New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-07-30
POOR MAIL SERVICE AT SEA.
THE RESULT OF DEMOCRATIC MsRULE
PROMINENT s1EAMsHrr-owsEns TALK FREELY

u
what moro than disguised by the recent action OF the
Democratic House OF Representatives on the ros'
Onlce Appropriation BILL The Amendment pro'iuns
100000 for O moro efficient mall service unoer 'no
American flag to the West Indies ana oehtrai anu
South America was thrown out on the recommendation
OF Postmaster General Dickinson, Who IN answer 10
Congressman Blounts request for his opinion Oh inc
amendment said: "Tho resources and powers OF
the Department have proved entirely adequate 10
afford to the citizens Of the United States foreign
mall service equal to, and in most cases superior TO-
that Of any other nation in the world
Fl. X. Thurbcr president OF the Unind o'a'os anu
Brazil Steamship Limo, said recently in regard to this
matter:
at f. we'll known among merchants that the mai
service to South and Central America Is far from
satisfactory. 1t IS irregular slow. and not sumciohy
frequent, and much OF II is carried In foreign ste@
by way Of Europe. 1t is an absurcity for Consics'
men TO set I'D tho howl Of Subsidy whenever an
effort is rradc to give American ships fair chance
against foreign competition But 1t Is an oid .rioA
OF the Southern politicians which dates away Oack
in the fftIcs The story Of the Collins Line IS st
fresh in tho mind OF every man OF ni'uuio
age; how the Southern Congressman tooh
their cue from ono OF their number VINO
said, let's down everything tho YANKEES
want and drove the Collins Line which had so GAL
lantly aoated tho Stars and Stripes, to the wall. and
gave its place TO tho Cunard, which was heavily sup
ported by tho British Government. We all Know tho
result: To-day nearly all the money that Is spent Tor
tho transport OF passengers and freight both 10 ana
from our shores goes into the pockets OF foreign ship
owners and this must continue TO be the case until
we do as competing nations do-cstabish by Govern
ment aid regular frequent and rapid steam COM
muncaon
AT people would only think for one moment OF
the manner in which railroad system has
helped to increase population, and how has been inc
means OF building up the country, they might readily
% ho-fn NOR a
marine which could hold its own against the entire
world. For steamship lines build up the commerce OF
the countries to which they belong Just as the railroads
build up the cities along their routes There are GER
tain plain business propositions that both Democrats
and Republicans afford to Join hands on for the
credit profit OF the Nation, and the carriage OF the
ocean malls, through which American commercial
marine be rccstablishcd is of them. We need
militia Of the seas much as we do militia on land
and a commercial marine would supply It. We re-
qulre efficient mail service between ports and the
Republics Of South America much we do a mail
service land or to Europe and why we should not
pay what the service Is worth the Just as We
do on tho land, without regard to the amount Of
postage collected, Is beyond ordinary business COM
prehension. II Mr.. Dickinson to apply the same
reasoning to land mall service he does TO our
SHIPS would stop twothrds Of the mall routes in the
United states, for only about one-third does the
postage collected deray the expenses of the route
Moreover our railroad system would have been i'm
possible without Government aid, and II would have
paid just we'll to have maintained our merchant
marine at fair cost as 1t has to spend our millions
for railroads. =,
NO HELP FROM CONGRESS EXPECTED
Mr.. Lane, manager OF the Pacific Mail Steamship
Company, said that far from there being any ground
for the stereoyped howl OF Pacific Mall subsidy his
company had not been represented either directly
directly at Washington while tho measure to help
American mail steamers pending.
We did not believe said Mr. Lane, that anything
could be done dnrlng the present Congress TO help
American shipping and took interest in the matter.
The conduct Of Mr. Dickinson simply piece with that
Of Mr. Villas, who refused early In his administration Of
Office to any portion of 100000 that placed
at bis disposal for the Improvement of the American
Mall Service
John Alexandra, of the Alexandra Line of steamers
which recently sold to the Ward Line. had Just
returned from years sojourn in Europe. and thought
the hostility Of the Postmaster General and the Dem
ocrats in Congress 10 anything looking toward the
resuscation of merchant marine indicative of
utter want OF information the facts or willing
ness to sacrifice everything to partisan ends. He
said
81 am out Of the steamship business now and have
not a particle Of interest In tho matter except a
patriotic citizen. But who can ignore the facts
help feeling that In honor Congress ought to do
thing give the nation some shpsl We started our
line to Mexico In 1867, when the Government too
busy with reconstruction and too much crippled in
finances to think much OF the merchant marine. 1t
would have been out Of tho question for US to run
even a monthly line at that time without outside
help and as could get nothing at home, applied
TO Mexico. On certain terms enabled to make
a contract by which the Mexican Government paid us
about Sl5O,OoO per annum. We continued the line
from 1867 to 1856, and It paid us IN
round numbers s2,7O0,0O0 OF course the
Government OF Mexico did not make this outlay
fo, f,ra Lava a1 far h.If
knew 1t would pay and, as matter of fact, the scr-
vice has been worth in commercial advantage several
times what II cost The Spanish line has superseded
us In the contract, and is receiving now, on tri-
monthly service, the equivalent of $4,000 trip We
sold partly account of losing the Mexican Gov
ernments aid because vessels under the French, Ger
man, British and other foreign flags have such aid,
and the struggle In competition with them is too much
even for a who is willing to mako almost any
sacrifice to the American flag hold the place Of
honor 1t deserves the ocean We are in fact,
driven out of the business by the policy Of which the
recent scene at Washington Is such striking ex-
ample"
SOME SIGNIFICANT COMPARISONS.
At the Office Of the Red " Dr. Line, which runs to
Venezuela and Curacao Mr. Bliss and other members
of the firm present and spoke freely, and con-
dcmned the recent action Of the House and OF Post
masterGeneral Dickinson without qualification Tho
action Of the House of Representatives on the Senate
amendment will discourage the present lines OF Amer
lean steamers and prevent the establishment OF any
new ones" said Mr.. Bliss. He spoke Of the Southern
idea and the OF the Collins Limo In about tho
same terms did Mr. Thurber, and In the course OF
conversation said: g. little Southern line, consisting
OF small steamers, is paid $4,000 per annum for
carrying the mails from Tampa Bay, Key West, to
Havana and this is more than IS paid TO all other
lines both American and foreign, that carry mails to
the islands and to South America This
little line had plenty of Southern backing and at first
asked 100000 If Cleveland and Dickinson were
not were puppets of the South the Senate amendment
would have been passed. and the FIRST step taken
towards tho fostering Of our shipping. Under the
present arrangement the mails to those countries are
shipped like any other freight at the rate Of and
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