Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-08-01
MAS COMES OUT ON TOP.
,. MAIL CARRIERS CUT
OOH-,r nrr THEIR OWN NOSES

, romvAnies Running to
1h0 tic venezuela, and CUBA rs
perform tho Service at tne
fuso onered by the Postmaster
flsu' and other Lines are Awarded
General ana
me Contract.
t"' .,,,.aroN, July 3l.--Fiye Ameri-
-,ssmship companles-the Paclnc
esl ~~opiny from San Francisco to
h''' ;s the Red sd" line, from New
A'9s' Nanezlela; the Clyde line, from
iVl York to Turks island; the New
Ne" usyona and Mexico, and the New
Ior, and cuba lines-have declined 10
iO'1 Tnito3 states mails after to-day. In
ga .,ertine ON this action Postmaster
General Villas to-day said'
..Tortain American steamship lines,
tabiy uuder the lead OF the racine
.''i st5amsnip Company, entered into
4@.t 4,t1etIon apparently with the purpose
" " .'r.in5 tine distribution among them OF
SoS l0o appropriated by Congress FOR
Tyh,a compensation for carrying the
al m,nas Same of them wrote to the Post
nsa9 ns, Danartment desiring to know how
& and ypen it would be divided.
THE sECRETARY's OFFER
y 81 nrono.ed to each one ofthe companies
Il ,,,,ta fhe fun limit of the law, and
E srgsrd TO them both sea and lnlanu post
a,s This is about three times what they
& XII heen receiving for the same service
& 5,riny the past twelve years. 1t is three
= ,i-,as what is paid Tor carriage across the
81 Atlantic and it IS probably, in most
cases ali that should be paid for carrying
mails. The companies were stlil actlng
n concert. and in consequence OF their
continuation refused to accept these
terms which were liberal compared with
those they had received. They felt, L
suppose. that they could drive the gov
srnment out of the position 1t had taken
81 BY refusing to carry the mail Tor the COM
pensati0n offered.
A MISTAKEN IDEA.
0Tbe eomuanles seemed to think that if
bey refused to carry the mails there
wo1rd be no other course left to the gov
ergment but to make contracts with them
and distribute the money. Accordingly
& complete schedule for the transportation
pf the mails has been arranged, and they
Min all 20, with very little difference in
polnt of time. TO the places of destination.
statement has been made in the news
papers to the effect that the United States
Dyenment is not rs liberal as Great
Britain in its compensation of steamship
lines. In point OF fact, the rate which has
been offered to our lines very much eX-
eeds the rate paid by Great Britain. The
rate we offer is about Sc per cent. more
Than British lines receive from their gov
eminent
THE RATE TOO HIGH.
SIT was rate unjustifiably large, and
more than ought to have been paid, but
Ae gogernment deemed it fair to 20 to the
utmost length which law and reason al
lowed in order TO avoid any difference
Wiih the American steamship companies
Until Congress should meet. The depart
ment has made such arrangements that
ne public will suffer no Inconvenience
worthy Of mention in respect to carrying
ne malls, and IN some cases, notably the
aoan service, the mails will be eXpedit-
3D.
The superintendent Of Foreign Mails
ad to-day that the American companies
Aa refused an offer of 81 so per pound Tor
arWmg the mails This is what is
Known as the combined sea and inland
ps1ase, and is equivalent to $4,000 per
WI. lleY receive at present the inter-
uuOnal rate, or 4ic. per pound.
iAs postmaster General has issued an
Uuer mat on and after Aug. the mails
JCuOa will 20 via the Key West steamer,
sVng hey West Wednesday and Fri
y, The mails for China, Japan, the
I.sl indies and Australia will be SEND via
treat Britain