The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1888-03-13
The states and the San Francisco
Mail Service.

SeEVAcc"
A late issue OF 'Bradstreet's Journal"
one of the leading American financial
and commercial journals, contains an
article showing the views entertained in
the States by friends of the service in re-
gard to its future. 1t says:
There is no doubt but this mail route
can be much improved. It is a cheap
service when compared with those via
the Suez Canal If as large payments
were made for the American service and
as long a contract were entered into,
there is not the least doubt that the
Suez service could be equaled or even
bettered. If ten years contract were
given to this line then the steamship
company could afford to place faster
vessels on the service, building new
ones especially for that purpose, in the
same way as their SueZ rivals have
done. With boats running sixteen knots
an hour on the Pacific, a material re-
duction in time would be made between
San Francisco and the Colonies. The
recent shortening of the overland rail-
road service makes q reduction of more
than a day on this continent, and by
proper arrangement the connections at
New York and San Francisco could be
reduced to a minimum. Another change
that should be made is in forwarding
the mails by the fastest Atlantic steam
ers, which is not done at present, as the
mails are now never less, and generally
more, than nine days in transit between
London and New York. This could GER
tainly be reduced by more judicious Sc
lection of the steamers employed.
The main object of mail service is to
insure the speedy delivery of correspon-
dence. 1t also promotes trade, and in
both of these respects the United States
has large interest at stake. 1t is we'll
known that our trade relations with the
Colonies show a large balance in our
favor. It is not, however, so we'll known
that more than half of the mail matter
carried by these steamers is American
mail, both going to and coming from the
Colonies. The present service is assisted
to the amout of $4,000 annually by the
United States Postal Department, but
further sum of $4,000, making yearly
payment of $4,000 in sall, has been
promised. The contributions to the Pa
cific steamers amount to nearly 5000, 900
yearly from the Colonies. It hardly
seems fair that we should pay such
comparatively small proportion when
more than half the mail matter is to or
from the United States, and our trade
relations give us still greater proper
tionate advantage. Another important
point is that the steamers employed are
American built and owned. If it were
not for the facilities afforded by the di-
rect steam communication, this trade
would undoubtedly materially decrease,
With the exception of shipments of lum-
Der and canned goods from the Pacific
Coast all our imports are sent from
eastern ports by sailing vessels, and
here the loss of trade would be felt.
In the colonies there has always been
q desire to see the duty removed from
certain high grades of wool, which would
not interfere with the wool production of
the country, but which would serve to
stimulate our WOODEN manufacturers. A
total abolition of the wool duty, such as
has now been recommended by the
President, was never expected. Ii Aus
tralian wool be admitted free, then
probably, no more will be heard of the
parsimony of our postal department in
connection with the mail service. 1t may
even transpire that the additional offer
of $4,000, to which is attached condi-
tional clause that the United States is to
have the same rights as the colonies in
OBTAINING steamers and imposing fines,
will be accepted. But as matters stand
at present, we are inclined to believe that
the Colonial Governments will not agree