Receipts from Mail and Express.
Closely associated with the passenger traffic of the railways are the mail and express services. Although principally carried by passenger trains, each has a special service of its own by mail and express trains. But all are included under the passenger service. The receipts from these two branches of the service during the last decade are shown in the following statement:
| Summary of Receipts from Mail and Express, 1899 to 1908. | ||||
| Express | ||||
| Year | Revenues | Percentage of Earnings | Revenues | Percentage of Earnings |
| 1899 | $35,999,011 | 2.74 | $26,756,054 | 2.04 |
| 1900 | 37,752,474 | 2.54 | 28,416,150 | 1.91 |
| 1901 | 38,453,602 | 2.42 | 31,121,613 | 1.96 |
| 1902 | 39,963,248 | 2.31 | 34,253,459 | 2.07 |
| 1903 | 41,709,396 | 2.19 | 38,331,964 | 1.98 |
| 1904 | 44,499,732 | 2.25 | 41,875,636 | 2.12 |
| 1905 | 45,426,125 | 2.18 | 45,149,155 | 2.17 |
| 1906 | 47,371,453 | 2.04 | 51,010,930 | 2.19 |
| 1907 | 50,378,964 | 1.94 | 57,332,931 | 2.21 |
| 1908 | 48,517,563 | 2.03 | 58,602,091 | 2.45 |
| 1909 | 50,935,000 | 2.08 | 63,669,000 | 2.60 |
| Increase, per cent | 41.5 | — | 138.0 | — |
Aside from the striking contrast in the percentages of increase of revenues from these two sources, the most significant feature of this table is the reversal it shows in their respective importance from the railway revenue point of view. Prior to 1905, carrying the mails brought larger, if not more profitable, returns to the railways. Since then the returns from express have increased so much more rapidly that they are now nearly 23% more than those from mails.
If proof were needed of the absolute falsity of the charge that the railways are receiving an exorbitant rate for carrying mail, the above table of their receipts from the service in connection with the following statement of mail handled and revenues in view of the finding of the Joint Commission of Congress in 1899 would furnish it. After a thorough investigation of the subject lasting from August, 1898, to July, 1900, the Commission came to the following conclusion:
"Upon a careful consideration of all the evidence and the statements and arguments submitted, and in view of all the services rendered by the railroads, we are of the opinion that the prices now paid to the railroad companies for the transportation of the mails are not excessive, and recommend that no reduction thereof be made at this time."
The increase in the railroad service since this report was made is shown in the following statement of miles of mail transportation by railroads, the postal revenues and the number of clerks in the railway mail service since 1899:
| Annual Transportation of Mail by Railroads (Miles) | Postal Revenues | Number of Railway Mail Clerks | |
| 1899 | 287,591,269 | $95,021,384 | 8,388 |
| 1900 | 297,256,303 | 102,354,579 | 8,695 |
| 1901 | 302,613,325 | 111,631,193 | 9,105 |
| 1902 | 312,521,478 | 121,848,047 | 9,627 |
| 1903 | 333,491,684 | 134,224,443 | 10,418 |
| 1904 | 353,038,397 | 143,582,624 | 11,621 |
| 1905 | 362,645,731 | 152,826,585 | 12,474 |
| 1906 | 371,661,071 | 167,932,783 | 13,598 |
| 1907 | 387,557,165 | 183,585,006 | 14,357 |
| 1908 | 407,799,039 | 191,478,663 | 15,295 |
| 1909 | — | 203,562,383 | 15,866 |
| Increase in 10 years, per cent | 50.5 | 124.7 | 89.1 |