The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-02-27


"a via, more than ordinary hazards aud expenses grad.
mated by the abundance of gold in California, involving,
IN the lrst place. a large outlay OF capital ia boats.
Ttores OUTFITS facilities vr REPAIRS oeesand MEM and
m he-- I IA.
ifahehitcn bf supplies for actual contnsett use
10 straie take this one iteni that OF coal every ton
81 Which delivered IN tile Pacific costs this company four
Ok ye times the price ia New York, which varies from
al 10 s., The cost of coal consumed by The company
boats averages nearly az 900 per day, nearly twice
much per the whole amount Of compensation
fjr carrying the mails.
The quantity annually cons,-.lcd gives profitable
bloymen 10 nearly 60 vessels aud l. 200 men, aud Is
Consequently so much direct aid 10 mercantile
Besides this this company OWNS thirteen steamers Of
all sizes. They have machine shop aud foundry at
lenicia which cost half IA million OF dollars,
and Is the ouIy complete establishments on the coast
where they build engines of the largest size.
They have large and rnanent dpots ut Panama
aud Acapulco wharves, aud other ncccssarcs, OBJ
timed at heavy cost To prevent delay accident
ihey always keep spare steamer stationed at each end
III the line aud thus eipoy almost double the number
which would suffice without accident TO make the mail
deliveries All this entails heavy expense but this Is
Indispensable TO insure certainty They have made
mail failure and lost life dollar Of treasure
ON the Pacific from marine disaster And the
pended for constant repairs and TO obviac the necessity
Of scaner going to unless in order for sea-
have been well expended This company il selected
Of one two steamers does not costrtc the ability To
assume q contract fos carrying the mails.
IL Is pain therefore, that the following rules should
be followed by the government in any service OF charac
Ter similar ~ ours
10 avail of experience as the best guarantees Of
security and regularity.
Because, by doing 50, yom Aprsp~el, to govern
ment organization you get more Than all the benefits
and save the expense.
BECAUSE YOU turn To public account The wisdom of the
past instead of making the government pay dearly for
the knowledge Of beginners.
Beta,,se capital thus invested becomes dead you de-
stroy the uses which it was ccated II Is economy
10 sink or make inert millions oil capital to save, ii you
can few thousands in the annual expenditures of gov
ornment You not only destroy capital but also the
disposition to hazard capital in g,eat enterprises and you
place this great mail service ut the mercy OF chance and
inferior boats.
Because experience must insure service OF the same
grade at less cost
Another rule should be- to pay fair and fixed equivalent
Tor good services. Capital and enterprise must laDguish
If our government will not give them fair equivalent
to rendered If the government converts itself
into machine 10 create runous competition IL creates
debt which the public must pay Prices of passage h;
their level lfgovenncnt depesscs them obey react, and
the people pay FOR the reaction Capital must be sup
p rtel or must perish
Another rule should be- TO reward fidelity. 1t is un
fortunately in government contracts, and reason
H. that y treating the ithin1 and iithless alike the
government offers premium to the aithless II fidelity
bc rewarded public service must always be rendered
by apprentices. Besides, steamship has her term OF
life and this is longer than most government contracts
or steamers may be built during the pcndency Of mail
contract and these who conscientious and liberal
enough TO build proper vessels should be respected by
government and have their property respected
To these rules, il Is absolutely necessary 70 do
away with the lowest bidder system Such system is
Ut the mercy Of combinations and places enterprises of
pith aud moment footing with spccnlaor in bids
1t may when you provide substitutes in case
of failure but this nds to the cost largely, aud in large
enterprises is impossible, Failure may entail untold mis-
cries. As well might the government let out the bust
Of the army and the navy to the lowest bidder.
The Executive should have authority to judge the
character and ability OF the contractor and be directed
at the Time to reward and fidelity and expo
rience by Offering them fair terms.
As to the present pay the Pacific ocean, it is less than
the pay Of any other government for inferior service Can
the essentials Of such mail service DC secured for less,
with due regard to the rights Of the capitalist? II So let
him havenn opportunity to use his property, even ut
diminished revenue, if he desires to do
II this be not douc contractors will construct inferior
vessels which will only be scryiccabe during the term
OF government contract aud the effort in building
steamships will be to money, and not to eli
cheney.
As to the past, viii only ask. what injury would not
have been inflicted the great commercial, national
and social relations which exist between Atlantic
and Pacific territory had the transportation been de-
pendent chance coveyanccs. been intrustcd to inc
Nor contractorsi Time will show that the necessity foi
transportation of mails to talifvrn, is not removed
by the iniiioIy Of overland route with
many hdes in charge there bags transported, On
the average, via Panama.
---------