Omaha daily bee., 1890-01-04
TO ENCOURACEYANkE SHIPS
Frye Wants Ocean Mails Carried
BY American Vessels.
THE MEXICAN FREE ZONE.
Senator Reagan's Bill 10 Compel Its
Abolition-Inadeauatc Postal Ser
vice Observation-Disclosures
Roads-Army Cantecns.
WASHINGTON BUREAU Thu OMAHA Bee,
513 FOURTEENTH STREET.

1 EOlhIhhNf h DIhhET.
WASHINGTON, d.. c., Jan, b.
At the reopenlng Of the session on Monday
next Senator Frye will introduce a bill au.
thorlzing and directing the postmaster gener-
al as soon as practicable to forward all ocean
mails by American steamships and to make
contracts with them for not less than five
nor more than ten years. II is required that
the ships with which contracts are made for
TRANSATLANTIC service shall have a capacity
of 5000 tons and a speed of not less than
eighteen knots an hour, and that those tor
the trans-Paciic and South American trade
q tonnage OF not less than twenty-five hun
dred tons and a speed Of not less than four
teen knots; that they shall be paid not moro
than $40 and not less than IS a mile for the
distance travelled on their voyage outward.
Another condition is that the vessels, like
those of the naval reserve of England and
France, shall be constructed upon mod
els approved by the secretary of
the navy and be suitable for
the use Of the government as cruisers or
transports in time of war. The secretary of
the navy Is also authorized TO detail officers
from the naval list of the United States for
the command of these vessels whenever it
shall be desired by the owners thereof and
to grant such officers leave of absence for a
term of years on half or one-third pay with
out affecting their standing in the service or
impairing their prospects for promotion.
For the purpose Of educating seamen each
of these shall carry three or four petty off,
GERS or cadets, young men like those In the
royal mail service of England, who shall be
aprrentIced for a certain term of years and
be given such duties to perform as shall give
them the opportunity to learn from practical
experience the science of seamanship. The
latter condition Is thought to be very i'm
portant. The race of seamen in the
United States is almost extinct. Our
young men can make 30 much better
wages on land and live so much more com.
fortably that they will no longer consent to
go to sea as the shippers of New England
did twenty-five and thirty years ago. The
forecastles OF our ships are now filled with
foreigners who are willing to work for SUCH
low wages and put up with such bad food
that American boys will not serve with
them. There are plenty of young fellows
who would be glad to go to sea as petty
officers and learn how to navigate vessels If
they could have the chance, and to afford
them an opportunity and to educate O new
generation of practical seamen, this provision
will be inserted in the bill. The provision
permitting the detail of naval officers to
command the ships is also an important one.
Competent officers are very scarce and have
to be imported from Europe. At the same
time, the navy Is full of idle officers who
would be glad to take berths on merchant
ships, provided they could do so without
IuUSluk tutlT CuauCeS VI pTOIIlOUlOQ. lu6
limit of the money to be expended annually
under this bin is S3,000,O00.
THE IONA LIBRE.
Senator Reagan is preparing a bill to intro.
duce IN the senate on Monday which is likely
to create as much disturbance in our rela-
tions with Mexico as Secretary Windows
recent decision on the importation of lead
ore. Mr.. Reagan's bill will authorize the
secretary of the treasury to suspend the law
which allows the transportation of goods
bound from Europe to Mexico in bond
through the United States until the govern
ment of Mexico shall abolish what is known
| as the IONA libre, or free zone, along the bor-
der. Among the laws Of our sister republic
there is a strip of country along the Rio
Grande abutting on the United States into
which goods may be imported without the
payment OF duties, and it has become a SNUG
gler's resort, much sto the disadvantage Of
honest traders on this side of the boundary.
A merchant can purchase his goods in
from New York to Paso del Norte,
Piedras Negras, Laredo and other cities on
the Mexican side, and there have them de-
livered without the payment OF any duty.
Then by watching his chance he can snug
gle these goods back IN the United States by
carts or wagons or on pack mules and under
sell the honest dealers who have paid the
regular customs house charges. This ser;-
ously affects the trade Of Chicago, ST. Louis,
New Orleans and other cities, sand ~particu-
a ~ Va liza hotSby touih
and Dallas, apdtbe resident merchants are
continually making complaints Of being
undersold by the smugglers. This free zone
has been the subject Of volumes on volumes
of diplomatic correspondence between this
government and that of Mexico for the last
twenty-five years, but nothing has ever
come of it. The prevailing opinion is that the
Mexican government would be as glad as we
TO have IL abolished, for IL Is the means OF
losing millions of dollars to it's treasury In
customs taxes every year, but the fact is
that the smugglers are so strong and rich on
the Rio Grande and SO many men OF political
influence are involved with them that Presi-
dent Diaz fears a revolution Will follow,
Whenever any demonstration has been made
at the City Of Mexico looking 10 the ABOLISH
ment OF the free zone the politicians along
the border begin to growl. and quarrels have
occurred as a wal ming of what may happer
if the plan is carried out. In fact, the
northern tier OF states that are included
within the belt would be likely TO attempt
secession if their merchants were compelled
TO pay duties on imported goods.
NO EXTRA ALLOWANCES.
Postmasters throughout the country whit
are applying for extra allowances to enable
them to procure better roomc for their Off
ces or secure additional clerical assistance
will be disappointed in learning that bu'
little, II anything, can be done for them til
after June next, There is a deficiency il
almost every branch OF the postal service
The late administration was so anxious Il
make q reputation for economy that 1t die
not secure sufficient appropriations from
congress, and only those offices having
surplus from receipts can hope to get an,
assistance till the next fiscal year. 9Th,
democrats were simply lacking in the matte
of providing appropriations" said Genera
Tyner, the assistant attorney general fol
the postofiice department. referring today Il
the lack of funds with which to NEE
the demands of the offices at thi
time. .''The department was liberia
enough because the people demanded
postal facilities, but u democratic
congress refused TO make sufficient appro
priations. The receipts of the office hav,
been enlarged by the growth Of bushes
throughout the country, otherwise the post
office accommodations would be much les
satisfactory than at present. 1t Is the polio,
of the department now to meet the demand
of the people, always exercising prope
economy. yet never denying a REASONABLE
and just demand. The people are gong 4
have the best postal facilities under this ad
ministration that can be secured. The mat
ter of expense is not the first consideration
now.
PACIFIC ROAD
Senator Frye is hard at work preparing
report on the results of the investigation o
the senate committee on Paciic railroad
and the affairs OF the land grant roads. Las