Fiscal year ending June 30 Growth of pneumatic-tube service, 1893-1918-Continued. Miles. Miles. Miles. Miles. Miles. 5.85 Miles. 12.495 201, C95.00 16,094.00 14, 444.00 The following is a statement for each city of the contracting company, term of contract, and the points and distances between which tubes are laid and service is performed. This is compiled from the records of the department as of June 30, 1914, and shows some changes and extensions which are not indicated in the printed testimony before the joint commission. Points between which pneumatic tubes are laid and service is performed. City and State. Name of contractor. Term of contract. From To Distance. Chicago, Ill..... Chicago Postal Pneumatic Nov. 1, 1906, to June 30, 1916. General post office. St. Louis, Mo.... St. Louis Pneumatic Tube July 1, 1907, to June 30, 1916. Illinois Central Depot. 1 A portion of the service began at Chicago July 1, 1907. The mileage of double lines of tubes in the several cities where service is now under contract, and the annual cost of service, on June 30, 1914, is shown in the following table: Mileage of double lines of tubes contracted for and in operation for mail service June 30, 1914. 1 Service in operation in excess of original authorization due to changes in site of postal stations and subsequent extensions, 0.1217 miles; annual pay, $2,068.90. A brief history of the development of pneumatic-tube mail service in this country is given in Appendix A. INVENTORIES OF PNEUMATIC-TUBE PROPERTIES. The pneumatic-tube companies operating the service under contract filed with the commission inventories of pneumatic-tube lines and other property owned by said companies. These inventories include an enumeration of the lines of tubes laid through which mail service is performed, giving date of installation and the condition of line; of all machinery, apparatus, and appurtenances employed in the operation of the service, the year of installation, where practicable, and the cost and condition of the same; and a list of patents held and controlled under which the companies claim protection. These inventories of lines and equipment are found in the printed evidence as follows: For New York and Brooklyn, N. Y., pages 287 to 290, inclusive. For Philadelphia, Pa., pages 300 to 311, inclusive. For Chicago, Ill., pages 327 to 329, inclusive. For Boston, Mass., pages 364 to 366, inclusive. For St. Louis, Mo., pages 370 to 371, inclusive. The list of patents of the American Pneumatic Service Co. is found on pages 34 to 39, inclusive. The list of patents for the exclusive license for using, selling, or operating in the city of Philadelphia by the Pneumatic Transit Co. is found on pages 115 and 116 and pages 211 and 212. In case of purchase by the Government, the terms of sale should include all necessary rights under these patents and all patents subsequently granted to the parties in interest or any of them, to use any machinery or device covered thereby for the purposes of transportation and handling of United States mails. The franchises under which the pneumatic-tube companies are operating in the several cities are set forth in the printed testimony, as follows: For Boston, Mass., on pages 387 and 388. For New York and Brooklyn, N. Y., on pages 388 to 391, inclusive. For Philadelphia, Pa., on pages 399 to 401, inclusive, and on pages 114 and 115. For St. Louis, Mo., on pages 398 and 399. The following indicates the terms of the franchises with respect to the principal features as to use, control, expiration, etc.: Tubes: Use: Boston, no limitation on the size. New York, diameter not to exceed 3 feet, under New York Mail & Newspaper Transportation Co. charter. Chicago, 8 inches. St. Louis, no limitation. Philadelphia, no limitation. Boston, carriage of mail, messages, merchandise, and other articles. New York, letters, parcels, packages, mails, messages, and other property. St. Louis, restricted to United States mails. Philadelphia, restricted to United States mails. Control: Boston, commissioner of public works. Removal: Boston, city council may require removal at any time. Chicago, no provision. St. Louis, no provision. Philadelphia, no provision. Repairs to streets: Boston, person opening surface of street must make repairs for 12 months. Chicago, deposit covering estimates for repair costs must be maintained. St. Louis, deposit covering estimates for repair costs must be maintained. Duration of franchise: Boston, occupancy of streets revocable on order of city council. New York, 25 years from 1897. Chicago, 20 years from October 12, 1903, with right of purchase after October 12, 1913. St. Louis, 25 years, presumably from June 10, 1903. Philadelphia, no term. Franchise payments: Boston, none. New York, Tubular Dispatch Co. paid 2 per cent of gross earnings; New York Mail & Newspaper Transportation Co., $1 for every 100 yards of tubes. Chicago, 3 per cent of gross revenue for the first four years, 5 per cent of the gross revenue for the remaining 16 years. St. Louis, none. Philadelphia, none. Miscellaneous: New York, New York Mail & Newspaper Transportation Co. has contract with Brooklyn Bridge for period terminating March 1, 1922. From the report of Mr. Nathan B. Williams, p. 378. The Chicago franchise provides that at the expiration of the grant all the tubes in the ground shall become the absolute property of the city of Chicago. (Franchise to Chicago Postal Pneumatic Tube Co., p. 394.) This is the only franchise that has such a provision. |