New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-10-06
PRICE THREE CENTS
Mr.. VILAS'S MAKESHIFTS.
HOW MAILS ARE NOT CARRIED PROMPTLY,


| Since Postmaster General Villas repudiated
the action of the last session of Congress Offering him
the money wherewith 10 make equitable ARRANGEMENTS
with the American steamship lines for the transorta-
ton OF the United States malls to West Indian, Mexican
south Atlantic AID Pacific ports variety OF expedents
nave been rcsortcd to ia order improvise substitute
service He has eagerly seized any kind OF vehicle for
getting his mails to their destination without much re-
| gard TO It's character or its speel The two
| questions that seem to have determined his
choice Is there for the maibags and will you
| finally bring up at tho proper port The Pa
cifc Mail Steamship Company the most extensive aud
| independent Of tho American shipping lines in
volved in this controversy has been conveying the
mails from NewYork to Aspinwall and thence by rail
across the Isthmus. There 1t delivers mail for tho
South American Pacific coast far down Callao to
British steamers taking all the Central American aud
Mexican Pacific slope mails northward from Panama to
Acapulco in its vessels. From San Francisco it
runs O mail line monthly TO New-Zealand aud New
South Wales by the Sandwich and Fiji Islands also
steamship every three weeks to China and Japan
from San Francisco
Since the refusal of the Pacific Mail Company to tako
the mails except under tho arrangements
authorized by Congress. Mr. Villas has
been adopting any number OF extraordinary expcdsns
for covering this crest territory. lie has ways Of
getting the mails to the Oriental gdoms The bulk Of
1t is sent from Newly to London thence to Brindis,
thence through the Suez Canal to the Indian Ocean, out
into the Pacific and to China anu Japan. II the
mails make Immediate connections at all points along
crcuitOus route they reach their destination in fifty
three days Nine times out of ten. however about sixty
days required and every mile Of 1t Is travelled by
British vessels owned by heavily subsidized companies,
who willing enough to take the American Govern
meDTs malls cheapy Gleans OF defeating effort
OF the Pacific Mail Company forty Itself in the carry
ing trade The Pacific Mail carried the let
ters to China and Japan with clockke regu-
larity every three weeks in eighteen days.
part OF the Chinese mail Is sent from San Fran
cisco fl the Occidental and Oriental Line, another heav
ly subsidized British corporation put on especial
ly to compete with the Pacific Mail Company
II takes about days and makes the trip only
month By far the greater bulk OF the Chinese
and Japanese mail goes from the Pacific SLOPE and
almost all of 1t from territory west OF Chicago Under
the American arrangement this matter went directly
from San Francisco. Now additional days
required to bring 1t 10 New-York for shipment.
making total Of fully two months for its passage in
stead of eighteen days, as was formerly required.
Under q private contract with the Colonial
| Government In Australia the Pacific Mail
feet Of three vessels monthly to New South Wales
| Foi this service 1t paid 100000 year. Tho
Australian Government adopted this method OF opening
communications with America This contract expires
November /, and the line has barely paid expenses
even with this heavy subsidy the Pacific Mail had been
running American and two British vessels II Post
Villas had carried the OF Congress
1t the intention OF the company TO dispose Of its
| British vessels aud build three steamships
| especially for the Australian trade But under the
present circumstances, aud as the Colonial
| Government feels unwilling to renew its
| contract unless America sufficiently ap-
| pr,ciates the commercial intimacy thus seclred by
sharing Its expense the entire line will be taken of on
November l. aud America will have connection with
Australia until subsidized British line affords It, such
an enterprise is now in contemplation. Tho report OF
Mr. Viass refusal 10 enter into contract with the Pa
cin MaIC CnmD of Ou
abandon its line, was not known ~ London
British capital IN san Francisco Zealaod line No
doubt Is entertained OF the ability Of tue promoters Of
the scheme to secure adequate assistance IN the shape or
subsidies from their home and colonial governments.
wnen the Pacific Mail carried the letters to Australia
they reached twcntyfOur days from san Fran
They are now sent by London aud Brindisi, aud
occupied IN transit letter sent 10y inc route ad-
dressed TO ii. T. Hubbard the welknown advertising
reached London september and got TO New-Iisven
september 10, being just sixty days on the way.
thirty days. This correspondent has large Aus
tulian mall receiving several hundred etters by each
! mouths steamer. and calculates lis yearly losses
By the present delay BY thousands o. dollars
a year for the commercial advantages offered by
Paciac Mail received less than $4,000 from the
| The same wretched delay is experienced IN get
begon, Mr. Villas has employed the Atlas Line. suhsi-
British corporation to take tine letters destined for
the s.hmus They go on these steamers & Erst M TO Rng,
| ton. i Jamaica,
Mail steamship from London comes along anu by II they
sent to Colon occupying from neen to twenty-five
unii uai nnIv Of DELAY but of great uncertainty
Willie the Pacific mail takes no ontwarlboupd mails. t
still brings home the letters tor all tho little Central
American and Mexican states, which pay It ten times
much the United states ever paid or course tue most
unhappy results OF the Postmasterenerals action are
felt by the American houses trading with these foreign
counties. Trade shipments require constant eorre-
visited by Pacific Mail line last year amounted TO
SOP sol l6S. During tue same year we received nom
| al business
much OF this annual trade OF S635S9,776 Will be lost by
probeD ro that Congress win bc called upoI to consider
when Postmaster Generals action Is brought before
Mr. Vilas's manipulation OF the ,utan and Central
mails Is qe as M Sos as as mot ss
Pacific ports Heretofore this great correspondence has
steamsnps The first carries mails between this county
and Havana only, making weekly trips every Saturday
ANA ho AeSsuGre line makes weekly trip also
It's steamers leave here every THURSDAY, arriving ae
ampScho ON Friday at on saturday at
Cruz on sunday They also stop fortnighty at rspco
% Gs hsrs Ss mans al to ayana under M
rangenents they sent by rail from all olnts IN the
Tampa they taken TO Key West and thence they arc
70 asSaa sad tho cosan when was
| chartered by the Government to take the mails to
wa his rS MeS was made and after Working for
three weeks she broke down while out and another tug
EVen when the CoEran was ming she failed 70 CON
meet with the Tampa boat and the mails were left be-
| hind. After became disabled the sainug Nesse,
Nonpareil schooner hired to do the service and
compile OF fishing sacks the Alaska and tue Relief wero
also empoyei These smacks out at night and their
crews fish in the Gulf till morning II they have good
iuck they then 20 Havana but II nshing not good
tbey try t again the following night IL Is only sxty
miles from Key West to Havana. and these smacks are
supposed 10 make the trip in night but the custom
House records OF Havana show that they have several
| times taken two days. , - ,,,,, 4, ,,...
Under the old system mails we're delivered In Havana
every ues.ay and Thursday the trips being made on
rseniar schedule time In four days and half letter
Mr. IN
erpress addressed to T. b. Carberry 800 Produce EH-
| change New York. left Havana september IS;
| tt Reached Key West September 2l-threo
days Tor sixty miles-and got 10 New York. September
2s being Just ten days on the way series OF expert
| adj by