Mail Carrying Railways Underpaid

Mail Carrying Railways Underpaid

I. SCOPE OF THIS PAMPHLET.

II. RAILWAY MAIL PAY IS ABOUT TO BE FORCED STILL FURTHER BELOW THE LEVEL OF JUST COMPENSATION, UNLESS PAYMENTS ARE PROMPTLY READJUSTED, ON ACCOUNT OF THE ADDITIONAL VOLUME OF MAIL THAT WILL RESULT FROM THE INAUGURATION, ON JANUARY 1, 1913, OF THE PARCELS POST.

III. THE POSTMASTER-GENERAL'S ERRONEOUS ASSERTION THAT THE RAILWAYS WERE OVERPAID "ABOUT $9,000,000.00" IN THE YEAR 1909, RESTS PRIMARILY UPON HIS ADOPTING AN UNPRECEDENTED THEORY WHICH ALLOWS NOTHING FOR A RETURN UPON THE CAPITAL INVESTED IN RAILWAY PROPERTY.

IV. THE MAIL SERVICE SUPPLIED BY THE RAILWAYS COSTS THEM MORE IN OPERATING EXPENSES AND TAXES THAN THEY ARE PAID FOR IT, AND LEAVES NOTHING FOR RETURN ON THE PROPERTY.

V. THE POSTMASTER-GENERAL'S APPORTIONMENT OF SPACE BETWEEN THE MAIL SERVICE AND THE OTHER SERVICES RENDERED ON PASSENGER TRAINS DID NOT ALLOW TO THE MAILS THE SPACE WHICH THEY ACTUALLY REQUIRE AND USE AND THIS HAD THE RESULT OF UNDULY REDUCING HIS ESTIMATES OF THE COST TO THE RAILWAYS OF THE MAIL SERVICE.

VI. THE POSTMASTER-GENERAL IGNORED DATA WHICH HE HAD OBTAINED SHOWING EXPENDITURES ON ACCOUNT OF THE MAILS LARGELY IN EXCESS OF THE DIRECT EXPENSES FOR THAT SERVICE WHICH HE REPORTED.

VII. THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER IS NOT A FAIR AVERAGE MONTH IN ANY RAILWAY YEAR OR ONE THAT IS TYPICAL OF A YEAR'S BUSINESS AND ITS USE AS THE SOLE BASIS OF THE POSTMASTER-GENERAL'S CALCULATIONS WAS SO UNFAVORABLE TO THE RAILWAYS AS TO DEPRIVE THE RESULTS OF ANY VALUE EVEN IF IN ALL OTHER RESPECTS HIS METHODS WERE BEYOND CRITICISM.

VIII. A COMMISSION OF SENATORS AND MEMBERS OF CONGRESS WHICH, BETWEEN 1898 AND 1901, MOST FULLY AND CAREFULLY INVESTIGATED THE SUBJECT, ASCERTAINED AND DECLARED THAT RAILWAY MAIL PAY WAS NOT THEN EXCESSIVE; SINCE THEN THERE HAVE BEEN MANY AND EXTENSIVE REDUCTIONS IN PAY ACCOMPANIED BY SUBSTANTIAL INCREASES IN THE COST AND VALUE OF THE SERVICES RENDERED BY THE RAILWAYS.

IX. THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT HAS NOT, IN THE LAST TWELVE YEARS, EFFECTED ANY REDUCTION IN THE ANNUAL TOTAL OF ITS EXPENSES FOR OTHER PURPOSES THAN RAILWAY TRANSPORTATION OR IN THE PROPORTION OF ITS REVENUES REQUIRED FOR SUCH OTHER EXPENSES, BUT THE WHOLE SAVING WHICH HAS NEARLY ELIMINATED THE ANNUAL DEFICIT OF THE DEPARTMENT IS REPRESENTED BY THE REDUCED PAYMENTS, PER UNIT OF SERVICE, TO THE RAILWAYS.