Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1886-06-19
OUR FOREIGN MAIL SERVICE.
The Postmaster Generals Policy OF Pay
ing Sea Postage Only.

Inc m GeneraIS Policy OF ray
ing Sea Postage Only.
Since the refusal by the American
steamship companies to carry foreign
mails for the United States government
on the terms proposed by Postmaster
General Villas, the question of the eff
cacy of ocean mail subsidies in sccur-
ing the very best service attainable has
been widely discussed. The necessity
of paying liberal subsidies to Ameri-
can steamship companies for carrying
the foreign mails has been strongly
urged by representatives of those COM
panies, who base their arguments on
the d%csirability of protecting Ameri-
can shipping, as well as the desirable
ity Of securing efficient mail service.
Postmaster General Villas, however,
says the New York Times, still APP
pears to have confidence in his policy
of paying the steamship companies sea
postage only, in dites Of some COM
plants and limitations that his expert
ment is fast proving itself a failure.
Renewed interest in this question of
ocean mail subsidies is likely to arise
from the action of the London chamber
of commerce, which is reported to- have
pet .,oned the British government to
support the Canadian Pacific Steam
ship line, which proposes to establish a
east. The Pacific Mail Steamship COM
pany. of New York city, which ceased
carrying United States mails on the lst
of last August. but subsequently re-
sumed its Australian service in accord
ance with its contract, has made some
earnest representations to this govern
ment in favor of paying American
steamship companies literally for ocean
mail service.
The clause in the Dinglcy shipping
bill, which repealed the law compelling
American steamships to carry the
United States foreign mails for what
ever compensation the government was
willing to pay, went into effect April |,
1885. Prior to that date congress APP
propriated $4,000 to compensate the
American steamship lines for carrying
the foreign mails for the ensuing fiscal
year. Those lines were the Pacific
Mail, the Ward line, the Alexandra
line. the United States and Brazil Mail
line, and the Red D. the last named
bing engaged in carrying mails to and
from Venezuela. The manner of dis
tributing the appropriation, and the
right to withhold IA portion of it, were
left TO the discretion of the postmaster
general. Mr.. Villas declined to renew
the old contracts with the steamship
companies on the milage plan. and Of
fered instead both sea and inland post
age to all American steamship compa-
MES that handled the foreign mails.
This offer vas refused by all of the
companies named except the United
States and Brazil Mail line. The Pa
cific Mail, the "Red d." the Ward line,
and the Alexandra line stopped carry
ing the government mails on August /,
1885. Subsequently the Pacific Mail
company resumed its Australian mail
service under the binding provisions of
its contract with the government. Up
to the present time, therefore, there
has been no change in the Australian
mail service.
The acknowledgement, through the
superintendent Of foreign mails, mad,
the best arrangements that he could to
replace the service formerly performed
by the dissatisfied steamship companies.
In his last report he stated: Some
delays and inconvenience have arisen
between New York and Colon, San
Francisco and Japan and China, and to
the west coast of Mexico by the refusal
of the Pacific Mail company, and some
between New York and Venezuela by
the like action of the Red ID company.
Except these all the foreign mails are
transported either in the same manner
or better than during the past year"
| The mail service between this country
and Brazil, the Argentine Republic,
Uruguay and Paraguay, was not in
| terrupted, rs the United States and
Brazil Steamship company accepted
| the postmastcr-general's terms.
Mails for Japan and China which the
Pacific Mail Steamship company had
been carrying were for a while dis
| patched from New York to London,