New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-10-05
MR.. Villas TO BE ARRAIGNED.
SHIPPING MEN WILL GO TO CONGRESS.
HIS COURSE IN REGARD TO FOREIGN MAILS TO DE
SHARPLY REVIEWED.

SHIPPING MEN WILL GO TO CONGREsS'
HIS COURSE IN REGARD TO FOREIGN MAILS TO DE
SHARPLY REVIEWED
WASHINGTON, Oct. 4.-One of the most I'M
portant and vexatous questions which awaits the con-
alteration of Congress Is tho position that Postmaster
General Villas has assumed with regard to the foreign
mail service The effect of that position Is feeDy stated
when 1t is said that his niggardly policy veeo uhuei
che of economy, has quite demoraiizea Inc mali
SERVICE and is working commercial injuries 10 Aiherch
merchants that first exciting their surprise are no"
bringing down upon his head their hearty condemnation
The controversy between Mr. Villas and the steamship
is the least feature OF tho situation
although American shipping has suffered from 80 many
and such serious burdens that not little OF MI Was
unpopuarity grows out OF his attitude OF hosuny !"
American lines and Of favor for foreign companies
But the question that is being forced upon the attention
of Congressman, and especially those representing in
dustral constituencies, refers to the wretcheo make
shifts which he is resOrting for the conveyance Oh
mails that are merchants OF annoying de
lays and serious losses
The old law that became imperative under the pro-
visions of the Dngley bill compelled American vessels
engaged in the foreign trade to carry the mails anu al
lowed them about Ole per mile for the service. Inc
coast lines we're receiving about 57'2 cents per ne
The principal foreign lines were the Tdcihc
Mail Steamship Company. TO Central ana oou'n
American Mexican, Australian, East Indian, Chinese
Mexico Wards to Cuban ports the Red d. Line the
Clydo Line and the Brazilian Line. While these per
forming an aggregate mileage OF lIaoooo
miles, received only 100000 LOT then
work in 1884, foreign ships going over only
sgy greater receiving from this Govern
ment oven S35O,O00. Tho Dingley bill removed the
compulsory provision Of the ola law and left the steam
ships to take the mails or not, rs they pleased 1his
paved the way the legislation OF the last congress- VI
which it was really regarded as the promise That act
was In the OF an appropriation OF $sooooo Ior
the year ending So 1885, for the transportation
of foreign mails half OF which designed to be paa
under contract American limos. 1t Is this enactment
which Mr. Villas possessed with the idea that he was
going to work the old rigidly economical" crank ana
secure for himself the universal paudts OF
parsimopious people, has eyaded. TO the mag
nation of the steamship lines and to the hopeless de-
noralzatlon of South American Australian and Orient
al commerce. His conduct has placed the carrying
companies In an oven situation than they were
when oppressed by the compulsory law has delayed all
the Southern and Eastern bound foreign mails from
seven thirty days has made Ia al carriages not only
less frequent less sae and has utterly confused
and worried that largo mercantile body from san frn
cisco to York. which for the last ten years has been
turning all its energies to this rapidly growing trade as
new and great field for American commercial enterprise
IL the President reads his mail lie is not uniformed
of the opinions of those chiefly affected concerning the
worse than stupid course pnrsuei by his department
representative large part Of his daily correspond
encc comes fro merchants and manufacturers bitterly
complaining the results TO business OF such an absurd
mail service the POstmasterGenera has substituted
for fleet American steamships, and OF the position III
which commercial, affairs VIII be pat by the execution OF
the threats OF the companies to abandon certain lines
unless the Congressional act Of last winter
il carried out The fact that the Postmaster
f.eperaI persists in triaing with the
foreign mails after the most convincing proofs that lie
cannot receive adequate service except by the employ
ment II our own merchant marine and that he is now
spending money than their demands would require,
can only be taken AS she wing that Mr.. Cleveland ap
proves that and thai he Is prepared to shoulder
the responsibility of refusing 70 obey the order OF Con-
gress OF prcierring foreign shipping corporations over
Ainerican Of delaying aud jecpardzing American mails
and Of riskiug loss of Industry and for
eign commerce, which have taken millions OF expense
and years of patient toll to create and which
though yet their infancy paying large returns and
promise magnificent trade mat WIN Praetlcaly oe ah
been seriously mperiled by the young Western states
man whose COMPREHENSION OF what he is doing
be meagre as his opportunity " 40 Dig thngs Is
great. ..,. .,.. =, ,..,. ,.,. a
necessary The sum OF $iO0.OOO designed for for
eign ships taking European mails, and there has been
100000 that designed for American lines which
the uAnerican wants TO display his
%Suey Tia. he ives to English French and German
American lines "suos.dy." ThJlghtless persons and
those Ignorant of the true facts have criticised the
The crmbs Mr. Villas offers them and carry the mails
But examination OF their course can only commend
TO All reasonable people. They show that they lost
money old compulsory law aud could BOT have
run their lines a. all haa n 'S little st a ana prne
Australia paid them from ten TO twenty times the sum
eS sporaton They show that ths Government Of
Nassau pays The Ward line 81 800 trip for its service
for whole years service Of ninety trips to all the Cuban
ports. They show that New,zeala land and New.souih
Australian service while the United States pay about
$4,000 their share Of an expense the benefit OF
the Brazilian Emr M,s pays T h paT
almost nothing and they show that oven under these
circumstances, while developing an American COM
heavily subsidized foreign marine great tha
line, were scarcely more than selfsnstainng. They
S725 600 last year foreign mail service ana they
ask only what Congress after long inquiry and elab
Tie history OF their dispute with Mr Villas g honorable
to them and not ereditabe to him IN similar degree
snti july Last April they asked HIM to outline bis
policy but declined o do ana on his intlmaton
would be treated fairly after July J. they
rates They were greatly asonisned when Mr. Villas in
notice to then that he declined carry out the OF
preparation. They then called In body on him. offer
them cooy AID intimaie that he believed that they
combining against .ae government Things went on
law unto himself, and offered them rate
OF i've vents per .tSt aSas o @ o ,aH
cover the actual expens OF receipt, delivery and
of the mails At this point the negotiations between the
companies and Mr.. Villas came ~ an abrupt end They
declined receive the malls and gave him TO understand
that thoy OF right that lie possessed to nulfy
m OF Congress Thry denied his claim that the act
OF left him with discretionary except to
the making of acts holding that 1t mandatory
50 far IL referred the employment OF the money
appropriaed They have told Mr. Villas that they woua
lay the whole question OF American shipping before
Congress this winter a. IL has presented be
fore and would expose his transactions aud their
quences commerce and the carrying trade mat he
could not escape the odnm OF having defcd the law,
prostrated foreign mail service and interrupted the
business relations OF international industry that
already amOults to over 5000 100000 year. Tney
will devote a chapter OF the presen to the delays
and perlls to which be has submitted the
mails by sending Pacific Slope correspond
enco destined for Australia in British