The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-06-10
WHY Mr.. BURLESoN Oh.
JECTS.
Statement Prom the Postmsster.G Gen.
eral Regarding His Attitude on
the Question Of Railway Mail PAY.

torisl article 81 June 8 bearing the
caption Another Cabinet Mystery"
The article asserts:
That the rates now paid to the rail-
roads for carrying the mails are al
ready insufficient.
That the rates under the space basis
would be anything but adequate.
That ! object Il accepting the arbit-
rament Of the Interstate Commerce
Commission as to compensation Of the
railroads for carrying the malls.
All three Of these assertions, al.
though the stock In trade Of the rail-
roads In their widespread propasanda
against legislation nv Congress on this
subject. are utterly erroneous.
Not only is II possible to demon-
strate from the statistics at hand that.
with the exception Of a few isolated
cases affecting some short line rail-
loads. the remuneration Of the carriers
under existing rates is already sum-
cient. and not insufficient. but II is
demonstfable by the conduct Of the
railroads themselves In the keenness
of their competition for the alleged
Improbable" mail business. as we'll as
by the great difference in the rates
for carrying mail and express matter
In the same trains.
Let those ~contending that the rail-
roads are insuficiently paid answer
why the Seaboard Air Line Railway
VAS been fighting to take from the
Atlantic Coast Line about 900 pounds
Of mai a day; why the Atlantic
Coast Line Railroad has fought con-
t%inuously against losing that mail
business: why in order to obtain that
business the seaboard AR Line has
changed it's schedule between Jack
sonville and Washington. and why in
IN effort n prevent losing II the At
lantic Coast Line has changed its
schedule. and, finally. why the Allan
tic Coast Line will take less thar the
maximum legal rate a mile in order
to share with the Seaboard Air Line
uch through mail business az " al
get.
Why IL the New York Central Rail-
road to-day fighting continuously to
prevent $500 pounds OF mail a day
J from being diverted 90 the Pcnnsyl-
vania Railroad: why Is v willing to
take loss than the maximum and al
legged insufficient rate In order 10 hold
this mail?
II the pay Is insufficient. why docs
the Chicago. Milwaukee and 81. Paul
take sll2. 600. or 1893 per cent. \ vear
less. the New York Central about sTh.-
00o. or 5.3s per cent, "A year less, and
the Chicago and Eastern Illinois SEQ
600 a wear less than the existing rates
Of pay. and 80 on? This is happening
. oil tNa ttn,A Tlpix. , foo dave lvn tho
Fock island and Us connections 10
meet the possible competition ~ M"
Santa ~ for tho mails IL 7 rs Angeles
reduced i's price 10 tho Government
$4,000 a year lelow what the mani
mum rate wou entitl~ IT to.
This struggle on the part NJ Tho
railroads apples not only 10 through
rnavy storage malls hut 70 selling
addi'ioraI car space for distribution
purposes and ia hauling all mails that
tho, can La :hr!- l;anfr ~.
Tie Post once Department has
henr ahIs W cite 70 tho senate Conn
m'tteo on Post OAices snd Post Roads
hundreds of instances where tho on
press rates ~ h public for It's nm
certain and srasmodic trarhc sre less
than tho railroad rates Ia tire Gov
m for rs regular and certain
tow ~ the mail traffic. and the rail
roads receive from the cypress corn-
sntes only 80 per cent. Of tine eN-
press rate ~ tho public. Th" Post
once Department during tho recent
7 christmas period took advantage of
the fact that II could ship Us ornr'y
mail bags cheaper by cypress than hr
49,, Ga. 49, ynaft vaNA fh,rNh.s Sat~N
ahnu, g. 600 on a few shipments.
In regard t. the adoption of the
spsce basic II must not he overlooked
that this plan has been indorsod ~
:, veril commissions. the most oNlltus-
two ,'udv If tho subject being tho 500
called Bourne Commiss on Report, in
which tho space plan Is extensively
discussed and approved This report
WAS signed and transmitted 20 con-
, sress on August ~. 1914. ny Senators
~. II. Eankhesd and John W. Weeks
and former senators II \. Richard
-on and Jonathan Bourne and Rep
resen'ativc James T, Lloyd and for
n,cr Representative W T.. Tuttlc. Jr.
! AGAIN. the space basis Is Endorsed in
a conference report presented on
March .. calendar day Of March T..
1919. signed by Senators Eankhcad and
swanson and Representatives. Moon,
Finley and Madden.
The space basis plan has hcen IN
cm'uentlv successful operation in can
ada for more than two years and in
al the propaganda pi; forth by the
railroads and in all the arguments
pI esentcd by them TO the committees
nf Congress II has been alluded
I" ar attacked, because II is the most
scientific and most equitable system
II arriving AZ 4 basis for payment to
tho railroads FOR mail carried IN pas.
~"nCer trains. To SAY "r tn %insInuaic
titt tho compensation I" 'he railroads
under tho rates proposed in the nil
a. it passed the House will hc "anv-
thing but adequate" n cV"n more
oneou than 10 say hat tho exist
ing rates are insufficient. tn" pro-
rosed rates Mould increase tho COM
yensation to the railroads under the
present handling Of the mails by
between 5000. 600 and $1,000, 600 a
wear The rates In tho hill as il
PASSED the House are almost idenu.
cally the q \ car mile obtained
ly the railroads from their passenger
traffic.
The most unfair assertion in the
editorial article is the statement that
tho Post once Department objects To-
submitting the matter to tho Inter
state Commerce Commission for de-