7. The return deadhead movement of space ordered and required in one
direction only (8.35%).
(Ninety-five per cent of all the "space" shown in these returns for
the Burlington, as used for the mails, comes within the foregoing
seven classes, as properly authorized space about which no question
can arise.)
8. "Surplus" space; that is, space furnished to the Government in post
office and apartment cars in excess of actual requirements (5.2%).
This five per cent is the only portion of the space claimed as used
for mails regarding which any question can be raised, affecting the
integrity of these returns.
What is the correct view as to this five per cent?
It is manifestly against the interest of the railroad company to
furnish space for mails that is not required, and it will never
furnish such space if it can be avoided. But the "requirements" of the
Post Office Department are not fixed and certain quantities, by any
means. It is entirely impracticable for any railroad company to keep
on hand at all times a supply of cars of all lengths in order to meet
exactly the requirements of the Department officials.
These statistics have been called for by the Post Office Department to
enable it to make accurate comparisons between the space used and the
facilities furnished on passenger trains for the three classes of
service performed, that is, for express companies, for the Government
in mail carriage, and for passengers. The point of the whole inquiry
is this:
Does the Government contribute to the cost of the passenger train
service upon the railroads of the country its fair share, that is, in
proportion to the space and facilities it demands and requires the
companies to furnish for the mails?
In making the comparison all the car space in all passenger trains
must be measured and tabulated and has been measured and tabulated in
the tables here submitted.
A passenger car may have seats to accommodate eighty persons; the
average load it carries may be fifteen persons. But in making up these
returns of "space," all the empty space in that car is credited as
passenger space. That car may likewise be loaded only one way and
returned "dead head," but these returns have credited such return
movement as passenger space.
The same is true of the express service in these returns. All space in
all baggage and express cars set aside for the express company's use
is, in these tables of statistics, credited to express, whether in
fact loaded or "surplus," or "dead head" space.
How is a comparison possible, unless the space credited to the mails
is recorded in the same way? As stated above, only five per cent of
the whole space is involved in the question of "surplus" space, and if
that five per cent should be entirely thrown out, the percentage
results would not be materially changed.