The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-12-29
OCEAN POSTAGE.
The Prospective Change In the Mode Of Carry
ing Our Foreign Mails.

ing Our Foreign Mails
Recent Washington dispatches have alluded
to a difficulty which has arisen between the
Postal Department and the Cunard, Inman,
Bremen, and Hamburg lines of steamers, which
have heretofore carried the foreign mails. The
facts, stated in the interest of the steamship
companies, are as follows:-About two months
ago the Postmaster-General agreed to a postal
convention with Great Britain, by which post
age between the two countries was reduced
from twelve to six cents per letter
On the 23d of December the lines now carry
ing mails from this port were notified that
after the 1st of January. 1870, they would only
get two cents letter, or six cents an ounce, for
carrying the mails; and on the receipt of this
notification they Immediately informed the
Postmaster that they could not perform the SER
vice. The Post Office authorities are negotiating
with the Inman, Anchor, and several other
lines to carry the mails, but the negotiations
have not yet been concluded. The amount paid
to the Cunard line alone for this service last
year was $4,000
AS the present contract expires on Saturday,
January l. 1870, this movement on the part of
the companies forces the department to take
immediate action if they wish to send off the
regular mail next week. Postmaster General
Creswell and Mr.. Blackford, the Superintendent
of Foreign Mails, arrived in town last night, and
they will to-day hold q consultation with General
Jones and others as TO the bestmode of arranging
the matter. From them we get the following
facts-The rate charged by these steamers for
frst-class freight is $40 per ton less than half
cent per pound.
There is no kind of freight which requires
less trouble than the mails, rs they are merely
taken on and put off, requiring no handling at
all while on board, yet the rate paid for foreign
letter transportation during the past ten years
has been 20 cents per ouace, S716S per ton.
Following out his principle of cheap postage,
Mr.. Cresswell has agreed with the English
Government to reduce the postage required on
letters to six cents, instead of II. At this time
Ia ii wos ra6upa1 from Dl tO 10 sinn-
ing great increase of correspondence. In
order to balance in some degree the diminution
in charges, Mr. Creswell decided to diminish
also the immense freight rate paid these steam
ships to six cents per ounce, or $3.50 per ton.
The steamship monopoles having refused to
accept Government freight on these terms, or at
two hundred times the price charged private in
dividuals, seem now likely to lose their fat job
altogether.
Mr. Creswell says he is determined that
foreign steamship monopoies shall not interfere
with the grand future of cheap postage 1t Is
hoped on all sides that this occurrence, which
shows how dependent we are on foreign lines of
steamers, may stir up the people to start an
American steamship line. AS to Govern
ment subsidies this postage business alone
which will pay over $l25 900 per year for the
transportation of five tons of letters per MONTH
would be a subsidy of itself Besides which
Congress may become excited over this sharp
trick which has been attempted on them and
give further aid to an opposition line under the
American flag. "And if the boys get at them,"
as Mr. Creswell remarked, referring to the
United States Congress, they VIII make short
work of them" The plan upon which the Postal
Department is now working is to agree upon a
cheap international postage with all the nations
of Europe as soon as possible and TO follow 1t
up by universal money-order system which will
greatly increase the opportunities of the poor
for intercommunication, and consequently tend
to increase emigration, as well as to the benefit
of the whole public.