Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-08-01
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
TRANSPORTATION or MAILS.

Postum sfcr.tenesai villas and Certain steam.
ship compsnies-Ts Companies Want All
and Get Nothing.
fBy telegraph to the Dispasch.l
WASHINGTON, July 3i.-Five
American steamship companies--thc
Pacific Mail tSan Francisco to Australia),
Red I'D" New York to veuezuelal,
Clyde New York to Turks Island),
New York, Havana and Mexico, and
New York and Cuba lines--hsye de-
clined to carry the United States mails
after to-day. In commenting upon this
action Postmaster General Villas to-day
said: "Osrtain American steamship
lines, probably under the lead oil
the Pacific Mail Steamship Com
paDy, entered into combina-
ton, apparently with the pur-
pose Of forcing the distribution
among them of the s40O, 900 appropriated
by Congress for mileage compensation
for carrying the mails. Some of them
wrote to the Post Office Department, de-
string to know what terms would be
given. I proposed to each one Of the
companies to 60 to the full limit that
The law would allow and award to them
both sea and inland postage. This is
about three times what they had been
receiving for the same service during
the past twelve years. 1t is three times
what is paid for carriage across the At
lantic, and it is probably in most cases
all that should be paid for carrying the
mails. The companies were still acting
in concert, and, in consequence of their
combination, refused to accept these
terms, which were liberal as COM
pared with those they had received.
They felt, ! suppose, that they could
drive the Government out of the posi-
ton it had taken by refusing to carry
the mail for the compensation offered.
The companies seemed to think that
if they refused to carry mails there
would be no other course left to the
Government but to make contracts with
them and distribute the money (s4OO,-
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 statement has been made in the
newspapers to the effect that the United
States Government is not as liberal as
Great Britain in compensating steam
ship 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 90
per cent. more than British lines receive
from their Government. 1t was a rate
unjustifably large-more than ought to
be paid, but the Government deemed
it fair to 90 to the utmost length which
the law and reason allowed in order to
avoid any difference with American
steamship companies until Congress
should meet. The Department has
made such arrangements that the pub
lie will suffer no inconvenience worthy
of mention in respect to carrying the
mails, and in some cases, notably the
Cuban service, the mails will be expe-
dited."
The superintendent Of foreign mails
said that the American companies had
refused an offer of LEO per pound for
carrying mails. This is what is known
as the combined sea and inland postage,
and is equivalent to $4,000 per ton.
They receive at present the interna-
tional rate, or forty-four cents per
nound