The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-01-13
Ocean Mall Service.


Ocean Mail Service.
1t is stated that the committees on the Post
Office and Post Roads of the Senate and House
are engaged in the consideration of the subject
Of our ocean mails, with a view Of reporting
comprehensive bill, which will re-organise the
service and place it upon permanent basis
AS all the contracts for carrying ocean mails by
United States steamers expire this year, with the
exception of the Collins line (Which is nope
rative) some action is of course necessary,
unless, indeed, Congress should decide that Eng
fish steamers are to continue to have the mono
poly of ocean mails, which they now possess
everywhere but in the immediate California SER
vice.
The Postmaster General, in his last report
recommends that the United States ocean mails
shall be divided into European service-home
service-by which he means the California, Ha-
vana and Vera Cruz mails-and mixed CONNER
cial and mail service. under which head he places
the establishment of regular mail cOmmunica-
ton between the United States, Brazil and the
Eastern coast of South America, and the United
States and Venezuela, and the whole West
coast of South America, lying on the Pacific, and
embracing the ports Of New Granada, Ecuador,
Peru Bolivia and Chile. This latter service would
connect at Panama or Tchuantepec with the Cali
fornia steamers, and with the regular mails to
the United States. We have frequently spoken
at length of the great advantages Of this route,
and of the loss which our commerce suffers in con-
sequence Of our having no mail facilities with the
South Pacific, being dependent wholly upon the
British line running there, and which, connecting
with the West India line Of steamers to South
ampton, arranges its schedules SO as not to con-
meet with our steamers at Aspinwall; thus de-
tanning our mails on the Isthmus, whilst theirs
are carried directly on to their destination. We
are glad to see that the Postmaster General has
recognized the Importance of this route, and has
called upon Congress to authorize its establish
ment.
Mr.. Brown, whilst willing that the home SER
vice and the contemplated routes to South Ame-
RIGA shall not be subject to the rule of being self
sustaining-on the ground that they are necessary
for commercial ard diplomatic, as we'll as postal
purposes-insistst that the European mails shall be
sustained ly the hostages alone. On another oc-
casion we may 60 into on inquiry as to the sound
ness of this dogma but of present il is sufficient
to observe that under proper system Of remune-
ration We believe that the gross amount of post
ages would be sufficient to defray the expenses of
weekly mail to Europe. But at the same time
no permanent American line can be established
which leaves to the contractors the uncertain
risk of being remunerated from these postages
Government must take that risk itself, and agree
to pay for a fixed period a reasonable and suffi-
cient sum for the work. Under the present ex-
pertinent of giving the hostages as COM
pensation we find Vanderbilt's line
conveying a portion of the mails, during the
summer months, when the travel is sufficient to
make up for the expenses, and the English lines
which are composed Of screw vessels, making
long passages, taking them in the winter-.the
Cunard line, during the whole time, running
regularly thus securing the great bulk of the
letters, and thus bringing into the British Post
Office revenue doubtless more than sufficient
to defray their large subsidy, whilst our Post
Office Department does not receive cent. The
experiment has been tried till il has succeeded in
tying our splendid steamships up to our wharves
to rot, depicting our Post Office, and giving
England that monopoly on the ocean to which
her wise paternal and fostering care have always
been directed.
There is, however, one recommendation
of the Postmaster General to which we
orr 1seisn 60 e.,
ton to give out the ocean mail contracts
to the lowest bidder. We have seen enough of
the utter folly and dishonesty of this course As
Mr.. Rusk, when Chairman of the Senate Post
Office Committee, well remarked, there was
scarcely an instance on record where the 60
vernment was ever benefited by giving out its
contracts to the lowest bidder In almost every
Gaze under this system the contractor, in order
to secure the work, bids for it at q less price
than he can afford, in the confident cxpccta.
tion-an expectation never disappointed of
receiving relief from Congress. The
printing contracts are prominent examples of
this species Of manGuvring, which in the end
costs the country far more than if fair price
had been given in the first instance.
It is not the policy Of this government to seek
10 have Its work performed at a less price than
can honestly be afforded. AS matter of course
II leads to cheating and dishonesty. The proper
course for Congress to adopt with regard to all
our ocean mails is to fix price per mile for the
different routes. There is sufficient experience
and information to determine what such service |
can be properly and economically performed for
by the mile, and this sum should be appropriated
leaving 10 the government alone the RESPONSE
bility Of having the service properly and faith
fully executed In this way instead Of provid-
ing an indefinite amount the appropriation for