The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-06-15
RAILWAY MAIL PAY.
Postmaster. General B~urieson's Con
tentlOns Assajlod.

Is a long. long way to Marcus Tullius
Cicero. but upon reading In THE SUN
Of June 10 Postmaster-G General Burle-
sons letter on railway mall pay
recall the ejaculation Of Cicero in his
defence Of Archias: How often have
I seen him 20 back and describe tho
same thing over again with an entire
change Of language and IDEAS"
II all readers Of the letter possessed
the same power OF discernment and
penetration that Ia disclosed in your
editorial comments. II would be super
f'uous to say anything. Since this
cannot be expected. when the subject
is technical and complicated, some ex-
planatory remarks are warranted.
The Postmaster General In his let
ter asks the railroads how. In view
OF their claims that their pay for
carrying the mails Is too low. they
can explain "the keenness Of their
competition" for the business.
The answe IL that the alleged
'keenness Of competition" has no TX
istence "a to s9h per cent. Of the
railway mai pay. The real situation
was unconsciously revealed in a
pamphlet recently issued by the Post
once Department in which the
amount OF pay yielded every year by
certain railroads In accepting the
shorter mileage OF parallel lines was
set forth. Tho amount therein stated
for the whole country was less than
one-half Of I per cent Of the total
mail pay Of tho railroads. In other
words, this competition Of which the
! tp,astor Caparol rokao 40 much in
his statements 10 the public is really
o negligible factor IL. the situation.
II the railroads are really 80 INK
ious for the mail traffic that they
are now eagerly competing for II, and
If the space plan" of pay which the
Postmaster-Genera proposes will give
them still higher rates. as he alleges.
We may we'll ask him why does he
so insistently demand hat any rail-
road declining to carry the mails shall
be fined $4,000 for refusal or failure?
Surely such a drastic penalty would
hardly be required to force the rail-
roads to accept the business II they
are already fighting for IL
The Postmaster-General remarks
that the space basis plan has been
in eminently successful operation in
Canada for more than two years and
that the United States railroads have
not referred to this fact In their ar
currents. There was no necessity for
the railroads to refer TO the Canadian
method. because II was fully inquired
into by the Joint Congressional Com
mission which reported to Congress on
August 81. 1914. The method is
purely experimental. and applies to a
small amount Of business IN no way
comparable TO the tonnage OF the
United States mails.
When II Is noted that the total postal
revenue Of the Dominion OF Canada in
1915 was only SIG. 200, 900. about one
half the revenue Of the New York post
Office alone, II is apparent that no
basis for comparison exists. The
newspaper and periodical mai, and
the parcel post mail In canada IL
trivial IN o as compared with
the same class OF nail IN the United
States. The conditions OF heavy mail
and parcel post traffic, such as are
common in this country and under
which the space basis" Of pay would
be unjust I o the railroads. DO not
exist IN Canada.
The fact that the Canadian RAIL-
ways not only received donations OF
large rae OF land from the Govern
ment IN connection with their con
struction, hut In addition received
grants of cash IN the form OF sub
sides. loans, &C, aggregat'ng n75,-
900 900. or about $4,000 a mile OF line.
must also I've taken into account.
There Is understood TO be an agree
ment that II the parcel post increases
TO any great extent the experimental
basis Of pay to the Canadian rail-
roads which began February l. 1914.
Will be subject 10 revision.
The irreConCilahlo differences be-
tween our railroads and the Post Of
fee Department. both as to the facts
and as to the deductions to he dra wn
from the facts. have brought the rail-
! roads to the conclusion of accepting
a reference Of the whole question,
both AZ 10 method and rates. to the
Interstate Commerce Commission. The
subject of railway mail paw IA not a
postal problem, hut II rather a problem
in the field Of railway transportation
which shoNld be studied and decided
by a body of experts qualified BY
learning and experience to examine
II .ntellieently and paas upon It ad-
visedly.
| Pending such decision An annual
Weighing Of the mails il but reason
able to the carriers. Tho annual
weighing will also furnish indtspensa-
bic data for study by the Interstate
Commerce Commission. The Senate
bill proposes. however. that the work
Of Weighing the mails must be done
under the supervision Of the Post
master General and without expense
to the Government. This will here
after relieve the Post Oftice Depart
ment OF the financial burden and pu,
II on the railroads. hut will leave &c
the Department tho full control OF the
process NJ weighing and the tabula.
ton Of the results.
The Senate Post once Committee
has not conceded the several request.
submitted by the railroads. Neither
has II approved the extreme proposals
=, Of the Post ONCE Department which
we're unanimously opposed by the
railroads an heing u~nscienttlo, unfair
and even ~oonfscatory. II took IN,
middle ground Of directing an investi-
cation by the Interstate Commerce
Commission. coupled with an annua'
weighing. at the expense of the rail
roads. RALPH PETERS.