New-York tribune., 1885-08-12

revenue without charge for estimated cost Of interior
sorvce tho sum Of 81 Al It was claimed that
THIS was not entirely prodt to the Government
because the estimated cost Of interior domestic mail
service should be deducted. This was estimated ct
Si'o09Os9 3D. leaving at the very least profit tho
Government upon It's foreign mail service of S72572s &c.
That this overplus-the only overpus existing in tho
mail business Of the be devoted In
part to tho ships which had earned It, certainly seems
but fair.
an example Of how this profit s earned by tho Gov
ernment, and . ut u'tration of the policy of the
United States distinguished from that pursued by
other governments the following instance was referred
to, and may be cited:
In 1675 postal contract was entered into betwsen
the Colonial Governments Of Ncw.zealand and New
South Wales with the Pacific Mall Steamship Company,
whereby the former agreed to pay the latter subsidy
OF 100000 pcr annum fer . monthly service of four
ships to bc maintained between San Francisco and the
Colonies This subsidy paid for the Of
the Colonial mails to America and the British overland
mails from San Francisco to the Colonies With this
large payment tho line was just about elfsustaning
without II 1t could not have existed. Tho Government
OF the United States paid for its outward malls for six
months the amount Of $5,s02 SO. The United States
Government received for United States letters to the
Colonies IL cents per half ounce and for newspapers
cents per half ounce. 1t paid to tho Pacific Mail
Company cents per half ounce on letters and
nothing upon newspapers, so that during the year
ment on United States mail from Can Francisco to
Australian colonies. S3e479 3O The whole amount
paid for transportation sl1.479 &c. leaving net
profit to the Government Of $4,000 90.
The United states Government received from tho Brit
ish Government for the transportation OF tho Australian
British closed malls conveyed between New.York and
San Francfsco francs per kilogramme for letters,
francs per kilogrammo for papers, 52is cents per
pound for letters and 17 per pound for papers,
Out Of this the Government paid to overland railroads
for TRANSFORMATION Of the mall which 1t opened
handled inspected only tho Of 28 cents per pound
FOR letters pocetng the residue paying ono cent to
he steamship company for the conveyance Of tho malls
rom San Francisco to Australia, so that tho Govern
ment earned clear profit Of 269 cents per pound the
mails doing nothing The railroads receive
20 cents per pound for carrying the mail 5000 miles,
md the Pacific Mail Steamship Company receive for
them 1000 miles from San Francisco to
Australia nothing from this Government that it may
fairly estimated that at every departure Of Pacific
Nail from the port OF San Francisco for Aus
ralia tho Government realized profit Of $1,000 and
ipward.'
The Senate amendment passed the House by vote Of
,s to 80, and motion to reconsider voted down b@
'eas 102, nays 10.
pay given the RED I'D" during past year
afford fair illustration OF inadequacy
performed 81 travelled 1877 miles,
u 236 40 equal 10 absut ono cent mile, $40 for
trip 426o miles, 81 fer each the ports
The onrc and inland postage proaered by tho
Postmaster General for future seryc, would quite
sum- and would be about s24 for each pors called
I'LL
Pursuing such course Of action. II is not surprising
hat the Government. while losng money all other
branches OF Its postal SERVICE realizing profit
a Ann ayed I'm fha rad
While every country to which American steamships ply
whether great small paid fairly liberal rates to enable
hese lines to exist tho United States simply took ad
'antage OF this compensation made by other countries
o render the outward service profitable to itself
In the year 1884 the United States paid for transport
ng our mails to Moxico. West Indies and to Central
American States about $4,000 Mexico paid times
hat amount. The United states paid 1926. 900 for
yng all It's foreign mails all the world. Italy paid
y, 100000; France. S4.500,O00. aud England over
80 100000. The Brazil Line received from the Brazil
about 100000 year. while the United
states paid almost nothing.
or course this unfairnoss cannot no maintained for
ycr. In November next tho colonial subsidy above
cferred TO will cease and communication with Aus
ralia and NewZealand will end, unless the Postmaster
ieneral will afford proper compensation. as he Is au-
,horized to do. That compensation. II made would.
inder the Of the colonial subsidy contract havc
turned over by tho company to the colonies The
cessation of this service Is to be regretted because
nce the inception OF that communication the exports
the United states to those colonies have increased
teady year by year. 80 that exports which amounted
49, 735 90s In 1874. amounted In 1884 To 225 i5O
IN increase Of 5439551 In ten years, more than l40
per cent while tho imports have increased but little.
Tho passage of law by Congress OF tho character
.bsve referred not pccted for 1t had been
uggested by the President OF tho United States tho
Secretary OF the Treasury the General and
he propricty OF encouragement to the American
hant marine had formed the theme OF eloquent
age from Governor Cleveland the Legislature OF tho
state OF New-york.
The appropriation of $500 900 could no, be distributed
Until the beginning OF the fiscal July l. 1885, The
cpeal OF tho compulsory laws took effect tho 1st OF
April 1885. The steamship companies sought take
.dvant OF tho difficulty. 1t
lot serious for had he been disposed to invoke
,thcr sections Of the law he might have readily Afforded
anger compensation
Section 4007 OF the Revised Statutes then and still In
orce, authorized him. without any limitation whatever
o enter into either with American foreign
for the carriage Of tho mails Section 40O9
authorized him to pay toAmerican steamships the whole
II the and inland postage and this section had been
by an overwhelming vote OF the House OF
representatives which affirmed Chairman Sprngers de-
ison upon the point, to authorize him to oxpend to
uch steamships not Ony the sea ahu naud postage up
IN mail actually carried but the net revenue derived
rom that exceeding above stated more than
'750000
Tho ienoral expressed himself unwilling
this time to make any new arrangement, and when 1t
suggested that tho mail would be carried during this
without any agreement whatever he declined to
% this, lest OF action against the Government
ased upon quanmm merut. might be created. did
desire that the matter Of for this period
hould be left to tho decision Of Congress- Upon tho IN
mation that tho companies would receive fair treat
nent at his hands after the rstday OF July they agreed
and did continue to carry tho malls at the former
aes which. In many Instances did not pay the compa
les for the OF ghteraze and carriage the mails
v.
No concerted action OF any kind taken by any Of