New Britain herald., 1918-03-01
OVERRIDE BURLESON
 ON MAIL TUBE BUY
Committee Recommends PurChaS-
 ing System for %,4S2,62 PAY IN INSTRUMENTS

New York, Brooklyn, Boston, Phil
 adelphia and St. Louis Needed for
 Efficiency, Is Report
 Washington, March 1-Government ownership and operation of Dneu- matc postal tubes in New York. Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Boston, Chi cago and St. Louis as a means of re- talnlng high speed transportation of first class mail was recommended bv the joint congressional investieatins committee in a report submitted to- day to congress.
 Despite recommendations of post 1naSter-General Burleson that tubes be abandoned except in the most con Sested district of New York, the con- mission, by a vote of to l, favors their purchase at a cost, in all six cities, of not more than $4432622
 Of the committee, Senators Bank head of Alabama, chairman of the Joint committee and also the senate poStoff1ce committed; Hardwick of Georgla, and Weeks of Massachusetts, Iolned with Representative Bell of Georgia and Steenerson of Minnesota, In recommending federal acquisition Of the tubes, now leased at about $976, O00- Representative Rouse of Kentucky diSsented from the report.
 Majority's Recommendations
 The report was made so that con- gress made decide the question, often the subject of sharp controversy re- gard1ng the tubes, when present leases expire July 1. Specifically, the majority of the commission recom- 
 That pneumatic tubes. as now installed for carrying letter mail, are necessary for proper postal service and should be continued in the above mentioned cities, but that extensions are necessary in St. Louis to obtain adequate tube service.
 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 employees, thereby insuring greater cooperation and higher eff ticicncy.
 5-That the purchase of the tube systems extend over period of years in such manner that partial payments, together with four per cent interest on unpaid balances, in cluding costs of operation as report eds by the commissions engineers. shall not exceed the present annual expenditure of s976,0 900 for tube serv- ice.
 6-That the purchase price for the systems now in use in the postal service be determined by a reference sion which may fix a physical valua- tion for each of the systems in the cities of New York, Brooklyn, Phila- Boston, Chicago and St Louis at a sum not to exceed $4,432,- G22 for the entire systems. Tn deter mining this value said commission shall consider the nature and condi- ton of the titles to the properties in each city named.
 Burleson's Objection's
 Postmaster-G General Burleson, the report said, believes the pneumatic tube system too expensive to warrant it's retention, except in the lower NeAnnaltdn QISlElCL Ol fSW 4Ork.
 To this, the majority of the com mission said that from three to five million letters daily are transmitted by the tubes at cost of only $312 a day and that the first consideration is to prevent delay in transporting i'm portant first class mail
 Letter mail prices therefore war rant the highest grade of postal serv- ice the report stated. There should be no deterioration. The mail truck is a menace to life of persons along the streets and tends to obstruct traf- fiC. TO substitute the tubes with automobiles would doubtless effect an economy estimated at $114,522 per year. However delays in delivery of large quantities of mail would re- sult.'