The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1885-07-29
THE PACIFIC MAIL.

On the coast anu elsewhere On |
the Continent, the apprehended
withdrawal of the Pacific Mail
Steamship Company from the Aus
tralasian service is exciting consider
able discussion. The directors of
the Company declared dividend
of one and half percent, at their
meeting in New York on the 10Th
inst, and were represented as eX-
pressing satisfaction with the condi-
ton of affairs. "No tears were
shed over the loss of the City of
Toxic, and no regrets uttered in
consequence of the withdrawal of
the Australian subsidy" One Of
the directors said after the meeting:
"We had intended to abandon the
Australian service anyhow unless
the subsidy was increased; now that
the subsidy is withdrawn, the mat
ter is settled. The abandonment of
the Australian service will do away
with the necessity of replacing the
City of Toxic, as the company, l
think, owns steamers enough to do
all of its business" The payment
of the dividend declared as stated
will require about $260, ,O00.. After
paying this amount it is claimed that
they will still have cash balance
of 100000. No serious conse-
quenccs are anticipated by the Post
Office officials in Washington, from
the change of mails to the English
route from the Australasian line. 1t
would make fourteen days longer for
the New Zealand mail, which would
be the greatest increase. A despatch
from the capital says: "The Pacific
Mail people are credited with having
stirred up most of the trouble. 1t
is charged that they brought intlu-
cnces to bear upon the other Ameri-
can companies and cajoled them into
a quarrel with the Government. The
department is treating the declara-
tions of the steamship lines with all
seriousness, but there is a strong i'm
preston that threat of refusing the
mails after this month is only bluff
and that the American companies
will not give up portion of their
business which, without subsidy,
pays them very we'll" In San Fran
cisco, the matter is regarded with
more anxiety. The trade with the
Colonies is there regarded as no
light portion of foreign commerce to
throw overheard. San Francisco
papers give statistics, showing
that the total imports of merchan-
disc into the United States from
Australasia in the fiscal year ending
June 80, 1884, were $4,373, ,465
exports from the United States dur.
ing the same period, S9,3S7 1926
imports of coin and bullion to that
country from Australasia for th'
same period, So, ,344, making /
total business of $17 ,433 1876. From
that city the exports to Australasia
since 1881 were:-
1882. Isl ,645, ,544
1883. ..... ....,... l,2O2,o
1884. 4.............. l,499, 900
While the Colonies pay the Pa
cifc Mail Company 100000 yea
in mail subsidies, the total sum
paid for the service by the Unite
States for several years past hav
only been as follows; 1882, 50,
943.5S; 1883, SO, 0,884.42; 1884
Sl2,524.O4; 1885, G,62l,44. Their
was to have been a protest pres
ented, at the meeting of the Sa
Francisco Chamber of Commerc
on the 21st inst, against the failur
to give support to the Australasia
mail service. Mr.. A. b. Spreckel'
of the firm of j. ID. Spreckels I
Rros manopers of the ocean,