Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-12-04
work that ha. been done! upon them by

work that has been doneS upon them BY
this congress is lost.
The proper consideration Of these, of
an apportionmeut bill and of the annual
appropriation bills will require not only
that no working day of the session shall
be lost, but that measures of minor and
local interest shall not be allowed to in
terrupt or retard the progress of those
that are OF universal interest. In view
OF these conditions, refrain from bring
ing before you at this time some SUCCESS
tons that would otherwise be made, and
most earnestly invoke your attention to
the duty of perfecting the important
leg Station now we'll advanced. To some
OF these measures. the most important,
l now briefly call your attention. l de-
sire to repeat with added urgency the
recommendations contained in my last
annual message in relation to the devel-
opment of
AMERICAN STEAMSHIP LINES.
The reciprocity clause of the tariff bill
will be largely limited and Its benefits
retarded aud diminished il provision Is
not contem poraneously made 10 encour-
age the establishment of first class steam
communication between our ports and
the ports of such nations as may meet
exchanges. Steamships carrying the
mails, stately aud frequently, Offering
TO passengers comfortable. safe and
speedy transit is the first condition; II
carries the order or buyer, but not all that
Ia ordered or bought. 1t gives 10 the SAIL
ing vessel such cargoes Us are not urgent
or perishable, and indirectly, ut least,
promotes hat important adjunct of COM
mi hnt in ~
and In nation. Central and South Amer
lea, u state of expectation ana confidence
as to the increase that will give double
value TO your prompt action upon this
question. The present situation of our
mail communication with Australia i'll
Illustrates the Importance of early action
by congress. The Oceanic steamship
company maintains a line of steamers be-
tween San Francisco. Sydney and Aurk-
land, consisting of three vessels
two of which are of United States
registry and one of foreign registry.
For the service done by this line In car
rying the mails We pay annually the sum
OF SAG 900, being, Us estimated, the full
sea and United States land postage,
which is the limit fixed by law. The
colonies Of New South Wales and New
Zealand have been paying annually to
these lines s37 600 for carrying the
mails from Sydney and Auckland to San
Francisco. The coutrac: under which
this payment has been made is now
about to expire, and those colonies have
refused to renew their contract unless the
United States shall pay more equitable
proportion of the whole sum necessary to
maintain the service / nm advised 10y
the postnaster- general that the United
Suites receives for carrying the Aus
traluu mail sacks brought to San
Francisco in these steamers by rail 10
Vancouver an estimated annual IN
come of SIS 900, while | have stated we
are paying out for the support OF the
Steamship line V hirh brings this mail 10
US only SAG ,000, leaving an annual sur
plus resulting from this service or
S29 900. The trade of the United States
with Australia, which is in considerable
part carried by these steamers, and the
" hole OF which is practically dependant
upon The mail communication, whIch We
mainta is
LARGELY IN OUR FAVOR.
Our total exports of merchandise to
Australian ports during the fiscal year
ending June 80, 1890, were Sll 400 .4S4.
while the total imports OF merchant se
from these ports were ouly ST .277 .676.
If we are not willing to see TINS import
ant steamship line Withdrawn or con-
tinued with Vancouver substituted for
San Francisco as the American terminal.
congress should put 1t in the power of the
to make a liberia! in
crease in the amount now paid for the
transportation of this important mail.
The South Atlantic and gulf pOrta oc-
cupy a very favored position towards the
new and important commerce which the
reciprocity clause of the teriff act and
the postal shipping bill are designed to
promote. Steamship lines from these
ports to some northern port Of South
America will almost certain affect a
connection between the railroad systems
Of the continents long before any cou-
line of railroads can be operated.
The very large appropriation made at
the last session for the harbor at Calves
ton was justified, as it seemed by these
the great Northwest will
fill the advantage of trunk lines to the
South rs we'll as to the East, and OF the
new markets opened for the surplus
food products and for many OF the man