The sun., 1890-01-25
THRlFT,THRLFT, ,WANAMAKER
CRoCKERY AND sUBSIDLEs ron AArRR.
ICh6 sTHAMSHIPS

RubsIdIes WAS Set Forth IN the Dopart-
meat RoportI aud was PIaiA John or
Genernl John Ahead when
He Underbid All Competitors and Cot
the Contract 60 Furnlsh tho STEAMSHIP
YumurI OF the ward Ltne, whose Head
Man Believes 20 ThOrOuEhlY IN she Poet-
nastsr-GsnsrarO Ideas on BubuIdiesg
John Wanamaker, Postmaster General ia
A thrifty soul: likewise John Wanamaker,
merchant Of Philadelphia. Nothing has ap-
penled to his Official heart moro strongly than
the handicapped struggle Of American steam
ship lines against their subsidized foreign
rivals. his annual report contains some Wig
orous language on this subject Bis earnest
request for power to equali1s the unequal con-
test BY granting substantial bounties to Amer
lean steamships which carry the mails under
his direction is now before Congress. 1t may
DO long time before his recommendation
can be- made the law Of tho land. In the mean
time II II should be In the power Of the private
Citizen John Wanamaker TO mitigate in some
plight degree the hardships with which the ma
tive merchant marine is STRUGGLING. shouldn't
he do IT. II It should incidentally happen
that the rendering Of such patriotic service be-
esmo q source OF personal business profit.
should no hesitate on that account2 On the
other hand. Merchant John Wanamaker of-
fered the owners OF unsubsidized American
steamships necessary business service at o
reduced cost Should they refuse to accept iI
simply because thoir benefaetor and his own
was also Postmaster-G General John Wana-
maker, with leaning toward subsidiesp
These are probiSms which have recently re-
ceived careful confederation and unhesitating
solution BY those most concerned Naturally
they presented themselves first to the mind OF
tho member OF the Presidents Cabinet whose
ringing words on the subject OF subsidies were
sent out over the country after he had been q
few months In his high official seat They are
found In the Postmaster Generals report for
1889. and are ss follows;
II seems to bo universally conceded that the policy
which ether nations have adoptsd In the treatment Of
steamships engaged n the foroRn mail service of pay
ing them literally for suoh brvloe has caused lines
bs maintained which otherwise could not have exsted
. . In dealing with this important factor the de-
paftment nds itsSf hampere by the provisions Of
law enacted in 1885, which limited payment to be made
American steamships to the and inland postage
actually earned. The maintenance OF this law ON
the statute book 10 probably the result Of
overnight . There IL only q single instance IN
which the department Ia free to make contracts that
AFFORD Just compensation for mail carriage from domes-
tic foreign pora and that IL the transportation be-
tween Tampa Fla, and Havana There s no
why the principle which governed this case should not
be extended 10 all m which American steamships
are engaged - Its hardly the province Of the
Post oce Department TO descant upon the importance
OF American steamShps to ply to foreign
pors lay the tremendous increase Of
trado with foreign nations follows the establish
mont Of American steamship lines between this and
othes countrieS hut 1t In pertinent refer to
DO WeresSneSs to contract with American ships for
the purpose OF securing speedy regular aud adequate
service with foreign countries and recommend that
and that the Post once Department. be authorised in
discretion to make contracts with American registered
ships Of defined tonnage and prescribed rate OF speed
for period OF ynaEA Altar daa ADVERTISEMENT shAll
and opSOrtunisy for oanpetition snrdsd
% that while Just pay may be given 70 the carrier the
Government may be able to obtain service IN all dreo
tions that Il may deem important
The single execution to the non-bounty-pay-
ing law which the Postmaster General thus
mentioned in his report indicated to him where
the greatest need was. As Postmaster General
he was paying subsidy OF $4,000 or $780, 900
annually for the transportation Of malls from
Tampa. Fla, to Havana. Perhaps he looked
over the books In his office.at Washington and
found that the New York and Cuba Mall Line
Wards line) was running American steam
ships between New York. the West Indies. and
Mexico. about ten trips monthly and was re-
ceirtng more pittance from the Government
for carrying the malls. he found on page GOT
OF his own report. that part furnished by the
sels OF this line OF American register carried
during the previous year To Cuba lag pounds
Of letters and 662 pounds Of prints. receiving
therefor from the Government 32Ss.17; but
the same line carried to Mexico 604 pounds
Of letters and 4.148 pounds OF prints. receiving
Sl.13897. Foreign registered vessels Of the
Same line carried mail to the Bahamas and
received $4SL20 for the service.
Mr.. Wansm aker Investigated further and hO
found that, In spite Of great temptations to
charter foreign vessels at less expense. the
patriotic managers Of this line were building
moro American ships and were doing all their
business on o strictly American basis. A
splendid new steamship. the Yumun was
almost completed. and she had cost big sum.
Here was an opportunity. The cost OF the
fnal fittings OF Q fine new passenger steamship
the upholstery. tho mattresses. linen. table
axtures, crockery, &c.. &c.-is very great Why
shouldn't he give the owners OF the Yumuri the
OF q big bargain in this equipment2
He could and he would. 1t was right in his
line. and then small profits and quick sales"
bad always been his favorite motto. 30 he sat
down lin his Philadelphia office. no doubtl. |
and. with pad OF paper upon his knee he did !
, little figuring Tho result pleased him. and |
still moro did 1t please the officers OF the New |
York and Cuba Mail Company whom It reached |
them. They promptly sent to Philadelphia Tor |
was 1t Washington y grateful acceptance of
hr. Wauamakers offer to equip their new boat
ut the 1gures named In his proposal
There is no doubt the work was well done.
The Yumuri is one OF the finest boats ever sent
out BY the line She sailed on Wednesday for
Havana and Mexican ports- Tho steward Of
the CienfueGos. which arrived yesterday. told
y suS reporter that he hadn't received any
supplies on his boat from Wsnamaker's yet
Wanamaker furnished everything on the
Tumuri." he said. -and she's hne. tell you"
Perhaps the local dealers who have been
employed to equip steamships sailing from
lhis port are chaRrined over the fact that
Philadelphia man should thus usurp their
business. II they are they don't show It Two
'r three with whom Sun reporter talked yes
'erday smiled in peculiar way and offered no
explanation OF the anomaly.
Yes, We have furnished many such supplies
or the Ward line boatR" said ona nentIeman