and the difference in price pointed out, we cannot doubt that
contracts will be made nearly as cheap for transportation at the
South as at the North. If southern men will not engage in the
business, let it be generally known that such increased pay can be
had, and an abundance of yankee enterprise will be ready to engage
in the business."

RAILROAD TRANSPORTATION. One of the most difficult points in the
administration of the post-office, has been the dealing with railroad
corporations. As these are bodies without souls, they can only be dealt
with on the footing of pecuniary interest. And as they are state
institutions, and local favorites, public opinion has been generally
predisposed to take sides with the railroad, and against the department.
And thus the railroads have been able to exact exorbitant allowances for
services which cost them next to nothing. Were the whole mails of the
country to be sent at once by a single railroad, what would be the amount?
The average number of letters mailed in a day is 142,857; which, at the
average weight of {~VULGAR FRACTION ONE THIRD~} ounce, would weigh 2976 pounds. The average number of
newspapers in a day is 150,685, which, at the average weight of 2 ounces,
would give 18,834 pounds. The whole together make 21,815 pounds, equal to
109 passengers, averaging, with their baggage, 200 pounds each. These
passengers would be carried by railroad 200 miles, from Boston to Albany
for $545. The daily cost of railroad service is $1637, which shows that it
is distance, not weight, that is chiefly regarded. Or, in other words,
that the weight of the mails is of very little account to railroads. It is
well known that the corporations regard the carriage of the mail as almost
clear profit. The whole daily mails of the United States could be carried
by the inland route from Boston to New Orleans, by the established
expresses, at their regular rates on parcels, for a little over $3000;
while the whole daily expense of mail transportation is $6,594. The
expresses will carry from Boston to New York, for $1.50, an amount of
parcels, which the post-office would charge $150 for carrying as letters,
or $18.40 as newspapers--and all go by the same train, of course involving
equal cost of transportation to the company. The inference is unavoidable,
that the government is charged exorbitantly by these companies, from the
entire absence of competition on almost every railroad route.