New-York tribune., 1873-12-15
TRANSATLANTIC MAILS.
DEFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONS WITH GREAT
BRITAIN.


ryRoM TnE Regular CORRESPONDENT THE rRrpUSE.l
LONDON, Nov. 15.-Seventeen days from New
York TO London Mr.. Creswell That is what we
have to thank you for in the way of United States
mail this week. The Guion steamer Manhattan.
which left New York Oct % delivers her letters this
morning Nov. 10, two weeks and three days after
her departure. She arrived at Queenstown yester-
day. No accident special cause for delay is re-
ported but her appearance is teegraphed with per-
feet composure, in the usual way if it were the
most natural thing in the world that mail steam
ship from NewYork should spend the larger part OF
month on her voyage. True, the Guion steamers
do net always often make trips quite so long as
this but this is not the first instance, and the aver
age is steadily bad so bad that it will be nothing
less than an affront aud a serious injustice to the
business community if Mr. Creswell persists in his
reported purpose of renewing his contract with the
Guion hope there is ground for the report, but
inasmuch as we have now had nearly two years of
the existing system, warning in season can hardly
come amiss.
Ihave from time to time compared the perform
ances of the three lines which for the last two years
have brought most of our letters from New-Y York
Mr.. Creswen knows-at any rate it is his business
to know-what the figures show, but he shall once
more have the opportunity of considering, In CON-
pany with some of his fellow-oitizens. the service
he gives u.s. The New-York mails 10 England land
to most of Europe excepting Germany are three
week one on Wednesday by the Guion line, one on
Thursday by the Hamburg-American line, one on
Saturday by the White Star line 1t is tolerably
clear that have right TO expect the delivery IN
London of the Wednesday mail dav sooner than
the Thursday mail and three days sooner than the
Saturday mail of the same week. VIII it surprise
Mr. Creswel to learn that during the last % weeks
this reasonable expectation has been complied with
exactly onceY On one single OCCASION and only one.
has the Wednesday mail by the GuiOn line reached
London a day in advance of the Thursday mail by
the Hamburg American line On one single occasion,
and only one, has the wednesday mail by the Onion
line reached London three days in advance of the
Saturday mail. Nor is that the worst. Comparing
the other "A GuiOn deliveries with the Hamburg
American il appears that only six times out Of the
"a have the former been in advance even by few
hours Eight times they have arrived together,
three times the Guon, always leaving a day before
the Hamburg-American, has arrived is hours after
it, five times day after it, once a day and half,
and once more than four days In IS cases out OF 5
that is the value of the Wednesday mail has been
precisely ril We should have got our letters and
papers in London Just as soon if they had not been
posted in New-York till Thursday In fact, it is un-
derstating the case 10 say that the Wednesday mail
has been worthless 1t has done positive harm and
occasioned Inconvenience of very serious kind to
business men, whose correspondence is Of kind
that reoures some sort of order TO be observed in its
delivery
IL we compare the Cuion with the White Star, ii
comes out no better. There is above stated, the
single case in which the Guion, starting always
three days ahead, arrived three days ahead. Then
out of u deliveries the total here being - instead
Of 25 because of three weeks when there were no
White star ships, the Guon was 5 times days
and II times l day before the White STAR three
a. hpr a
later end once three days later To state the same
thing in different form. the White Star out of 2l
PASSAGES beat the Guion times day. II times |
2 DAYS, 3 times s days, once days, and once
days.
Mr. Cveswell VIII. presume, admit that this not
creditaLie state of things so far as the "Wednesday
service is concerned. He will probably say IN his
Own defense that he has done the best be COULD tnat
the Cnnard line threw up the service, that he is in
debted to the Guion for coming TO his rescue when
he had prospect of having to go without any We'd
ueslav mail and so on. But my complaint is not |
merely that the Guion line is slow Though in other
respects. Fought 10 add, of very good repute The
Cunard line had it carried the mails all this time
would not have given what we want. viz, de- |
livery on Saturday Of letters leaving NeU-lork the
previous week. There was a time when the Cunard
ships sailing Wednesday used to do that but the
average length Of the passages OF that line has IN
creased think. at least one day. and, as rule,
they would not have delivered their mails in Lon
don till Monday. The best arrangement we ever |
had was when the mails were dispatched from New
York on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
Then we got Tuesdays mail (by the Hamburg line |
touching al Plymouth) with great regularity on
Saturday. Thursdays on the Monday following and
Saturdays on Wednesday. If a mail can also be
dispatched on Wednesday, much the better, many
merchants liking TO send that day, but IN no case
should it be sent by slow steamer.
Which brings me TO the main point wish TO urge
ON MI Creswen viz. TO bind himself to no contract
with any line whatever for the exclusive carriage
of the mails. That system ought to be abolished
once for all and may be abolished by resolute
postmasterGeDerai in spite of the oucry the steam
sbp companies will be sure to make. The mails
sbould be sent by the swiftest steamship and
whether she belongs to line or another is Of no
consequence to the PostOitce or the public. III 1t
is urged that the companies will not carry the mails
Oh such terms, reply that do not believe IT, That
they viii threaten TO refuse it is very probable and
with a weak Postmaster they may carry their point.
The Post-Ofice has put mp already with too much
nonsense from the companies They can well afford
To carry the mails for nothing Though am not ad-
voca.ino thatl and wOuld, i doubt not, be glad to
do so rather than not carry them. IL Is not to be
forgotten that the Cunard line. after refusing to
take them at the reduced rate believing they could
bully the Office. and so losing the contract, af
terward offered 10 take them without pay, and
would have been glad TO have them back on those
terms. 1t loss of prestige, OF reputation, OF
passengers, and of passenger money, 10 lose the
mails Ii is gain TO any line to carry them. They
advertise themselves carriers OF them, and many
people who know little else about ship know that
is trusted with the United States mails, and go in