New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-12-15

his agent 10 Brazil expcdltoisy from this country
Nor could tho Brazilian merchant return when once
here Now this can be done, AMI there nre cisn'
passengers between New-fork ana braz'i. 10 ~nei'
thsra WINS one before these passengers being bus-
ness =, -.
snlts which would similarly follow the eo'''phon-
ment of American lines in other trades.
TIRE POSTAL LAW.
The facts abort the ocean mail service are rs fol-
lows;
The laws compel the American ship-owner TO
carry the public mails whether be wishes TO OF
not The sea hostages arc allowed as compensation
when the law was passed sea letters paid forty
eight cents. and the and postage on the othor side
Was the same OF more. On this side, the land post
AGES were high. being for certain distances twenty
five cents. The hostages have now been reduced to
two cents on the sea and three cents on the land
While the compensation for ocean service has con-
tinually diminished tho pay for inland service has
continually increased. The pay of the land lines Is
not based on the hostages. The law does not compel
them to carry the mails, and never did. The laws
EXPRESSLY proyide that no carrier Oh land coast or
river. from the humbest fishing boat and sleepiest
country stage to the great trunk railroad.
shall carry the mail unless it wishes to.
The Postmaster General is 10 negotiate with
tho carriers He "may contract" the law
says, and if they decline to contract. II the re-
Enumeration is no temptation to them. the Post
master General is directed to buy or hire fast horses
and wagons and carry the mails that wav, pro-
ceedng which would result in slower mails and in
creased expenses No compusion Is used toward
any inland, coastwise, or river carrier, except the
land grant railroads OF the more than 10000
mail routes in the United States-land, coastwise.
and river-al are allowed full liberty of choice to
carry the mails or not. they please. with the in
significant exceptions above referred to. The re-
suit IS they all receive fair compensation, which
on $500 of the routes IS vastly in excess of the
hostages. The carriers OF these $500 routes woud
laugh ut the Government il they were asked to
take the hostages as compensation. They get now
from $15 TO LIS per mile of route per annum,
which very fair pay, though not excessiye but the
American ship-owner. who is compelled by the
laws to carry the. mails whose property is thus
taken for public purpose. receives only the scanty
aud inadequate compensation of the sea pOstages,
and thus gets only 80 cents or 81 mile OF route per
annum for his services.
The Government, meanwhile, makes a clear proiit
of from 100000 10 100000 year on the ocean
service.
| II the profits on the ocean mail service were
simply applied to the establishment OF new Anerl-
can lines or if all American lines in foreign trade
we're compensated n the homo railroads. cOastng
and river steamers stages, and other carriers are
American navigation would receive an eXtraordln'
arv stimulus without altering the tariff laws q
single comma Ii may be added that so small Is the
compensation to American steamers now, they
really carry the mails for less than nothing, for
their tonnage taxes are more than their mali COM
| DcuSatiou.