Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1885-08-05
WILL NOT CARRY MAIL.
FIVE AMERICAN STEAMSHIP CON-
PANlES REFUSE
To Garry Uncle Sans NIail-What villas
Says of It-Cattlemen Seeking the
President-wales Sentenced
Capital Notes.

WASHINGTON CITY, Aug. &-Five Amsri-
can steamship companies-The Pacific Mail
(San Francisco to Australial, the Red I'D"
New York to Venezuela), the Clyde New
York to Turks island), the New York,
Havana 4 Mexico, and the New York
& Cuba lineS-have declined to carry
tho United States mails after Friday.
In commenting upon this action, POST
master General Villas said. Ger
tain American Steamship lines, probably
under the lead of the Pacific Mail Steam
ship company, entered into combination,
apparently with the purpose of forcing the
distribution among them of the 500, 600 ap-
propriated by congress for mileage compen-
sat!on for carrying the mails Some OF
them wrote to the postoffice department.,
desiring to know what terms would
be given. l proposed to each one Of
the companies to so to the full limit
that tho law would allow, and award to
them both sea and inland postage. This is
about three times what they had been re-
ceiving for the same service during the past
twelve years. 1t is three times what is paid
fer carriage across the Atlantic, and it is
probably i'll most cases all that
should be paid for carrying the
mails. The companies are still acting
in concert and in consequence of
their combination refused to accept these
terms which were So liberal as compared
with those they had received. They felt
suppose, that they could drive the govern
nlent out of the position it had taken by re-
fusing to carry the mail for the compensa-
ton offered. The companies seemed to
think that if they refused to carry the
mails there would be no other course left to
the government but to make contracts
with them and distribute the money (S40O,-
O00) accordingly. A complete schedule
for the transportation of the mails has been
arranged. and they will all go with very
little difference in POINT of time to the
places of destination. a statsment has been
made in the newspapers to the effect that
the United States government is not as lib
eral as Great Britain in compenstating
steamship lines. In point of fact, the rate
which has been offered to our lines
very much exceeds the rate paid by
Great Britain. The rate we offer is
about Is per cent. III re than the British
liueS receive from their government. 1t
was q rate unjustfably large, more than
ought to be paid, but the government
deemed it fair to go to the utmost length
which the law and reason allowed, in
order to avoid any difference with Amer
lean steamship companies until congress
should meet The department has made such
arrangements that the public suffer no in
convenience worthy of mention in respect to
carrying the mails, and in some cases. nota-
bly, the Cuban service, the mails will be ex-
pedited."
The superintendent of foreign mails said
that the American companies had refused
an offer of 81. TO per pound for carrying the
mails. This is what is known as combined
sea and inland postage, and is equivalent to
So, 200 per ton. They receive at present the
international rate, or IL cents per pound.
Cattlemen Asking for Time.
WASHINGTON CITY, Aug. "A delega-
ton of cattlemen has arrived to make one
more effort to induce the president to grant
them further extension Of time One of
the ablest lawyers in Washington has been
engaged by them in examining the cor
respondence of the interior depart
ment, and every order made by
Secretary Teller relating to the
subject, for the purpose of finding, if posi-
BILE, some executive act or declaration which
would give the cattlemen legal status, and
place them in different attitude from that
which they, in fact, hold-that Of mere
trespasserS. The brief has been prepared.
taken is very strained, and that it
will not convince the president or the at
torney general that the cattlemen have any
legal rights in Indian territory. Their en-
barrasSGent is further increased by the fact
that Senator Dawes, chairman of the
committee on Indian affairs, in answer to
the inquiry whether in the course of the in
vestigation last winter the COMMITTEES
discovered anything to indicate that
the cattlemen had any rights in Indian
territory replied that no such Information
was discovered. One of the points which
will be urged by the cattlemen is that the
time for the execution of the order s. ould
be extended until frost comes, because at
least one-third of their stock consists of
fresh Texas cattle which are prohibited by
the quarantine laws of Kansas and Colo
RADIO from being driven through those
states.