The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1878-04-11
A Fifty Million Dollar Job.

A Fifty Million Dollar Job.
The launch of John Roach's new iron
steamship in the presence of Hayes and
his fraudulent Cabinet, score of Senators
and hundred or more members of the
House OF Representatives, was a specta
Gle for which the country is expected to
pay heavily. The new vessel might be
plated all over with gold for the sum which
the taxpayers of the United States will
pay to Mr.. John Roach and his allies,
provided the programme arranged BY
those gentleman is successfully carried
out.
The patriotic capitalists who grieye to
see American mails carried over ocean
highways under foreign bunting have
already caused bills to be introdu-
ced in both branches of Congress, pro-
viding for general subsidy of the sort
recommended by the so-called Exporters
Convention held at Washington about six
weeks ago, The bill now before the Sc
nate was presented by Mr.. Wallace, Tom
Scott's peculiar friend in that body, The
House DILL was offered by Mr.. Chapman
Freeman of Philadelphia The two meas.
ures differ only in the phraseology of IN.
important clauses. Both of them not only
authorize but order the Postmaster G enc
raj to contract with the owners Of Ameri.
can steamships for carrying of mails
between the United States and foreign
ports. The subsidized steamships must
be built of American materials, of not less
than twenty-five hundred tons register,
capable Of making (but not necessarily
IN tnl furo
an hour, owned by citizens of the i.
b, and. and as far as practicable, manned
by Americans. One other requirement
should not escape notice To claim the
subsidy, the vessels must be iron ships.
Immediately upon the passage of the
act, the postmaster general is required to
contract for mail service for ten years with
the owners of every line of steamers an ,
swering the description just given. The
subsidy Is not to exceed So for every mile
sailed Oh the Atlantic and 81 on the Pa
ci6c. Section of Mr.. Freemans bill
provides that the postmaster general shall
advertise for proposals and award the con.
tract to the lowest responsible bidder but
as section extends the benefit of the act
to AL owners Of American steamships
which may be constructed within ten
years" always providing that the vessels
answer the description, it is obvious that
even were there rival lines sailing to the
same port, both lines could come in for the
subsidy Ut course no owner will accept
less than the maximum rate per mile, The
bill, therefore, engages the government to
pay So or 81 tor every mile sailed during
the next ten years by every vessel that
complies with its provisions That it is
one of the craftiest an9 most dangerous
measures ever proposed in congress we
now propose to show.
The bill is the result of combination
between the Pacific mail company. the
Pennsylvania railroad company, owning
the Philadelphia add Liverpool, and Mr.,
j Ohm Roach and his proposed Brazilian
lines. 1t benefits these three CORPORATIONS
and nobody else; and the clause extending
Its provisions to all owners is a sham, de-
signed to give an appearance of fairness to
the measure and to blind the eyes of the
nation to the real character of an enormous
Job.
These three concerns are the only owners
of American built iron steamships of
twenty-five hundred tons and inward
AS they work different routes there can
They have common interest
in putting the scheme through,
and can afford to join forces and bring the
pressure OF their united resources to bear
on congress. The bill once law, they
have simply to apply to theEpostmaster
general Tor mails to carry, and on satisfying
himself that their steamers meet the re-
quirements,s he is obliged to make ten
years contracts with each at the rates
mentioned, These contracts once made.
they are lrrevocable, and the inevitable
repeal OF the law as soon as the magnitude
or the sWlndle becomes apparent, will not
affect the sharp men who have drawn it
and hope to force it through the present
Now, how much will it cost the treasury
to subsldlze Tom Scott, John Roach. and
the Pacific Mail at So mile for the Atlantic
and "a for the Pacific?
The Pennsylvania railroad companv's
steamers make fifty-two voyages everv
year TO Liverpool and return. At the
rate OF So mile, their subsidy will amount
10 just S96I,2O0 per annum, or 1852, 900
10 the ten years covered by the contract
which the post office department will be
Obliged to conclude with Mr.. Tom Scott.
Mr. John Roach expects to make
monthly voyages with his steamers from
New York and New Orleans to Brazil
At So mile, he will draw from the
treasury not less than. 1910, 600 per annum,
Or $500, 600 in the ten years covered by
his contract.
The Pacific Mail Company, notorious in
Inc history of lobbying and corrupt legisIa-
tion, will derive the greatest profit from
81 ibis new haul. 1t has already a monthly
line to China, half interest in month";
Concluded on next page.)