"A careful perusal of the debates in both Houses of Congress which led to the enactment of the present law fixing the rate of pay for railroad transportation of the mails and for railway post office cars clearly indicates that the additional compensation for railway post office cars was intended to cover the additional expense imposed upon the railroad companies for building, maintaining, and hauling such cars. The companies at that time insisted that these cars, which were practically traveling post offices, did not carry a remunerative load, and that therefore the amount of pay, based on weight, did not compensate them for their operation. This led to the specific appropriation for railway post office cars. In this connection it should be borne in mind that the purpose of the railway post office car is to furnish ample space and facilities for the handling and distribution of mails en route. Therefore, the space required is much greater than would be required for merely hauling the same weight of mails. "In regard to any proposal for Government ownership of postal cars, other facts as well as the above should be given consideration. Such cars must be overhauled, cleaned, and inspected daily. It would be necessary to either arrange with the railway companies for this service or for the Department to employ its own inspectors, repair men, and car cleaners at a large number of places throughout the country, which would probably be more expensive than the cost to the railway companies in that respect at present. It would hardly be feasible to establish a Government repair shop. Therefore, the Department would be compelled to use the shops of the several railway companies throughout the country. Without the closest supervision and attention of the Government's inspectors it could scarcely be expected that our cars would receive the same consideration in railroad shops as those owned by the railway companies. These shops are frequently congested, and it is probable that the railroad work would be given the preference. "Yours very truly, "FRANK H. HITCHCOCK, "_Postmaster-General_." The Wolcott Commission carefully investigated the whole subject of Postal Car Pay and their conclusions regarding this form of compensation and its reasonableness are set forth in their report in the following language: "Until a comparatively short time prior to 1873 the distribution of the mails in transitu was unknown. Prior to the late sixties the railroads simply transported the mails, which were delivered at the post offices and there distributed. Accordingly, 'weight' as the basis of compensation was at the time of its adoption and long thereafter entirely adequate.