Sacramento daily record-union., 1889-08-30

ing considerably greater than on the British
line, and it pays the owners and eharterers for
carrying the American mail Si27 per round
voyage, as already presented.
PARsMoNY CONDEMNED
The statement of this fact is enough to con-
denim the parsimonious policy Of our Govern
ment in respectto ocean commerce, and to ex-
cite admiration for the liberal and progressive
is that the Pacific Ocean line from Vancouver
TO Chins shall connect, by the Canadian Pacific
Railroad at Quebec and Halifax in summer
and winter, respectively, with a weekly line of
fast steamships to run fIom those ports 10 Liver
pool and for which England ana Canada have
contracted TO pay an annual subsidy of S50O, 600.
The steamships for the Canada-Atlantic and
Canada-Pacifc lines are to be built under the
yerted into unarmoTed cruisers without delay
or modification of any kind. For this the
British admiralty pays handsome bonus upon
each vessel, and stlpulates 10 make adequate
compensation to the owners should the Imperial
Government incorporate any of the ships in the
navy OF Great Britain. The amount of such
payment cannot be ascertained but il is under
stood 10 be large.
The establishment of the Canadian Pacific
steamship line to China and Japan has had the
effect ef dlvertipe a considerable amount of
United states freight from the American rail
roads and steamship lines making San Fran
cisco their terminus. The Chief of the United
States Bureau Of Statistics reports an increase
of 90 per cent. on the halt year ended December
81, 1883, over the preceding half year in the
quantity of merchandise exported from the
United states to China and Japan by the Cana
dian Pacific Railroad. The weight OF the mer-
chandlse so transported for the six months in
question is given at 2 175 tons, as against s ASS
tons for eighteen months ended December 81
1885,. The principal export in the last six
months Of 1855 consisted of 2,Sg412 tons New
England cotton goods, which showed that
American manufactures are being shipped from
Eastern points TO China by the British steam
ship line, and not from San Francisco by an
linz A q F1rfh 111,cfr . "a.
diversion of trade, President Towne, of
the Southern Pacific Railroad, stated before the
Senate Interstate Commerce Committee that,
whereas the imports of lea by the American
lines had decreased nearly 2,S22 tons in 1885 as
compared with 1887 the imports by the Cana
dian Pacific had increased by l,s49 tons.
THE TRADE WITH CHINA AND JAPAN.
The aggregate trade of the Dominion proper
with China and Japan on the basis of goods en-
tered for consumT tion and exported was 81 POL
and China trade of the United States in 1888 was
SA, l09, l39 or about twenty times greater
than the trade of Canada with those countries
yet the United States Government pays only
$4,000 year for is important and frequent
China mail service; while England and Canada
have contracted to pay 100000 year for an un-
important four-weekly service. England is
also to pay heavy construction bonus for naval
purposes on the vessels employed. With such
special advantages the Canadian Pacific can
afford to quote Iates which must drive the
American lines out of the China trade and in
tlict an almost irreparable injury upon San
Francisco.
COAST LINES.
The Pacific Coast Steamship Company's line
(American) to Victoria and Alaska receives FROM
Canada 81 $40 per year for mail service and S2l9
for the United States. The Pacific Mails line to
Mexico and Panama receives only ships postage
as does the Pacific Coast Steamship Company
for similar service.
A small Mexican steamer runs to and from
ra Arna mn
vessel, and enjoys special advantages. The
Mexican Government pays the owners S2. 200
per monthly trip, and they get an abatement of
$3.50 monthly on port charges. This is eQuiva-
lent to a subsidy of $40, 200 yearly. In addition
10 this direct money payment TO the Mexican
steamship owners, American shippers have a
rebate of two per cent. of customs duties who
patruniZe the line. To meet This the American
vessel is compelled to accept very low rat for
freight or withdraw from the Mexican trade
On the other hand, the United States collect ton
mage dues on this Mexican steamer OF about
5000 per trip, and on account of similar dis
elimination occurring in New Orleans, and as
retaliatory measure, orders have been Issued by
the Secretary of the United States Treasury to
exact 10 per cent. d2ty on all goods hereafter
imported by vessels under the Mexican flag.
THE AUSTRALIAN LINE.
The Australian and New Zealand mails are
carried by the American eceauic Steamship
COMPANY, which receives S24 coo per year from
the Hawaiian Government aud about 500 OOO
$4,000 from the United States, which allows
only ships letter rates. 1t would be liberal
estimate to average the general payments by
the United States to steamships on the Aus
tralian since 1871 at SO, 900 per year
The action of the New Zealand Parliament
and the general dissatisfaction of the colonies
master General, he consented TO pay $4,000 per
annum for the United States Aus ;ralian mail.
This decision was not arrived at, however,
until after the order to discontinue the Califor
10 Yfnai1 m ha9 hoo
land Il gislatUre. 1t became operative for the
present year, but inasmuch as one OF the steam
ships owned by the company is not on the
American register a reduction is made, the
the Oceanic Company receives S2S, ,666, and the
Colonial Governments 81, So, toward reducing
their payment on account of subsidy.
1t thus api ears that the United States, with a
population of6q eco 0O0, pays less than one fourth
the amount now contributed to the Australian
mail service by New Zealand and New South
Wales, which have jointly population of / 600,-
0c0. And it should be noted further that these
British colonies pay this relatively large sub
Sldy tG an American steamship company for
postal faci tiles, of which the United States
aVails itself more than they do.
The United States, while not contributing any
substantial amount to the Australian mail serv
ice for many years, collected large sum annu-
ally from the British Postoffice for the trans
portation of the Australian mail by railroad
from New York to San Francisco. This charge
has averaged for considerable period about
$4,000 yearly. and its imposition forms seri-
GUS objection by the colonies to the continuance
of the California mail route, New South Wales
has conditionally agreed to continue this serv
ice for another year, but as yet nothing has
been definitely settled. The colonies are re-
ported to be willing to pay half the subsidy for
an efficient fortnightly mail 5. rvice on the San
Francisco route if the United States Postofice
pays the remaining half This is very liberal
offer, and calls for reciprocal action by the
United States.
THE CANADIAN PACIFIC IN THE HELD.
Meanwhile the Canadian Pacific is in the
field urging Its claims for subsidy TO a Compet-
ing line from Vancouver to Australia. If the
United States Postmaster-G General could at once
guarantee half the subsidy for a fortnightly
Australian mail service, the Colonial Parlia.
ments being now in session, the question might
be speedily settled in favor of the San Francisco
route, ouS this cannot be done, and every days
delay improves the chances of the Canadian
Pacific and weakenS that OF the American line.
The Australian mail service was established
by New Zealand and New South Wales in 1870
and he's been maintained by them ever since
with the exception OF one years interval before
the Pacific Mail Company got the contract in
November, 1879, and which it held till Novem-
Der, 1885. when it was taken up by the Oceanic
Company. he Pacific Mail Company with
drew fr, IN the Australian trade, because with
out substantial aid from the United States Gov
eTnment the line would not pay with the
greatly reduced colonial subsidy then offered
IL has cost the two colonies named about S.
cG0G00 to maintain this distinctly American
nali service. Inc UnlteQ states payment Tor
carrying the Australian mail has net averaged
$4,000 per annum for the seventeen years of
actual running, but taking it at that figure there
is a total expenditure of $1,000.
In point Of fact, however, the United States
Postoiice derived a large net revenue from the
Australian postal line, established and main
tained by Colonial enterprise. The Postofiice
retained all postage on mail matter originating
in the United States, which was far in excess of
its payments to the steamship owners for postal
services; and it collected further sum for rail-
road transportation of the closed British mail,
which may be estimated at not less than So 900
per annum for the entire duration of the
ervice.
the Colonies received as a refund for that year
of what was considered TO be an excessive
charge. Deducting this sum and the average
payments 10 the steamships, there is an appar-
ent aggregate net revenue to the United States
sPostotice on the Australian mail of SSS1 OOO
plus postases in excess of ships letter rates.
On the o'her hand, New Zealand alone, with
population at the pIesent time of about six
hundred thousand. has paid in direct subsidies
and bonuses to this line, IS OBJ ,465 since its
establishment. What worder if New Zealand
declined to continue this subsidy, when the
United States whose commerce was being ex-
tended and which derived the greater share of
the postal and other advantages, not alone re-
fused TO pay an equitable amount for carrying
its mail, but made it q source of revenue. Yet
New Zealand is willing TO bear fair proportion
of the cost of establishing a fortnightiy service
70 San Francisco jointly with the United
States.
Even the little Kingdom of Hawaii with a
population of 50 coo people paid much larger
sum annually, foI the past eight or ten years,
f 60 ,as1 Ex.s.