Omaha daily bee., 1885-08-01
A POOL FOR PLUMBER
Five American Steamship Lines Refuse
TO Carry Uncle Sans Mail.
The Native Sharks MOI Satisfied
With SO, 200 per Ton,
A Strike at Their Own Pocket-More
Appointments Made and Commits
sions Issued-Events OF the
National Capital.
Throwing UP A JOB

AMERICAN STEAMSHIPS REFUSE TO CARRY H
MAILS.
WASHINGTON, July 3l.-Five American
Steamship companies, the Pacific Mail, San
Francisco to Australia, the Red 3D." New
York 10 Venezuela, the Clyde, New York 10
Turkestan, the New York, Havana and Mex
leo, and the New York and Cuba lines, have
declined to carry U. s. mails after to-day.
Commenting upon this action Postmaster
General Villas today said: Certain Amer
lean steamship companies, probably under the
cad of the Pacific Mall steamship company,
entered into q combination apparently with
the purpose of forcing a distribution among
them of S4c0, 0C0 appropriated by congress for
mileage compensation for carrying mails.
Some of them wrote to the postoflce
department desiring to know what
terms would be given. proposed
to each of the companies to go to
the full limit the law would allow and
award them both milage and inland postage.
This is about three times what they have
been receiving fer the same service during the
past twelve years. 1t Is three times what is
paid for carriage across the Atlantic, 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 conse.
uuence of their combination, refused to &C.
cept these terms, which were so liberal, as
compared with those they had received, that
they felt, / suppose, that they could drive the
government out of the position it had taken
by refusing to carry for the compensation
offered. Ihs companies seemed to think
that if they refused to carry the mails
there would be DO other course lett
to the government but to make contracts with
them and distribute the money, 100000, &C
cordingly. A complete schedule for transpor:
tation of the mails has been arranged, and
they will all go with very little difference IN
point If time to the places of destination. A
statement has been made in the newspapers
to the eff ct that the United States govern
ment ia not "a liberal as Great Britain in COM
pensating steamship lines. In point Of fact
the rate whiih has baen offered TO our lines
very much exceeds the rate paid by Great
more than the British lines receive
from their government. 1t was
a rate uujusti6aoly large, moro
than ought to be paid, but the government
deemed it fair to go to the utmost length
which law and reason allowed in order to
avoid any difference with the American
steamship companies until congress should
meet. The department made such arrange
ments that the public suffer no incor veniepce
worthy of mention In respect to carrying the
mails, and in some cases, notably the Cuban
service, mails will be expedited. The super.
lnVeDueuJ VI iOE6lRu III balu thav NJ nhhot
lean company had refused an offer of Sl,6O
per pound for carrying the mails. This is
what is known as the combined sea and in
land postage and is equivalent to So. ECO per
ton. They receive at present the information
al rate, or A cents per pound.
The postmaster general has decided upon
the following changes to be made in the dis
patch of correspondence for foreign countries,
to take effect the oath of August: Mails
for Cuba, heretofore dispatched by steamer
from New York, will be forwarded to Key
West, Florida, via Tampa, Florida, for dis
patch from Key West to Havana by
steamer, which leaves Key West for
Havana every Wednesday and Friday;
correspondence for New Zealand and
and Australian colonies here heretofore in
cluded in the mails made up at San Francisco
for dispatch to those colonle, Bdirect will bs
forwarded exclusively via Great Britain in
the mails made up at New York as we'll as
San Francisco. There being only one dispatch
during August next, on first ,rrox.,
from San Francisco for China and japan,
the direct correspondence for China, Japan
and the East Indies will be also forwarded
until the Goth of August, via Great Britain in
mails made up at New York as we'll as at San
Francisco, the mails made up at New York to
contain all registered correspondence for des-
t~ipations above named.