The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-03-01
MAIL TUBES IN BIG CITIES ARE
 URGED UPON J. s.

Washington March 1-Government ownership and operation of pneu- matic postal tubes in New York, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Boston, Chi cago and St. Louis as a means of re- taining high speed transportation of first class mail was recommended by the joint congressional investigating commission in a report submitted to- day to congress.
 Despite recommendations of Post master General Burleson that the tubes be abandoned except in the most congested district of New York the commission by a vote of five to one, favors their purchase at cost in all six cities, of not more than $4,432 622.
 Of the committee, Senators Bank head of Alabama, chairman of the joint committee and the senate post office committee, Hardwick of Geor- gia and Weeks of sachusetts join- ed with Representative Bell of Geor- gia and Steenerson of Minnesota in recommending federal acquisition of the tubes, now leased at about $976, 900 a year. Representative Rouse of Q1SS0nl6u 1GOHl IIl0 T6pOII.
 The report was made so that con- gress may decide the question, often the subject of sharp controversy re- garding the tubes, when present leases expire on July 1. Specifically. the ma iority of the commission recommend ed:
 '1. That pneumatic tubes as now installed for carrying letter mail are necessary for proper postal service and should be continued in the cities of New York, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago and St. Louis, but that extensions are necessary in St. Louis to obtain adequate tube service.
 ''2. That being an exclusive postal facility, the systems should be owned and operated by the government.
 "3 That a combination of tube and automobile service tends to promote efficient postal service in large cities.
 "4. That the post office department should operate tube service with it's own elqployes, thereby insuring great CT cooperation and higher efficiency.
 "9. That the purchase of the tube systems extend over a period of years in such manner that part payments, together with 4 per cent. interest on unpaid balances, including costs of operation as reported by the commits sion's engineers, shall not exceed the present annual expenditure of $Y76,OOO for tube service.
 "6, That the purchase price for the systems now in use in the postal ser vice be determined by a reference to the interstate commerce commission which fix a physical valuation for each of the systems in the cities Of New York, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago and St. Louis, at a Isun not to exceed $4,432,622 for the entire systems. In determining this value said commission shall determine the nature and titles to the proper ties in each of the cities named"
 Postmaster General BurleSon, the report says, believes the pneumatic t1Ibe system to expensive to warrant it's retention except in the lower Man ihattan district of New York.
 In this the majority of the joint commission said that from three to five million letters daily are trans mitted by the tubes at cost or only s312 2. day and that the first consider ation is to prevent delay in trans pprting important first class mail. Letter mail pays for and warrants the highest grade of postal service the report said There should be no deterioration. The mail truck is a menace to life of persons along the
 streets and tends to obstruct trathc To substitute the tubes with automo- 7 piles would doubtless effect an econ- omv estimated at $114, 1922 per annum However. delays in delivery of large quantities of mail would result"