New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-07-31
OCEAN MAIL SERVICE.
VIEWS OF AMERICAN sHIPOWNERS.
CONSIDERING THE ADv1sABIMrY OF PUTTING

.rsbip commands for caYryng the mails TO foreign
Countries in vessels Of American build, in accordance
with the provisions Of the Act Of March y, lo0i' -
beng seriously considered by nearly all the American
steamship lines and 1t is probable that all the Ieaohs
| lines will present bids within a few weeks Thcy arc
now figuring out the cost Of rebuilding their smpS %
that the engine power may be increased and the vessels
| In all particulars brought up 20 the requirements VI
tho Government. According the law, the ton
mage and speed Of vessels Of the first class cannon Oo
less than 5000 tons and twenty knots; Of the Seoa
class 5000 tons and sixteen knots of the third csS'
500 tons and fourteen knots, and Of the fourth Glass;
500 tons and twelve knots. They must be American
bnllt steamships, constructed after the latest typo,
must be owned and Offered by American cltlzens' "
their crews must contain certain proportion Vi
can citizens Vessels Of the first three classes musV 10
constructed to admit OF their prompt ana eoVno
mical conversion into naval cruisers. The Postna'o
Generals notice to bidders greatly reduces the ue w
many routes and much more frequent and regular e'
| vice is required on nearly all tho routes .,
II the mail is to carried in American ships' as '
new law requires it will be necessary 10 puiiu '' 49,
thirty ships, of which not less than hve arc ~ 10 ~
the first class. A number Of the lines hs'o 'o.'S"
with the required tonnage, but they are ola anu ., ~
| ferior construction, and cannot make bhe SP''U
| the Government will require. ,
| william II r. Hughes manager OF the NewlOrk ana
Cuba Mall steamship Company, expressed hihis0" a.
satisfied with tie revised proposal OF the fos'nN
General for ocean mail service. There "eie' j" '
some things he would like TO have different III 'V11
| respects but the main conditions were Su''
| his company would be able to make bids for carry
| ing the mails on four Of the routes p'oposeu' ~
! first Is No. IL, from New York to BucnoS AleS' ar
rentne Republic touching at Mcntevdeo' or"Eu"N
eighteen DAYS outward once in three weeks assio
eating seventeen trips per year, in vesseis ol 'no
| class, touching on each returning voyage al "o.o
| vdeo, Uruguay, and Rio, Brazil and al santos a. u'.
| contractors option, which voyage shall 10 pc'ioou
| IN sixteen days from Rio. Second, NO 81 loii We"
| yorh N ,ruxpam. Mexico. BY Havana Plogeso and
Tampco. and returning by Vera Cruz, Frohero' NV
| creso and Havana once week, iifty-twO tnps per
year in vessels Of the third class; tlme' tHoo Oh"
| th7eequarter days to and from Havana l"i'u w.
g. from New-YOrk to Havana, once each "coN' my
two trips per year. in vessels OF the thru oidSS' ."
averaging not more than three and thIeequarer ual
| each way Fourth, No. IS, New-rork 10 ofht'aso NC
C,,ba nv Nassau once In two weeks, twenty-sM ulps
\ year in vessels of the fourth class; tme average
| each way, six days ., :,
For fine service to the River Plate this company II
II pcts the contract would he said build three smps
Of the second class These ships would De over o'ooo
tons and probably would be fastov than sixteen kos
| Mr. Hughes was fairly we'll satisfied Wlth inc pro-
posa as It had been amended by the Po'tna't @
oral The steamers would make no stop between new
| yor, and MontevIdeo on the outward voyage anu Oh
| returning from T,uenos Ayrs and MonteVldeo tncy
| would stop at Santos III, -
| Mr. unpbes was asked whether the quarantine ar
| rangements at the River Plate would not DC e"'D'l
RAISING 70 the company during the yellow fever season
lie said they would not because the steamers "ou nov
| .oo ~ Mo on the way down. He was thcn aSheu
whether It would not be advisable for the SVea''eiS "
ston al Bahia for the reason That IN yelIo"EVe' Se
II woul1 be Impracticable TO enter RIO or eantos Vi
The homeward voyage. In this connecuoh IL was
suggested that the coasting trade was Oh cohs'ueoo
/ of
visions wheat and -four were sent TO Brazil from III"
plata countrles He replied that his line did no0
r.rt N enter Bahia because that would interfere
with The trade OF the United states and Brazu hnc'
but that the proposal OF the NeW-lorK anu O"D'
steamship Company to enter the Plate trdoe was u'i
derstood by the managers of the United states anu
prazf line. and no opposition from them need DC eH-
| noctod Mr.. Hughes expressed the opinion thaC
largo trade could be developed between the unlteu
states and the Plate countries the only obstacle at
prcsent being the condition Of Argentine hnahces'
! For Rcuts No 81, Mr.. Hughes said his company
already had four steamers available which wouu IN
swer the requirements Of the third class. These ara
the Yucatan the Yumuri, the Orizaba ana the ClW
NJ Washington The third class requires steamers OF
ZOO tons capable of making fourteen knots. These
| four steamers have the tonnage and the speed re-
| qulrcd.
| For Route No. 80 the company has two steamers
available the Saratoga and the City OF AeXandTla'
|
not be used in that service, and would probably be
sold or traded off for a larger steamer. The company
would however, If they received the contract, build
new steamer for the Havana service, and make tenn
porary arrangements for carrying the mails until the
! steamer should be completed. For the south Cuban
service the company already had two steamers. the
Cienfucgos and the Santiago which could be adapted
| to the requirements Of the third class.
! Mr. Hughes thought that all the leading American
lines would bid for the proposals for the routes now
| covered by them. Some Of the companies might be
compelled to put new engines in their steamers or in
crease the tonnage slightly, by rebuilding the ships
! All the lines he thought, would make earnest
effort to take advantage Of the ocean mail service
undcr the new act. They would all he thought build
new ships. The bin did not contain the provisions
described in the Bounty act but the companies had
for long period urged Congressional action on behalf
of American shipping ana they were disposed to do
what they could under the law, as adopted.
Mr. Hughes also expressed the belief fllat the IN
| man Line would make bids under the Postmaster
| Generals proposal and would eventually become an
American line The matter, he said, uDder con
delati n. but decision had been arrived at. lie
hoped however, that result OF the passage OF the
ocean Mall Service act the time not far distant
when the mails would be carried 10 Liverpool under
| the American flag.
| A Tribune reporter called on william w. WINS,
| cdent OF the United states and Brazil steamship
| Company. TO the inquiry as TO whether hc had re-
ccived and examined the proposals for bids, he re
piled Yes, have received the proposals for bids
and the matter Is under consideration BY the executive
committee OF board OF course il is impossible for
the company to say at present what it Will do in re-
| spect 10 these proposals.
"Arc you likely 10 bid on the proposal for line to
| the Argentine ?"
| Well, cannot answer that or any of those ques
tiOns present We are having estimates made Of the
of vessels required to conform to the terms of the
prpISl. These estlmatas involve not only the qucs
don of original cost, but the matter of operating ex
! penscs. If We find that vessels be buiT at a
price, and expenses kept sufficiently low, to leave
profit to the company from freight, passenger and
mall money, then the company VIII bid otherwise It
| win not. As to the eighteen-day service 10 the Ar
| gentinc, l don't see how il be done under any
! circumstances at profit, after the Government