The true Democrat., 1916-02-05
RAILROAD SIDE OF
MAIL CONTROVERSY
Shreveport, La. Jan. "a, lsit


| your Inquiry with reference to the
mall sitnatloh. | will state that In as
much as the Post Office Department
has given out ali interview on this
subject | can see no impropriety sn
giving you the facts and am pleased
with he opportunity Of doing 40
The compensation allowed by Con.
gress based rs II is upon the business
handled by the reads through mos,
+, densely populated sections Of the eoun-
| try does not afford sufficient reinunera
| tton to roads In spareeiy settled ter.
ritory to cover the cost Of the service
| The question of rate Of pay however
Is not involved In the matter as this
time.
| There are two rates OF pay provided
by Congress. one TO the roads who
have enjoyed speeia! privileges from
the Government in the way OF land
grants, and the regular pay The land
grant roads receive smaller remunera.
i!on than the regular scale
II In the practice Of the Government
ta weigh the mails once every four
years for period OF ninety days, And
on the basis OF the weight thus obtain.
ed rate Of pay for the ensuing four
years ls arbitrarily fixed and remains
at such figure regardless OF the added
service required on the par, OF the
railroad
Although we had been handling the
through mail between Shreveport and
New Orleans for quite a period the
Department removed this mail to an.
other line prior to the malt Weighing
period, presumably for the purpose of
transporting II over cheaper route
during the weighing period II that
was not the purpose the effect has
been the same.
II was assumed that this mail would
be- returned to our line after II had
been weighed on another route and
the effect waald have been that an.
other line would have drawn pay for
four years without performing the
service and that this Company would
have been required TO perform that
service for the period without any
| compensation whatever That our ss.
pectations were well grounded Ia borne
out by the fact that the Department
has since placed mail clerk on cur
| night trains between Shreveport and
Alexandria, from which point TO New
Orleans We are required 10 handle n
large quantity Of mail In locked
pouches, thus placing the additional
burden of the care and handling of
such mail on cur regular train em.
playees
Regular distance circular properly
| certified TO by our Chief Engineer was
filed with the Department. at the regu.
lar time. but that portion OF II which
| constitutes contract to do whatever
the Post Office Department. or any
minor official thereof, may require OF
as regardless Of service or cost OF
| same, was not signed II Ia therefore
not fact that this Company failed to
file its distance circular, al the only
portion that was not completely filed
| oat IL a signature Ia the clase reading
~ follows; 'The Company named be,
low agrees To accept and perform mail
service upon the conditions prescribed
by las and the regulations OF the De.
paFsmeat applicable to railroad mail
service"
Feeling as We did that full compen.
sation for the service performed would
have been insufficient compensation,
We were not Inclined TO accept the
proposition knowing that for large
part OF the service which We would be
required to perform some other rail-
road would be drawing the pay there
Tor, and We notified the Department
some time before the expiration Of the
old contract that unless We received
notice Of the compensation We were to
receive for the next ensuing four years
prior to the expiration Of the contract
then In effect service must be dis-
continued on our line effective June 30,
1914 al which time the contract ex.
aired
II is the practice of the Department
te require the railroads to blihdiy sign
the contract above quoted to the ex.
psra.ion OF the previous contract and
make no report TO the railroads Of the
amount Of compensation Ii intends To
allow until about three months after
j the new contract has been In effect.
aud We we're advised by the Depart
meat that the information could moi
be- given as.
q s..G