The Portland daily press., 1885-09-18
THE POSTAL CONTROVERSY.
The Dispute Between the Portmaster
General and the Steamship compa-
MES.
[Rnfns Hatch inN. Y. Sun

l1luluo III M l. Oull 4
AS former manager of the Pacific Mail
Steamship Company have taken deep inter
est in its controversy with the Postmaster
General. For eleven years the company has
asked that it be allowed fair remuneration
for carrying the United States mails. The
last Congress, recognizing the justice of its
claim, made an appropriation partially salts
factory to the company, although not half as
much as the English government pays for
similar service, or as our government pays
for railroad service. The bill making the
appropriation was signed by President
whose devotion to the interests of the people
has never been questioned. The will of Con-
gresS, as thus expressed, has been vetoed
not by the President but by member of the
new Cabinet. This is done under the as
sumption that the appropriation is subsidy.
The word is evidently used to prejudice the
minds of the people against the Steamship
companies. Congress never intended, and
none of the steamship companies asked for
the appropriation as subsidy. The compa-
MES are fighting to be paid for services actu-
ally rendered, and not for the sentimental
idea of encouragement to the merchant ma
rine. They have the courage to meet all
competition and win, but they are now vir-
tually robbed under the pretence that they
are the aggressors They simply ask the
Postoffice Department to pay them for SER
vices rendered, just as the Navy, Treasury
and War Departments pay for their service.
Ii the Postal Department is unwilling to do
this, the steamship companies have clear
right to decline the service. The Constitu-
tion itself forbids taking private property
for public use without just compensation.
How absurd, then, it is for Mr.. Villas to as
sumo the right to compel these steamship
companies to carry the mails on any terms
that he may choose to dictate.
But it is not enough for him to withhold
from the steamship companies the compensa-
ton which Congress appropriated to them
for carrying the mails. He is also withhold
ing money paid by other governments for the
transportation of their mails by these same
steamship companies The British govern
ment, since the treaty of Berne, has sent its
closed mail to China, Japan and Australia
by way of the United States. paying our
Postoffice Department for carrying it. This
money the government has pocketed not
even replying to the letter of the Pacific Mail
asking for payment. The same is, true of the
mails arriving at San Francisco from Austria
LA, China and Japan, destined to ports ON
the west coast of Mexico, Central America
and South America. The law requires the
Postmaster General to pay sea postage on all
mail matter an American steamer carries !;
yet notwithstanding all the fuss and talk
made by the Postmaster General, the records
in his office show that the Postofice Depart
ment has failed to pay on these two routes
alone 100000 to the Pacific Mail which that
department has received in solid coin for Pa
cific Mail service.
Now, will any sane man claim that the Pa
cific Mail Steamship Co. should perform this
service for the British, French and other ma
tions, and that the United States should
pocket the sum paid for such service? This
sum alone exceeds the sum paid by the
United States to this company for the carry
ing of its own mails. The Postal Depart
ment thus more than reimburseS itself for
its own mail service on the Pacific Ocean.
These facts were conveniently overlooked
in the statement made by the Postmaster
General on Aug. II. That statement itself
cannot stand the test of analysis. Mr.. Villas
says:
There are five American lines running out of
New Orleans, making twelve Sailngs per month
for Central American ports
This is untrue. No such lines exist. Mr..
Villas says:
The Pacific coast part of the mail for the west
coast OF South America was formerly carried by
fh e oag MAJ SSompa N w s refused i unless
is now sent to New York overland from San Fran
cisco in seven days, thence to Panama in eight
days; saving of over three days
This statement is wholly untrue, and we
L
truth is that under the present system it will
take, under any circumstances, fifteen days
from New York to Panama by way of
Kingston, and generally longer. Mr.. Villas
says:
The Pacific Mail refused to carry the mail on
the west coast of Mexico; but an American line
the California and Mexican Steamship Company
gladly undertook the service on the Postmaster
Generals terms.
This is wholly untrue. The Pacific Mail
did not refuse to do anything of the kind,
because having contract with the Mexican
Government 1T could not refuse. 1t carried
the mails on both departures, Aug. 1 and
Aug. Is. Mr.. Villas says:
The Pacific Mail refused to carry the mail to
China. Not only that but they refused to
take as passenger a post office. agent, who
wished to take the mail as part of his baggage.
Can any American fail to blush at such an
admission? Great heavens! have we sunk
his goods sili through without payment, and So
wanting in sense of honor as to feel no NOR
LITIGATION in being detectedP Mr.. Villas says
The China mail is now being sent by way of
Brindisi The The times longer, but the more fire.
The most of our business with. China is
from the Pacific coast. From San Francisco
by way of Brindisi the merchants sending a
letter to Japan will find it takes just sixty
days By way OF Pacific Mail steamer it
takes eighteen. Won't the department ex-
plain to merchants wherein the more frequent
departures counterbalance the difference in
time, or why the British Government, who
are fourteen days nearer Japan, sent their
mail via the United States to be taken in
Pacific mail steamers?
If boldness of assertion alone is needed to
make the present administration of the Post
Office Department success, then the temeri-
ty of its present head fits him for the place.
He certainly gives credit to the American
people for very slight knowledge of geogra-
ply.
The American companies have determined
to make this tissue, because it involves a
principle. They demand that their Govern
ment shall act toward them certainly with as
much consideration as they do toward yes
sells carrying foreign flag.