New-York tribune., 1869-03-25
STEAMSHIP SCHEMES.


providing ostensibly for the establishment of
lines of American steamships between the
United States and Europe. The object is such
a good one that we fear sufficient scrutiny may
not be given to the means by which 1t is pro-
posed that object shall be attained. Of all the
schemes brought forward at the last session
we have already expressed our opinion that the
least Objectionable was the one framed in the
interests of the New-YOrk and Antwerp Com
pany, which asked merely for remission of
duties on the materials used in the construction
of their ships, and contract for carrying the
mails at price not to exceed the sea and inland
postage on whatever they carried. This Com
pany is again before Congress, but their new bill
Omits this important limitation of cOmpensa-
ton. Senator Wilson of Massachusetts has a
bill authorizing the POstmaster-General to
contract with any American line or lines for a
mail service between European ports and the
ports of New-York and Boston, and to pay
for the same the whole sea and inland postage
on the mails carried, not exceeding $4,000 for
each round trip. The objections to this bill
are that it authorizes ten-years contract
with companies which as yet have no exist
ence, and that it reduces by at least one-half
to provide for not less than four nor more
than eight departures monthly from New
York 1--WE now have sixteen), and not less
than two nor more than four monthly from
Boston.
There is another bill, introduced by Gov.
Fenton, authorizing and directing contract
with the North American Steam Navigation
Company of New York, the Commercial Navi-
CATION Company of the State of New York, and
the American Steamship Company of Boston,
for period of fifteen years, the compensation to
be the sea and inland postage on all the mails
carried. OF two of the lines mentioned in this
bill we have no knowledge, but to the scheme
of the Commercial Navigation Company we
have already devoted some criticism. The
North American Company is to run one steamer
O week from New-York to Antwerp,
the Commercial Navigation Company one
a week from New-YOrk to Liverpool,
and one from New-Yolk to Bremen
or Hamburg, the American Company one
every second week from Boston to Liverpool,
and there is to be a contract with citizens of
i" the United States for another semi monthly
steamer between unspecifed ports of Europe
and America. This contract, we presume, tho
Commercial Navigation Company expects also
to secure. The sea and inland pOstages now
amount to about 100000 year. We pay for
the ocean transportation the sea -postages only
lin fact, something less than the sea pOstages
amounting to between $260,0O0 and S270000
year The profit to the Post Office Department
is therefore $4,000 and more year total,
for fifteen years, $4,95O,O0O, all which
is to be paid over to these steamship
lines. Beside this, the Commercial Navigation
Company is authorized to issue bonds, the
interest of which, not exceeding $25O,OOO year
in coin, shall be paid by the Postmaster
General, out of the money earned by the Com
pany for transporting the mails. OF course, the
Company Ought not to earn much more than
half that amount; but as the bill stands we
dare say the Post-0 Office Department could be
held liable for the whole of it. At any rate,
long contracts at high prices with hypothetical
are opposed to the public interests,
and we do not believe that public opinion will
tolerate them. We shall never get cheap in
ternational postage in this way.
much worse scheme than any of those
embraced in the bin of the Commercial Navi-
Steamship Company of the State Of Delaware,
which, having failed in the last Congress, has
been introduced into the present Senate by
Mr.. Conkling. This corporation proposes to
build line OF steamships to run between
certain American and European ports, upon
condition that the Government shall advance
all the money needed for the undertaking, and
make contract with the incorporators for the
transportation of the European mails at an
eXorbitant price and for an unreasonable long
term of years. They offer no guarantee what
ever for the performance Of their part of the
contract If they have any money of their own.