New-York tribune., 1885-08-12
To The Public.

the Postmas General for tho carriage Of outward
United States mails destined for foreign ports has given
rsc to so much misstatement aud that
deemed ut this uncture represent the stu-
alton that the MERITS Of the controversy DO fully
! understood.
At the second session of the Fortysevsnth Congress-
Joint select committee American shipping composed
Of Senators and and Of leading members
OF both parties, after spending many months In On ex-
animation Of the subject of mail compensation, unani-
mousy reported ~ follows:
"The law. IL exists Csccon 3976, Rev. stat, COM
pes tho master Of evoy American vessel engaged In the
foreign trade to carry such Untcd States malls IS may
be rendered him by the Post oce Department and al
lows him AZ compensation for such service sum not
exceeding two per letter carried In 10
this an adequate compensation aud in instances
does not the to the vessel of delivering the malls
at the Post Oice In the port OF arrival The pay to
States vessels In the foreign rade for transport
Ing the malls In $780, only 2s cents per mic VII le
at the same time tho coast which con-
traccd the mails received 57ia cents per milo
for mall service The contrast between our inadequate
mail pay to American vessels engaged In the foreign
trade and the very liberal mail pay given by Groat
Britain to her steamship nos only to show moro
clearly the injustice and lack Of wisdom OF our policy
Since lS4c England has paid than $250.0O0OOO
for mail service, with the deliberate purpose OF ostab
fishing and maintaining steamship lines to connect the
United Kingdom with ell ports Of tho world. Even In
the last she paid about TO her steamship
zines for mail service, which 81 641 300 moro than
she received from mail matter transported by them."
This report called general attention to the remarkable
fact that sections 3976 and 4.203 provided that no
American ship bound to from foreign port should
obtain clearance until 1t had waited for and had taken
board any mall which should bc offered 1t either by the
United States Government any Of its Representatives.
80 that American steamship companies were Obliged to
call for mails all post offices ports OF departure and
daliv af nfrva
the expense OF the steamship
The payment which the carrier entitled to receive
two cents letter, irrespective OF the weight OF
letter tho distance 1t might be transported at
tho option OF the Government the carrier might receive
the postage amounting to about and twothirds
cents per half ounce-this payment being also made
without regard to the extent character ofthe service
rendered.
The result OF these unconstitutional provisions, where
by private property taken for public use without
any process Of law. and without lawful compensatlon
and by which steamship owners were compelled to rem
der service for the Government without having any
voice In the matter whatever repugnant to every
Of fair play and justice that after full discussion
aud abundant deliberation all laws and parts OF laws
that conpusory required American ships to receive
mail matter board were by tho unanimous vote Of
both branches Of Congress abolished by tho provisions
OF the DIngey bill which repealed some other on
erous burdens resting upon American commerce
in the year 1884 All other sections OF that bill
went into operation on tho lst OF July 1884. but
the repeal OF these laws deferred until the 1st OF
April 1885, for the express purpose OF enabling Con-
gress at tho last session to adopt general lcgisla
ton upon the subject Of mall compensation to American
ships II will be observed that these compulsory laws
did apply 70 foreign ships plying between American
and foreign ports which IN many instances were heavily
subsdzed-nor TO American ships engaged In the coast
wise trado-whch are by law kept free from composition
with foreign ships. such foreign bound American
l.ta. NJ ia, .tta afio~,
OF the law OF the greater bulk OF European
mails foreign steamers earned from the United States
Government in instances much AZ eighty cents
per mile for mail service performed by them, and single
lines OF American ships engaged In the coastwse trade
earned "a much mail service all the American for
cign bound steamships put tosethe 30 that In tho year
1854 tho prescribed American steamships, foreign
hound received for an aggregate mileage OF l7500O0
miles tho sum OF $4,000 about three cents mile
WHILE at the ume tho Government paid over
S35OOO0 10 foreign ships for carrying tho mails over
only slghtlJ greater distance while American coast
wise steamers earned an average ofaoout sxtysr cents
per mile.
In the course OF debates ~ developed that the
compen alton OF principal railway routes was from
1915 to Si.i55 per milo per asnun, aud that OF tho
routes OF smaller importance from t5 to $3.50 per milo
per snnnm that OF the thousands OF railway routes only
200 or 900 earned the compensation paid BY le Govern
nent and that it lkowiss true that in great
,ority OF cases postage the mails carried the rail-
road, fell very far short o rsmbusng tho Government
for tho service thom that In the payment
for steamboat service, upon star routes stage
coaches other OF transportation millions OF
dollars we're yearly expended for which, probably In no
single instance. was tho Gosernrsnt conponsatsd py
the postage received.
IL seemed to be generally conceded that the service to
be rendered by American ships engaged In the foreign
ide for carrying tho mall. should be pad for on nc
brsis oJne distance actually iaceed. rather than upon
the basis OF the OF mall actually carried for the
following. among other reasons;
IN American Inall carriers meet with tho compeu
ton OF foreign ships usually heavily subsidized. and all
operated al Ear expense than American ships could
be- the latter being Obliged pay larger wages to officers
ana meu and to afford better subsistence to their
crews.
f21 American ships. which contracted 10 carry tho
mails would probably be obliged, by tho terms OF their
contract perform tho service at prescribed rates Of
.neod and at specified and regular days. so that the
transit should be performed by them whether freight
and passenger traffic wcro obtained or not.
f3I Unlike railroads which can and do build up large
local addition to the through business be-
tween tcrnin tho maiLcarrying steamship. besides
ruuning much greater risks than railroad must rely
solely on It's through business and can make no earn
In "a hut only large disbursements during trips which,
I'm tho case OF ships engaged in tho Australian and
chinese trade, cover period OF twenty-sir days.
az The mileage basis Ia that which has been assumed
by all the leading nations In making contracts OK elm
liar nature. And
Finally The weight OF mail or number OF letters car
RED IL vas conceded fair criterion OF tho amount
OF payment made since the amount OF mall matter
carried TO Central and South American. Mexican. Pacinc
and South Pacific ports tho places with which was
most desirable that commerce should DO maintained
would necessarily for many years be comparatively
ANAL vhile the distance raversed would be very great
These reasons appeared so csgsnt that when
the Dingiey bill originally reported to the
senate by It's Committee OF Commerce In 1883.
that committee unanimously recommended that
tbe Postmas,er-G General DO authorized to enter