The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1916-01-14
STATEMENT RELATING TO
RAILWAY MAIL PAY

It is commonly conceded by all
that the railways are grossly under
paid for carrying the mails, includ-
ing the parcel post.
The sixty-third congress appointed
joint committee OF the senate and
house to Investigate this question.
Jonathan Bourne. Jr.. United States
senator from Oregon, was made chair.
man Of the committee. This commit.
tee conducted an exhaustive investiga-
ton, extending over q period OF al
most two years. On August l, 1914,
it filed its report with congress, which
report consists Of a volume of 124
pages. and shows beyond question.
that the railway companies have been
greatly underpaid for carrying the
mails. This committee in submitting
its recomm endation urging upon con-
gress the necessity of granting to
the railroads increased compensation.
said. among other things, as follows:
ut has been our view that it is
not our duty to endeavor to make
out case that is favorable or
unfayorable to either the govern
ment or the railroads, but to as
certain with as great accuracy as
possible what Is reasonable COM
pensation to be paid. We believe
that the government should deal
Justly vita it's citizens. for if 1t
expects them to deal justly with
one another and with the govern
ment, the government must set
the example by dealing justly
with them
THAT there should be an In
crease in railway-mail pay need
not be surprising; in fact, 1t must
be expected. The volume of pos
tai revenue increased at the aver
age rate of about percent per
annum, or an average of about
$13,0o0,000 year during the ten
year period from 1903 to 1918.
This necessarily means a CORES
ponding increase in the volume OF
mail No reasonable man IAN ex-
pect that the government can in
crease It's postal revenues at an
average rate of 100000 per
year without increasing its ex-
penses in practically all depart
ments of the service, though per
haps at a smaller ratio. In this
connection it is pertinent to re-
mark that although the postal
revenues doubled in that ten year
period, railway-mail compensation
increased only 20 percent" (See
pages 121 and 122 Of the official
report)
In addition to the fact that the
carriers have been grossly underpaid,
congress imposed upon them without
addition compensation, the burden of
carrying the parcel post. The rail-
ways have been paid for carrying the
mails on the weight basis, that is to
say, the scheme has been to weigh
the mails once in four years. The
parcel post went into effect Just after
the weighing period of most Of the
eastern roads and those through the
western territory. SO that the largest
percentage Of the railroads in the
United States have been obliged to
carry the parcel post with no addt-
tfonal compensation, and have been
paid only for the weights shown at
the quadrennial weighing period.
which took place shortly before the
parcel post became effective.
Notwithstanding the fact that the
Joint committee Of congress, after
most exhaustive and thorough investi-
cation, has reported that the railways
were greatly underpaid, and notwith-
standing the increased burden of the
parcel post, the postoffice department,
anxious to make a showing for itself.
has had introduced in congress a bill
that entirely ignores me report of
the joint committee and the invesu-
cation that committee made, and pro-
poses to still further reduce the com
pensation OF the railways. This is
what is commonly referred to as the
Moon bill. In addition, this measure
proposes to place it within the power
of the postmaster general to fix the
condensation railroads shall receive
for carrying mail as his pleasure or
within may dictate, without a hearing
on the part of the railroads and with
no opportunity for appeal. The rail-
roads are asking that congress de-
feat this bill and that the entire mat
ter be placed in the hands of the
interstate commerce commission,
where full and complete hearings may
be had and rates fixed that will be
Just to both the public and carriers.