obtained through its power of investigation conferred by law, and through the exercise of its supervisory control over railway accounts by means of a board of examiners, for which the law provides, can not "select classes of bonds which it would be safe for the Government to accept as security for the ultimate payment of circulating notes."

Respectfully submitted.

HENRY C. ADAMS,

In Charge of Statistics and Accounts.

Hon. MARTIN A. KNAPP,
Chairman Interstate Commerce Commission,

Washington, D. C.

STATEMENT RELATIVE TO MAIL TRAINS.

LETTER

FROM

THE ACTING POSTMASTER-GENERAL,

TRANSMITTING,

IN RESPONSE TO SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 70, A STATEMENT RELATIVE TO THE ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE OF MAIL TRAINS, THE FINES IMPOSED AND COLLECTED BY REASON OF DELAYS, ETC.

JANUARY 31, 1908.-Referred the Committee on Post-Offices and Post-Roads and ordered to be printed.

OFFICE OF THE POSTMASTER-GENERAL,

Washington, D. C., January 28, 1908. Resolution No. 70 of the Senate of the United States, January 20, 1908, reads as follows:

Whereas Congress has provided that the Postmaster-General shall require all railroads carrying the mails under contract to comply with the terms of said contract as to time of arrival and departure of mails, and to impose and collect reasonable fines for delay when such delay is not caused by unavoidable accidents and conditions; and whereas complaint has been made that this provision of law has not been complied with: Therefore,

Be it resolved by the Senate, That the Postmaster-General be, and he is hereby, directed to inform the Senate

First. Does the Post-Office Department keep a record of the arrival and departure of mail trains, especially of mail trains delayed in violation of this act?

Second. Does the Post-Office Department keep a record of the fines imposed and collected by reason of such delay?

Third. If so, the Postmaster-General is directed to transmit to the Senate a complete transcript of such record, showing what fines have been imposed and collected and what mail trains have been delayed in violation of the provisions of this law, especially a record which pertains to mail trains carrying the mails in and through Georgia.

In accordance with the direction of the President I have the honor to submit:

First. That the Post-Office Department does not keep a record of the arrivals and departures of mail trains other than that kept by railway postal clerks, who are required to note on their trip reports the time of departure of their respective mail trains from initial points and the time of arrival at the terminal of the routes or the end of the

mail train's run where such run is less than a route, and by transfer clerks stationed at important railroad centers, who give similar information on their daily reports.

Railroad companies, however, are required to submit, under oath, reports in accordance with Order No. 1131 of August 3, 1906, reading as follows:

The act making appropriations for the postal service for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1907, provides:

"That the Postmaster-General shall require all railroads carrying the mails under contract to comply with the terms of said contract as to time of arrival and departure of said mails, and it shall be his duty to impose and collect reasonable fines for delay, when such delay is not caused by unavoidable accidents or conditions."

It is therefore ordered, That every railroad company operating a route over which mails are carried shall, on the regular affidavit covering failures of mail-train service which it is required to submit promptly at the end of each quarter to the respective division superintendents, Railway Mail Service, show, in addition to and separate from such mail-train failures, the number of minutes late of each arrival (not time of arrival) of every train carrying mail which has reached the terminus of said route, the terminus of such train's run, or any intermediate point designated by the Postmaster-General and of which the company shall have notice, thirty or more minutes late as many as ten times during the quarter, the extent, cause in detail, and the place of each delay being given.

This order supersedes that of October 2, 1905.

Beginning with the railroad companies' affidavits for service performed on and subsequent to January 1, 1908, division superintendents, Railway Mail Service, will be required to check such affidavits with the reports of railway postal clerks and transfer clerks.

Second. The Post-Office Department does keep a record of fines imposed and collected by reason of delays to mail trains in violation of this act.

Third. Exhibit A is a statement showing deductions from the pay of railroad companies for transportation of the mails for delays to mail trains in violation of the provisions of the law during the calendar year ended December 31, 1907.

Exhibit B is a statement showing deductions from the pay of railroad companies carrying mails in and through the State of Georgia because of similar delays during the period July 1, 1906, to September 30, 1907.

Exhibit C is a statement of all fines, deductions, and remissions in the railroad service for the fiscal years ended June 30, 1903, to 1907, inclusive; the fines and deductions being made because of failures of service, irregularities, and certain late arrivals.

While the matter contained in Exhibit C is not called for by the resolution, it is thought that it will be of interest.

F. H. HITCHCOCK, Acting Postmaster-General.

To the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.

EXHIBIT A.

The following is a statement showing deductions from the pay of railroad companies for transportation of the mails, and remissions of portions of such deductions ordered during the calendar year ended December 31, 1907, on account of late arrivals of mail trains July 1, 1906, to June 30, 1907, under the act of Congress approved June 26, 1906; also showing deductions during the period January 1 to 22,

inclusive, 1908, because of late arrivals of mail July 1 to September 30, 1907, under the act of Congress approved March 2, 1907:

It may be stated that deductions for late arrivals in one quarter are made in certification of service for the following quarter; for example, late arrivals in the quarter ended September 30, 1906, were charged in certification of service for the quarter ended December 31, 1906, and appear in the statement of the deductions ordered in the quarter ended March 31, 1907.

EXHIBIT B.

Deductions made during the calendar year ended December 31, 1907, from the pay of railroad companies for the transportation of mails on routes in the State of Georgia on account of late arrivals of mail trains. (Deductions for late arrivals in one quarter are made in certification of the following quarter.)