New Britain herald., 1929-04-09

that the total audited expenditures of the entire post office department were $725,699,765, three-quarters Of a billion dollars. Of this amount s447,792,65S was for various kinds of transportation. including the sal aries of those employees of the gov- ernment whose duties are transpor- tion. letter carriers. railway postal clerks, rural delivery, etc. The bal- ance of $277.907.65S was for salaries of other employees. supplies. rentals and equipment: about two-thlrds or the total expenditure was for trans portation alone.
 Changes in 10 Years
 Tt Is unnecessary for me to point out at any length the great change that has developed in transportation methods during the past 10 years due to the perfection of motor ve- hicles and the splendid roads that have been constructed. Each year there is more and more highway transportation, not only of all sorts of commodities but also of passen- gers and the United States mail as well. This development has been ana still is responsible for reductions and CurtailmentS of railroad tram service all over the United states and rural electric lines which 35 or 40 years ago were hailed as a most wonderful boom to rural communl- ties, are rapidly, becomong a memory only. As these facilities are dlscon- tinued or curtailed 1t becomes nec- essary to the postal service to have them replaced and practically every | re placement is by highway service. 1 There are not only villages but many large towns and small cities l which now have but little or no railroad service. Consequently, great quantities of mail are now travelins over the highways. Many postmas- 1 ters and patrons of the post offices have and do bitterly oppose these l changes, not only from the fear oi 1 impaired mail service but because their civic pride leads them to be- lieve that when no railroad trains 1 run into or stop at thelr town the town is practically being taken off the map. In most cases where We have had to resort to highway transportation of the United States mails the service has proved super
 for to the railroad service for the reason that we can control sched-
 ules, and due 10 the character of the , vehicles and good roads the sched-
 ules arc almost as fast as the trains , that previously operated. l predict
 a large extension of this highway mail transportation for the future also that We will have specially equipped motor trucks for the dis l tribution of mails en route similar ! to our smaller railway mail cars
 particularly for first and second
 class mails. What is known as the star route is becoming a larger fac 1 tor in mail transportation every day Railroads Carry Load
 "Railroad mail transportation, oi ! course. constitute by far the great ! est agency we have and the great
 bulk of mail is transported by rall-
 roads Prior to the establishment
 of parcel post service rail transporta.
 ton presented no great problem
 either to the operators or to the 1 it is one of the large problems o' | both. Increasing demand by the
 public for speedier operation oi
 trains is resulting in the necessity
 so far as transportation is concerned of segregating certain classes Q, mails from certain other classes making two classes of mail traffic First class and daily paper mail arc given on nearly all the large linz: preferential and speedier handling
 than parcel post, magazine and mis. 1 cellaneous mail, even to the extent 1 of withholding the latter from man, | of the fast trains to avoid delayirf
 such trains and consequently de. laying the more important mails However, there is but single rate
 of compensation paid by the govern
 ment to the railroads for all classes
 of mail. The system of car-lot ship.
 ments of parcel post and magazine
 mail is day by day expanding, ship.
 ments of car lots from one point direct to another without any inter. mediate holding or loading and un. loading of the cars. This means ir
 some instances. the holding back o'
 parcel post mail for a distant point CT section for o4 hours and ther