New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-07-21
OCEAN MAIL STEAMSHIPS.
MANAGERS SAY LITTLE. BUT THINK MUCH.
SHALL WE CARRY THE AMERICAN FLAG TO ENG
LANDa

act From the first the bin a disappointment TO
them. to most of them, and when at hst for each
class of service the pay cut down full third some
used language that TO borrow from Mr. Lowell the mis-
use Of classicism COMO wrong may be called thalla
tatos.r highly seasoned; some simply shrugged
their shoulders, while few at once declared the bin
worse than nothing and would have tired to bring about
its defeat had there been time Like Leec's cautious
old Squire, VINO stopped TO exsmine the fvebarred
gate before making up his mind to "take' II. "the
longer they look at 1t the less thew lie it, In
language ess courteous this Is what one learns
when the question s asked: I" What do You think will
be the effect Of the Subsidy act7' Philadelphia or
New York, s all one. "Shutpan' is written In tho
tactics; one time and two motions"
Philadelphia seems queer place TO come TO In order
to find about anything that has 10 do with salt
water yet queerer stl IS the familiar fsetso familiar
TO pass uhnotced-hat your true New Yorker cares
next TO nothing and does les, for any Of the
means Of communication, whether by land,
whereby NewYorx lives and thrives. It has always
been So Her railroads she owes 10 countrymen,'
and her steamships with few exceptions, TO foreign
The reason for this commercial paradox? Well,
out of dozen or score, suppose we pick one on the
authority OF a leading New Yorker, now gone who in
his lifetime won't TO express himself with more
regard TO vigor than to or grammar: There's
bigger money right this island" Only let him cut
the coupons of the Nation, and he not who docs
its transportation. Besides if he wants railroad or
two. couple of dozen steamers he can always bay
them; "buy 'cm cheaper
New York's- neglect has been Phadelphia's Oppor9
tuny. Cramps shpyad IS here, and here too are the
head Offices of the Inmsn steamship ne the ougrowth
of the old American line," itself Che immediate con-
sequence of the Pennsylvania Railroad Companys need
for an Atlantic outlet and feeder.
Their oldest ship the Pennsylvania. is on the ways
at Cramps yard, undergoing the extensive alterations
now nearly finished that have been required to change
her from passengershp, long out OF date, into
cargo boat of a more modern if not the most modern
naIlar rnOiy,o avIh O (1afd hon
speed from 10 IA knots b IL or 10 Knots ana her
coal bill from seventyve tons day 10 eighteen, with
@ corresponding gain Of cargo space Except the
Pennsylvania, the yard is exclusively occupied with
the work Of "thc Navy This is something to
think about. Imagine the Government to have stopped
building and you raise a picture Of these great works
silent and gates shut hundreds of skilled workmen idle
their organization broken up their little houses empty
themselves their wives and children scattered Prob
ably three men out of four own people. AS it
S. they are getting well along with the cruiser New
York; alongside her the Pirate seems to hide It's
slender form and its swOrdfsh bow; beyond
one may the kecls laid or being laid,
Of Nos. 270 and OIL, as yet only known by
these numbers Nineteen more win bring the Cramps
to the historic number under which Mr.. LaiIds and
Captain semmcs's Alabama put to sea on a certain
pleasure trip leading to much unpleasantness. How
If we shOuld fl the Old name to the new number and
set aHoat under the ensign of the Union batteshp
that might be another terror Of the seas?
Cldnp
there IS likely be limited amount of building under
such OF the new mail contracts as call for steamers of
the first and second classes. Suppose we say three
or four steamers Of 5000 tons and twenty Knots Tor
Europe; the number Of 5000 tons and sixteen
Knots for Brazil and Of this class many more for
Pacific line to China. Here nine ships. or at most
twelve, to be built within three years 70
.last ten years. There yOu have the beginning
and the end of ii, they reason, taking no
account apparently of growth As for the third and
fourth classes respectively of $500 tons and fourteen
KNOTS and 500 tons and twelve knots these gentle
men think does every else that Knows anything
about the NATTER that the maximum pay offered would
he ridculously small for minimum. "RldculouSy
is not their word, but mine: vet l@ 1t stand tlhy
cents and SO 13 cents mile really IS a ridiculous
offer for one that is meant ito encourage The 10"
saws dollar and two thirds Of q dollar. but observe
that this is only for the outward voyage; as the
steamer viii come home again dt Is to be hoped) the
actual rate per mile is IN each but ha that named
IN the law
Not only does the largest steamship company trading
mt of the port of NowYork make its home In Phlla
deIphia but by another clufns paradox, the largest
American steamship company, which is at the same
time the only American Transatlantic company, docs
mot own a single American steamship; not so much as
an iron filing n one; time was when che would have
said a chip, but ships have no chips any more. The
owners or shareholders Of the American steamship
Companv are indeed, Americans. with the Pennsyl
"
the core aid Clement A. GriscOm at the head. Yet
the sb,ps are British the old Inman fleet with the
two new cities" Paris and NcwIorh, added British
by build and register, manned by Britons, and under
the British flag they SAIL or if they carry the stars
and stripes anywhere It is meeky, as other strangers
do at the fore. in customary compliment to the
GfoIeign port" their home port being Liverpool
From The Collins days down no American steamship
line has ever had solid backing; none has ever
been better equipped for its work, aioat and ashore
and not one has ever had better manager than MI
Criscom Is today nor anything like so good a one
as with little experience, he promises TO be
come I am vastly mistaken il he has not In a rare
combination every quality that goes 10 the making
of great steamship man.
Mr. GrscOm Is going to England ON "Wednesday by
the CITY OF Paris on business of the company. The
company is considering the whole subject; naturally
There are difficulties in the way of making bid The
maximum pay for the round voyage between New
York and England IS at 81 mile for 5000 miles only
$4,000. Against that has TO be set the difference
between the wages paid 10 Liverpool dnd New-Yorh,
between SOS month ard $45, for Instance And
then look at the provision In the third section OF the
net recurring that during the first two years one
fourth Of the crews shall be American citizens during
.he next three wears a third and afterward half
How is this to be carried out Where are the American
citizens to be found2 And at what wages These
apparently, are among the Things Mr. "riScOm ana Ills
associates are considering
Let ps consider them, too, for a moment Admitting
she obstacle to the practical working OF the bill and
freely acknowledging the inadequacy OF the pay for
the purpose for which it was designed, namely 10 en-
courage commerce-note the word encourage-let us
see what il all comes TO- begin by rcmarking that
while the requirement Of the law as 10 the proportion
of American citizens in the crews Is highly important
and valuable 70 the country, cannot regard IL as
difficult or even for the c9ntraetors IN any
case the crews would have 10 he paid American wages
the law says citizens not nStlvebor7l cu1ens me
difficulty viii vanish az il Is approached. 49,,
The extreme difference OF cost between q bIIus n
OF the first class. may be set down as 10 Per eenI.
Probably IL would moi exceed per cent. all things
considered bnt call Il 10. On this the depreciation,
reckoned at onetenth for each OF the ten is 10
per cent insurance, SAY, per cent interest g.i
cent all together, 20 per cent Now the CITY OF Pans
City Of NcwYork, Majestic and reptOnie are known 10
have cost their a round S2,OOO,OOO apiece.
Ten per cent that comes 70 100000 20 per cent