New-York tribune., 1880-04-11
NO AID FOR AMERICAN SHIPS.
WHY THE LINE TO BRAZIL is A FAILURE.

HOW AMERICAN LINES MAY SECURE AND MAIN
TAIN The OCEAN TRADE
There have been rumors afioat recently IT,
oard,pe the dscontSnuance OF the United States ana
Brazil Steamship Line. which was estaolshe7 Two
veara aeo by John Roach. c. II. Mallory Co., ana
few other capitalists. A dispatch from washington
stated upon authority that the steamers wouu 20
withdrawn on May l. The owners OF tne Hne ueH'
that any date has been decled upon Tor such steP
but they admit that It has been seriously contemplated
because the line prsen without profit Ihey as
tat tho rest opposhon has been arrayed against
them by the English lines, both by influence at "asnis
ton against the proposed contracts for carrying .ne
mails and In the cutting Of freights far below PAYING
prices Their deficiency Is made up TO them D' 'ne i
eltsh Government. Notwithstanding this oppos'uoh
the American steamships have never missed their tps
and have kept running at lose Ihe lolo"lns
conversation which TRIBUNE reporter nau WIN 'onn
Roach the American shipbullder on the subject wheh
he recently in this city; 1900
.Mr Roach. what truth Is there in this report lnaV
the American Brazil Line TO be discontinued on May
1f
"Itis not proposed TO discontinue the line NJ ai un
less we are forced to do Notwithstanding the hree
competition have 10 meet and tue lack OF lhelcS.
displayed by American people IRE line was s'arteu
in MAY 1873 without any assistance whatever eAcopE
ing the contract made with the Brazilian Govern
,neut IN carry the mails the compensation for
which was 10 be 500 year. This mail service was
formerly done by English line for the same coDpen
sation. Its steamers, however, made no stops
at any other South American ports they were $40" ana
small, ana hal no decent cabin aeeomlnOdauons' Inc
English ships started from Liverpool with crgo OF
Tnsljsh manufactures for BRAZIL At Rio Janeiro the
freight was cOllceted'aud cargo OF cOIee was ldhen
on for the United States. which was delivered mere anu
the freight paid for In gold. Then the snip loaueu
direct for Liverpool with brcadstus, thus leaving inc
United States with 10 direct communication Win
Brazil. Our mails had to go to Brazil by way oI
England; and TO pay the Brazilian merchants Tor
our coffee had to send our gold through lhe EnE-
lsh bankers giving them the commissions for exchhngc
This was the singular condition OF affairs Wheh 'ne
Emperor OF Brazil visited The Centennial Exposition
After informing himself thoroughly ot the advantages
of establishing closer relations between the TWO Voun
tries he agreed TO transfer the 10 an American
line providing steamships should be OF aooSeSoOo
tons of great speed. with hrstclass passenger huou
mod tons and equal every respect to the hhest shpS
entering Brazilian harbors from any European nation
II was believed that when American capital was once
invested in such line HAT the United states would GER
taply meet Brazil half way IN the new enterprise"
4" With what success have YOU met the competition OF
the foreign lines against the American steamships
"No sooner had Brazil transferred this contract 10
An American line than the Liverpool merchants formed
combinations to defeat that line in is Efforts u secure
trude They regarded II as an Intruder ana saw that
unless they could crush It they were Threatened win
serious rivalry The English line then oheFeu 10 carry
the BRAZILIAN mails to the United States Tor hothg
This offer failing. they began the cutting OF freigh,s
Two wears ago, when the American line started, the
freight on coffee was 20 cents Bag FSl2 ton Tor
carving Il 200 miles In the hrst year IL was reduced
TO 60 cents "a bag or $40 so ton. When our Govern
ment refused to grant an appropriation lot bra1an
mail service the English opposition was juDaht a1u
concentrated iIs efforts to prevent the Brazah ChAu
bers from appropriatinc the money for t contract e1
cent on scn conditions as could not be coupled with by
the line The result OF al Their opposition ha5 lhat
changes were made rendering the e9hlaI. MoI ,i4
1ue yynt
then be Withdrawn, But 10 the honor OF the BTazHn
Government be II said the Supreme Court deelatd ~
tev or of sstasuing the contract without change un
tile Chambers meet again to eonhrm s "v'ioh s rdnn
ton of feghis and the rate paid for carrying gag OF
coffee s 20 cent? or about IL cents per ioO NLen 70
equal 80 ton. or less than II costs 70 alseharEs ~
New-YOfk aud transport II TO point WITHIN MY
miles. Tdis. In addition TO me dscGurhss@Se5t age men anu
counter. Our laws are such that an American cllhen
running az american sP 10 ,np Be Sos"rs but
should that citizen place his ship on ooast TYer or
IIfberal CONTAMINATION for the malls carried"
You speak of the foreign lnes being better able TO
The oicSi record Of Brazil shows that for the year
ending juno 30 1880 the Brazilian Congress appropri
aed 5O7 900 for mail pay to steamship lines US io
lows:
BfsIiliah lines; YdSSS9 yY6SSS99
ro,s, 81 100000
nTbe English lines certainly have the lions share in
this They cOmprise not only lines from Rio 70
Liverpool aud Southampton but also lines engnged IN
ceean ines Brazil has no lack OF swift steamship com
municatiou with England for England has taken good
care that should be no such lack he thIee lug
iIEh lines employ no less tnau htty-tve steam
chips IN the trade between the Two Hmsnt COUNT
return TO England by way OF the Cnlted siAles'
tins Intending 10 break any competition that may be at
tempted by us. The French companies have nineteen
steamships and the German companies nIeen III the
american merchants for the nrst time direct rapid
fr-t-cass means OF communication with Brazil and the
Uaa am re
from the United TO Brazil direct instead
Of going by way Of England ~ formerly aud the passen
GER aud freight money paid 20 the American iine now
goes into home circulation OF COURSE IN the isGe OF ms
successful and 10 the withdrawal OF the American
"The English steam tonnage receives about 81 100000
n year for mail service From 1867 10 1876 England
maid IN this way $52, ,S37 France, who followed
With tines to the Te"a1 to New.York TO brazil tho
West Indies and Mexico. IL to-day paying ~ 100000
INVESTED capital of S3352I 900. She has maintained
This policy through all political Vicissuder lucudlhg
statesmen have recognized the fact that by
spGn on tho SSSse or in Se Of tho wod where
She must put her surplus products Gernny pays ON a
steam tonnage invested capital OF ,366,7OO Austria
trade IN the Meditera1ean and also on tho Atlantic;
policy. But the United States, with more surplus pro-
ducts TO carry on the sea than any other nIlon WIN
iish rapid means Of communication between thelr
merchants and the merchants OF the eountritns
whose markets naturally TO IT,
alone refuse to pay Their steamship lines fair com
penratiOn Tor the service they perform. Were more
liberal policy pursued might not OHy he able 10 p
make the Brazil enterprise successful, but wOnd soon
have American lines running to Europe the McdterIa
mean aud other where American trade might
be developed The postage paid for carrying malls 10
other countries than BruZ ana China and japan paid
TO foreign lines, while tue opposite should be the casc
In 1876 United States paid In postage SlS2s63 50
10 help support foreign curriers'. The Tesult of the gen
erous policy OF the British Government IL that to-day
England has carrying business OF country, aud
drains us from SG00O0,O00 TO S9o,OoO'OOO OF
gold eveTy yegr u nclgnt ana oas opassengefr ger
consider that England BY paying S4,O0O,OOO
wear IN mail contracts draws 10 ner Island many times
tBat Of dollars. and maintains herself as tho