The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-08-11
THE AUSTRALIAN MAIL SERVICE IN
JEOPARDY.


Mr.. William Center, who arrived
sy the Mariposa on Saturday, took
passage on the Australia and pro-
ceeded the same evening on his way
% Auckland, as stated by us
Yesterday. Mr.. Center is a director
of the Oceanic Steamship Company,
and is well known on these Islands.
He goes to New Zealand armed with
Tull power to conclude contract with
the Government of that Colony to
continue the Australian service by
the Oceanic Company. This pro-
posal has been under consideration
by the Company for several months,
but the Directors did not see their
way to make an offer until the
Pacific Mail signified its intention of
Withdrawing from the service. This
aas been done in consequence of POST
master General Villas refusing to
adopt the mileage principle in the
- Ji2eht for carriage oftbe American
mail by sea.
The proposal made by Mr. Villas is
to add the ocean and inland hostages
tOget her and pay by weight. The
result, he intimates, is extravagantIy
liberal to the steamship companies.
the rate being SO per cent higher than
the British Government pays. But
ne forgets that except on the short
Atlantic passage to New York, everv
British mail steamship line receives
direct subsidy, which enables the
government to give the public the
advantage of cheap postage without
imposing upon the private enterprise
that organizes and maintains steam
ship lines. The United States Post
master General, however, is evil
IDENTIFY unfamiliar with the history of
ocean postal services, and classes
mail matter with ordinary freight.
According to his tariff the United
States would pay $50 per ton for its
ocean mail, long or short distance.
In the case of China or Australia, the |
distance from San Francisco is about
seven thousand miles. Now, consid-
ering that letter bags are not handled
as ordinary freight, and that the Cap
talns IN charge of mails are subject to
heavy penalties for their prompt and ]
careful delivery, the position of the {
postmaster General is very absurd.
Furthermore, it is in direct contra /
diction to the practice of the United {
States Government in its charges for
land transportation of the Australian {
closed mail across the continent. The
charge is by weight, and amounts to '
from 100000 to $4,000 year, and f
this annual charge must be added to S
The amount of steamship subsidy C
20 ascertain the exaetsum paid by the g
Colonies for the privilege of sending t
heir correspondence by the way of \
he United States, and opening a k
iirect trade with Australasia. IF Ii
his trade be interrupted or seriously a
impaired, Americans will know tt
Yhere to place the blame. il
Postmaster General Whitney has g
written to the Postmaster General of B
he United States, making strong fo
presentations in favor of continuing fo
his service. He put it upon grounds 70
I national honor and public policy, al
nd showed concIusively that the OF
rowth of American trade and infiu- lie
nee Ia the Pacific was entirely due be
} the existence of the Australian nc
line. Whether it will have pr
~ influence upon him is quite an fal
ther matter. A Cabinet Officer at els
le head of the Post Office Depart do
lent of a great commercial nation. CT
no thinks that 81 60 per pound to
eight is an extravagant rate to pay be
7 the transportation of the national
ssit0 SSA ~ varying ins