The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1880-04-13
WASHINGTON.
ChattY Collections from the
Capital.

.SHEttY Collections from the
Capital.
Washington. 12.-Secretary Egarts'
report concerning the progress of I
negotiations with China, turns out to /
be just what was expected, both in It's
excuses for delay and its predictions
OF success in future; but there Is COZ
siderable comment in Pacific Coast |
circles concerning his laying stress
upon the fact that the joint resolution |
referred to by Willis resolution was
not passed, while. at the same time |
he makes illusion to the similor
resolutions which we're passed by the !
same Congress. and is equally careful !
to say nothing about the passage Of
the fifteen passenger bill. which had
been sent TO the President, and vetoed
before he gave bis first instruction"
TO Minister Seward on this subject.
Berry to-day introduced a bill.
toreshadoWed in last nights dis
patches, concerning California lien
lands for schoo! sections.
Congressman Murch, on the
strength Of Horace Davis letter,
which was telegrsphed last Saturday,
mas agreed to report fsvorably to the
full committee on Davis bill for 3
new postofhce for San Francisco.
The Star, this evening, says: 1t Is
reported that Senator Grover, OF
Oregon, is seriously Ill at Whining
tor, Del. His ailment Is paralysis.
Representative Whitaker, today,
introduced q joint resolution instruct
ing the secretary Of the navy to
appoint a commission of three officers
whose duty it shall be TO visit Oregon
and Washington Territory, and
examine and report upon the propriety
of establis hing a navy yard a. some
suitable point on the Pacific Coast,
north of the forty-second parallel.
The House committee on postohices
and post roads, at their meeting to-
day, instructed Chairman Money to
move q suspension Of the rules IN the
House to put upon its passage the
bill regulating the manner OF eX-
peditng the schedule of mail routes.
The committee subsequently, gave a
hearing to Z. w. Park, president
of the Panama Railroad Company,
in regard to the difficulties under
which Ameicsn foreign commerce
labors in. competition with foreign
steamship companies. lie related
his experience, particularly since he
became president OF the Panama
Railroad Company; he said that at
first be had found the whole trade OF
the western coast of South America
IN the hands principally of SD Eng
Iish steamship company, but that
since that time, by an arrangement
with that company, halt oil the trade
from Callao Dorth to Pasams, with
the exception of the articles OF cotton,
wool, sugar and copper ore, was BOW
allowed to come by way OF Panama,
and that consequently the tonnage
Iol that road has increased enOI-
mously. He said that the trade OF
that region was over 5000, 900, 600 a
year, and that owing to the monopoly
which the English steamship COM
panies had of the trade, almost all of
lit went to Europe, although
the distance was COCO miles,
against some 5000 to the
United 5tates. He spoke OF the
importance of this CREST trade and OF
the immense benefit it would be to
American manufacturing and agri-
cultural interests, if fair portion OF
| it could be diverted to this country.
He then vent on to show why 1t was
Impossible for American steamship
companies to compete with European
steamship companies. He said, for
instance, that il the Panama Railroad
| Company we're to attempt TO estab
llsh a line OF steamships TO DO this
trade, it would require at least eight
steamships, and that the cost OF those
eight steamers of from 2 600 to 2 800
tons each, would be at least 81 $780,
Goo more than the cost of the Ike
steamship company. Besides the
original difference in the cost, the
American company would haze TO
pay 6 per cent. insurance on that
difference, and an annual deprecis
ton OF 10 per cent. on same differ
ence so that if the two companies
were to do exactly the same amount
of business, and at the same rates,
the English company could pay a
dividend to It's stockholders, while
the American company would be los
ing money. In this ssme connection
he alluded ID the disadvantage under
which American steamship companies
l4bored, illustrating the case of the
Pacific Mani Steamship Company, of
New York, which has had to pay in
local taxes in the city Of New York
between 5000, 1000 ana 500. 600 within
the last ten years, while it did not pay
single dollar in the shape of divl-
dends. Such state of things could |
not exist in England, where taxation |
was only upon net profits. He also |
alluded to the additional cost Of run
ming the American steamship lines |
in the way of large pay to the officers
AID crews, and ia the way of the
duty paid upon all aItj,lss of con-
sumption, from which duty English
lines of steamships are free. As
Park had net concluded bis state
ment when the hour of II arrived,
the committee adjourned until to
morrow, after having arranged to give
further hearing upon the subject.