New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-12-02
MR.. VILAS'S "VINDICATION."
WHAT He SAYS ABOUT FOREIGN MAILS.
WHY HE RfFUsED THE OFFER OF THE STEAMSHIP
COMPANIES.
rnr TELEGRAPH TO THE TETBUSEl

rBT TELEGRAPH THE TRIBUNRl
WAsIIINGTON, Dec 1.-The annual report OF
the Postmaster General given to the press touay' Gun
taIns the long IoOkel-for vindcation oi "onoi
Villas. 1t Is a repetition OF the puDhcauoh "hi' az
reared in the Washington organ Of the Administrator
to, d,vs 900 nresented in more dignihed and dfuse
form II adds ONLY one essential point 90 the explanation
therein furnished: It gives the reasons OF Tue %"
master eneral for refusing TO accept ihe ohoi ~
steamshp companies to carry the mails ior
the amount of compensation TO which they were hmteu
nv the act % Congress. The PostmasterGeherai say
that - he had accerrpd this offer il would nave OK
hapsted the entire appropriation and would nave ie'
him no surplus with which to pay new steamship yum
many II one had been established In tue year re"u
of This remarkable paper would suppose tht sleaSP
lines were Swinging up like candidates Tor ONCE ~
,n,ch have been possible for Mr. villas to nave invented
q less absurd excuse than thiS IL nc La" ''' - ~
time to consider It, ,.,
Another nroposon advanced in the report, when dd
not eupear in the preliminary publication, ana "nlcu
"a remarkable as the renewed assertion that 'he poS
service Is not conducted for the benent OF commerce
AZ, v,a helie that the merchant marine OF the United
States is sufficient the requirements OF the country
"No exigeucy exists" he says in his report LOT tl1
establishment OF any new lines 10 carry the mails
Those on the sea common carriers are sulccnt ""
the present needs of the foreign mail service Il9 l.
undeubtedy true far England, france ana pern'
are concerned and the facilities for foreign rue arc
ohall
which Mr. Villas comes. But the merchants anu
,,arryootrrers NJ the country will read this an
nouncement with astonishmeut at such confession
OF Ignorance from IN who was SUPPOSED
to he fitted to hold Cabinet position Inc on.e"
states now has no steamship communication
whatever with Chilli Peru Ecuador, BOLIVIA Argentine
ReDublic Uruguay and Paraguay, representing Two
thirds OF the population and threeourths OF the wealth.
industry and commerce of Of South America There Is
steamer sailing month for Brazil hauoh Win
$50 600. 900 Of foreign commerce.
There are two steamers month TO Nenezueia anu
with no country in Central and South America mas 'he
United states communication otener than oncel III Ten
dors Tho statistics in the report Of Mr.. Villas
show that of the 1891 9O3 expended by this Government
for the TRANSFORMATION foreign mails IN the last nsca
year only ton per cent paid TO American vessels oe
cause there were American veseSt ny IL TO- anu ~
the same time the exporting merchant OF the
United states paid $lO0O00,0o0 or more to
the owners Of foreign ships to carry tuelr
goods TO market Mr.. Villas rcccs at length the reasons
ne refused TO obey the Act Il OF Congress lie hdm7
doubt of the propriey Of his acton ana talks "pou'
embarrassment under which he was unaDle 10 comply
with the provisions act of Congress- He says IN
effect that the provision Of the law which required MIN
IN advertise for bids implied competition whereas
there is no competition between American steamships
except in two instances and II he had made contracts
without competition it would have been pTactc"y y
violation Of law. II lie had distributed the money
among the companies pro ral1 acCo''inH W IN ~
they performed he would have been compelled 10 dNHe
the allowance TO which the competing lines were en-
titled as to have given 1t AL to would have been nm
| lust TO the other. But in the next paragraph
he explains that the lines after all do not compete since
one "a is on THURSDAYS and the other on oatufl ms
| arrangement givIns more frequent service but piE
vidmg there was competition, Congress- ne tHlhkN'
should have directed the department to 4" distruut"
500. 900 among American steamship con
| n,uteS in T.Irn for their carrying inc
| mail" insteld OF directing him to
make contracts This is exactly what Congress intended
INC SAM conditions existed when the appropriation
was made that exist Congress was qhltr - wen
formed as To the scarcity OF American vessels a. i
Villas 4, now ana knew there could be no competition
M Villas nSre presents ~ wei a. d"uEr- lh' I''''
lie saw. thai il NAV vol be doubted whether some Cd"
The opIuics woui have asseutcd to The uuidr ruc o
DIVISION proposed" when BE Is Wen aware lH'l
every one OF them agreed to Do AM thhl every
one argued aud urged that The ouly iIr way L" pay '
the trans ,urtaflnu of o. mails upou TIC ocean was %"
ba-i, OF tho numb mile, travelled instead 'I upon
the number of letters carried as De wished q" req
their compcu,a ion. Dr. VIA, asks Congress 10 ADVISE
and direct him and II Will undoubtedly $40 80.
(yr Report Of PostmastGnerdi was &C. Sre"h fGJe2