
haye, after most careful study o. q
subject. condemned the Moon h.!l,
rider as unjust, arbitrary and conn
catory and ave urged Congress n
only 10 reject mat measure, hut to IA
Affirmative action toward reneSiying q
ong standing u~uderpayment of the ra
roads for carrying The mails and q
parcel post,
'Despite the outcome o! his rccH
efforts, resulting In TIN faIur" OF q
postal appropriation bill, Chairman Mo
has announced that he Intends TO int!
duce his railway man pay lnetsu
again in tho nest Congress.
I'VE stand by our Original yeool
mendations, namely
Il. That the present law be retalhf
nut reinforced by requiring an dnnu
and simultaneous Weighing OF the m
on all railroads for a period OF not g
than thirty-tiye days. with readjustfle
of the pay accordingly.
80. That the apartment post pf'i'" "a
he paid FOR On a nro rata OASIS pl (
psymeuts for the tnll post office cars
"3. That the Post office p"partmo
he required 70 carry the mats b"tN'