Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-05-19
OCEAN LETTER CARRIERS
THE HOUSE SKIRDIISHING ON
THE $500. 600 CLAUSE.

Or, BlOunt Contends That the PrOpo-
Eition Savors of Fostering a Monopoly
-Mr. Burrows Declares the Point
Raised AS "A Blind to Arouse the Preju-
dice of the Members
WASHINGTON, May IS. - In the House
To-day Mr.. Blount, of Georgia, from the
Committee on Post Offices and Post
Roads, reported back the post office ap-
prOpriation bill with the Senate amend
ment, and it having been referred to COM
mittee of the whole, the House went into
such committee for the purpose of consid-
ering these amendments.
Mr.. Blount addressed his remarks to
that clause which is known as ''the sub
sidy' amendment, and made an argu-
ment in opposition to it. The appropra-
tion OF $780, 900. be contended, would not
secure any advantage in the way of OBJ
tanning additional mail trips, but would,
indeed, have contrary effect. Under
the clause the Postmaster General would
be required to contract, If he contracted
at all, for not less than three nor more
than five years, and this would act as an
. absolute inhibition upon any other COM
: pany than the one holding the contract
attempting to traverse the same line.
A BAR TO NEW LINES.
ANY increase in the number of lines
would BIZ stopped, and while the contract
was in force any increase OF the foreign
postal service would be prevented. He
denied the correctness of the declaration
that tie decline OF American commerce
was due to the fact that the United States
refused to pay subsidies to its steamship
companies, and asserted that the decline
was attributable to the narrow-minded
a ng,rh f,ssFt Ia
from purchasing ships abroad.
Mr.. Burrows, of Michigan, in support
ing the amendment, drew a comparison
between the pay for mail service to coast
wise companies aud that allowed to for
eign mail cOmpa niles, and instanced the
fact that last year the government paid
for mail service between Tampa and Key
West SO, 800, while il paid only $237 for
service between Key West and Havana.
EFFECT OF THE AMENDMENT.
The Senate amendment only authorized
the Postmaster General to do with the
foreign service exactly what he did with
I the Star route aud coaetwise service. and
1 all this talk about subsidy was simply an
/ appeal to prejudice instead OF an appeal
TO the reason of reasonable men. The
United States paid more for mail service
between Tampa and Kew West than was
paid to all the American lines engaged IN
the transatlantic commerce, or In COM
merce between the United States and
South and Central America.
Mr.. Riggs, OF Illinois, opposed the
foreign mail service amendment and con-
tended that the figures cited by Mr.. Bur-
rows, instead of showing that too little
was paid for the foreign service, showed
that too much was paid for the coastwise
service.
NEITHER FISH, FLESH NOR FOWL.
Mr.. Guenther, of Wisconsin. said that
the appropriation did not rise to the dig
nifty Of a subsidy. 1t was neither fish,
flesh nor fowl 1t was gift pure and
simple. 1t was charity to the Pacific
Mail Steamship Company, corporation
which Congress should not touch with a
l0-fOot pole. w ere the members Of Con-
gress really so verdant as to be deluded
and deceived by shallow pretenses?
/ Would they always take the baits OF cor
poratiOns? Were they really what were
called suckers? [Laughter.l Mr.. Guen-
ther argued tbatthe subsidy clause would
not give the United States more vessels or
lines. If line was subsidized for five
years monopoly would be created.
COMPETITION IMPOSSIBLE.
No other line would start because it
could not compete with the subsidized
lines, 80 that instead OF promoting COM
merce the reverse would be the result.
He would not be induced under any cir
cumstances to vote for this misappropri-
alton of the public money. IL it was pro-
posed to make the close OF the session
conditional on the adoption OF this amend
ment: if ii was proposed to make it a
question OF physical endurance, be for
one was willing to stay here, and rather
than yield, rather than he cOerced into
submission to the dictates OF subsidy
hunters, he was determined to stay here,
and, in the language Of an immortal
hero, eight it out on this line If it takes
all summer" Applause.
Pending further discussion the commit
mittee rose. and the House adjourned.