New-York tribune., 1873-06-28
TRANSATLANTIC MAILS.
n. r.
name is

TRANSATLANTIC MAILS.
COMP ARATIVE MERITS OF VARIOUS LINES OF STEAM
sHIPs--A POSTAL SERVICE NEEDING REFORM.
lFRoM TIE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRmuSE.l
LONDON, June 14.-There il some comfort
in seeing that discussion has been raised American
uapers about the European mails to be precise
the carving OF the mails from America TO Europe Ii
appears present the attempt OF the Inman
line to deprive the White Star line Of its contract and
get back its old monopoly. have hopes that the
discussion Will take wider range than that, and
90 into the general question. The whole service
wants reorganization, or rather organization.
There are one two points TO which the
Postmastcr-Generas attention needs to be directed
bit first a word about the White star Inman dis
pute Few people on either side have interest
than | have in regular and swift service, or have
watched the various services existing during the last six
years more closely am for the line or lines that will
bring letters quickest. / have record Of the whole
mail service and have hesitation in saying that the
average of the Saturday service never good as
since Il has been performed by the White star ships IL
is very simple matter. We now get our
letters as rule. day sooner than
did under the Inman contract. When the Inman
Inc brought the mails they were seldom delivered IN
London tin Wednesday morning. We now get them
usually Tuesday morning, except when the steamers
have left Ncw-YOrk late. Out Of eighteen deliveries
January nine have Deen on tuesday, ana Ol the
remaining nine, four were day late in leaving New
York The InInan ships vary greatly in speed. Whe
the CITY Of Paris City OF Brussels and one or two others
generally reached Queenstown early enough 10 insure
Che mails being London Wednesday, other ships OF
that line could not be expected before Thursday and
sometimes not till Fridyy. IL Is true the White Star
Line has not always been able 10 send ship on satur
day. notc four interruptions In the service this year.
bat then the public has suffered no Inconvenience be-
l,yf faa rf1 Go | ltltT
ships touching at southampton line which, # any
change TO be made, is TO be preferred TO the Inman
Assuming that the Saturday service 10 be left as
s change much needed in the business oi the rest Of
the week The GuiOn line brings the mails which
accumulate from Saturday TO Wednesday OF the week
following The ships othat line not suitable for tho
service They are believe very comfortable passenger
ships, with cabins on deck, good table, and good
officers. but they are slow. The mails leaving
New-York on Wednesday ought TO he delivered
in London on Saturday OF the week following.
II the Guon ships were equal TO the White star ships
the mails would be 80 delivered as rule. But they
are-have not once been, think, under the Guon con
tract. On Sunday there Is delivery in London On
Monday AT latest these mats might be reasonably
pected but what are the factst Ont OF % deliveries
this year by the Guion line from New York on Wednes-
day there have been but seven the Monday weekl2
DAYS out Ten times they have been received in London
on Tuesday, three times not till Wednesday, once ON
Thursday, and Saturday-l7 DAYS from New
York. II has happened repeatedly that the White Star
steamers leaving three days after the Guon steamers
have delivered their mails at the sane time, and ia some
cases day earlier.
The Hamburg uuc leaves New.York on Thursdays
ont OF @ deliveries in London year. been
earer-usually day earlier-than the Guion steamers
leaving New York the day before In six other cases
they have been received about the time. suppose
il may be taken TO be literally clear that the Guion
service whether regarded on its own merits, or com
pared with either the White STAR or the Hamburg
service is unsatisfactory Nor il it sufficient propose
te suhstuion OF the Cunard for the GuOn line. The
Cunard passages not good enough To insure the
delivery OF the Wednesday mails on Saturday Of the fol-
lowing week The starting point Of any new arrange
mcnt ought TO be such delivery. II tho White Star
line sailed on Wednesdays we should get in majority
Of instances. But if we cannot have that, we can
have what we once had, mail leaving on Tuesday
Then we were sure of getting something from New
York in the week following The Hamburg ships which
sailed Oh Tuesday delivered their mail Ia London satui
day OF the week following with great regularity II the
Posmaster-G Gcneral can induce them to change thcr
dav Of sailing from Thursday to Tuesday or II the other
German line Will take Tuesday a day OF departure, he
may safely suppress the Wednesday mail altogether As
the above account SHOWS 1t is Of little or no use In the
creat majority OF eases merchant could delay writing
nm ThursCay and he sure OF his letter reaching London
a. anon as il he had sent it Wednesday. With three
mails carried by good lines leaving on Tuesday Thurs
Gay and Saturday OF each week. We should DO very well
We sbould do still better II the PostmasterGenerll
coud pcrsiade his English namesake 10 alter the ex-
istug Queenstown arrangements. Queenstown halt the
time l. only trap catch letters. II mail steamer
arrives on Friday noon don't get her letters IN Lon
don iii the following Monday They are received 1t IS
true Saturday evening" but too late to be distributed OF
too late 10 he OF any business men, and on Sunday
there Is no distribution Newspapers in sucha case are
never delivered Till Monday. The same ~ trhe, omtng
tho Sunday every other day in the week II steamer
reaches Queenstown at II Monday her mails are re-
celyed In London early Tuesday morning. II SHE is haf
an hour late her mails not receved tn WedD 'day
-practicay. service organized in that fashion needs
no comment to expose it's absuFdy. Any negotiations
between the two Pos;-Ofces ought to be based Oh the
necessity OF a reform In ibis particular.
Miss Kate Field among the latest arrivals, and IL
the guest OF Lady Dixie for the az the close Of
| which She viii 20 TO the cOntnent-Schwalbach first
and then the Pyreneesand in October she sails again
for America have found Mark Twain without adyer-
tang-indeed it was my fault that did not find him
al once He is at Edwards's Hotel where he has Mr..
Disrael under his feet (ind to keep him there),
with au Earl on one side OF him aud Count on the
other In the midst these aristOcratic surroundings
he preserves loyalty to Republican institutions and
| dislkes a Joke as much as ever. q. ".
| FOREIGN GOSSIP.