“For the purpose of emphasizing the importance of loading as essential to the determination of railway mail compensation, as well as to suggest the line of desired improvement in the present railway mail service, it may be added that were it possible to load 5 tons in a car, the expense would be reduced to $1,766 per mile of line; that is to say, a sum less than one-half the amount actually paid.” Dr. Adams in the foregoing was presenting a judgmental summary, or digest, of the testimony before the Wolcott Commission on this “railway-mail-pay” question. His opinion, or conclusion, as to the dominant factors involved, has been recognized as authority--_if not final authority_--on the points to which he spoke. Now, let us figure a little more. I’m not much at “ciferin.” Maybe the reader can help me along. Let’s get properly started. Those rail “postoffice cars,” of which Dr. Adams spoke, are from 40 to 55 feet or more in length. They must weigh, empty, or “stripped,” figuring running trucks, body, etc., _forty to one-hundred or more thousand pounds_. So, according to Dr. Adams, this twenty to fifty ton vehicle is sent hurtling over a hundred or a five-hundred mile run on a steel track with finest and most modern engine or motive power, baggage and express cars ahead, and sleepers, buffet, diner and observation cars trailing, _to carry two tons of United States mail_ in each mail car in the train. Oh yes, I know that Dr. Adams spoke some years ago (1901, I believe), and spoke of the “average load” of mail carried by mail cars then. I also know that our present Postmaster General has “gone after” this railway mail car raiding--has made them carry more load. All praise to him for doing so. It was an action which _any_ of his predecessors had the power to have taken, and which should save millions of postal revenues. The department report for 1910 (P157), states, there were 1,114 full and 3,208 apartment postal cars in service--_rented_ cars--while there were 206 of the former and 559 of the latter (a total of 765), kept in “reserve.” That makes a total of 5,087 postal cars for which the government pays rent. There is, however, another strong presumption--with some very robust facts which investigation has uncovered--that a considerable number of the so-called “reserve” cars are in the hospitals about railroad shops, where such patients receive little but “open air treatment.” In “emergencies” it is legitimate, of course, to presume that the division traffic manager may order out or put on the rails any of these hospital cars, “full” or “apartment,” as first aids to the injured. And it is right that he does so. But why, in the name of George Washington, should all these hospital cars be charged up to the Postoffice Department? Yes, why?