The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-07-16
The Shipping Subsidy Bill to
Be Put Into Effect.
ADVERTISEMENTS FOR BIDS.
New Nail Route TO Be Established Be-
tween Seattle and Japan.
American Steamers Manned by Ameri-
can Seamen-New Law Causes the
Expenditure of g.. 200, 200 in Con-
straction OF Vessels.

WAsHTSGrox CRY. July l5-The formal
notice OF the postoftice department, invlt-
Ing proposals for ocean mail lettings. was
Issued today. Ii cites the act Of March ;.
ls9l. and 3 unusually explicit. because the
act Of congress requires the advertising Of
the routes, which must be set forth in full,
together with all the details OF the time,
trips. etc. The conditions Of the bids,
classihcatIons Of vessels and instructions
10 bidders are not \ part CT the advertise
ment. but are 10 be had on application.
The schedule OF routes is very lengthy.
Proposals are invited from steamship
companies for carrying American mails 20
foreign countries IN vessels Of American
build: construction and speed in their re-
spectiye classes over routes minutsly de-
scrihed. The advertisement Is the product
Of three months Of conference
In the fiscal year ended June 50, 1850,
just 90 cents were earned by American
ships IN carrying the United States mails.
During the same period there was paid to
foreign ships $4.s7l .eSS for conveying
mails from the United Ststes 10 Europe.
The postmaster general seeks by
advertisement 70 change this unfavor-
ablefhowing by putting Erst-elass service
weekly on two transatlantic roates-one
continental ports He seeks also by
similar means 10 make more frequent and
reliable the mails 20 South and Central
America and to Australia and Asia
The details Of these arrangements appear
in the advertisement. Compendiously
il Is stated that the American ports from
which il Is proposed 10 start the service
are: Boston, New York, Philadelphia,
Baltimore, Newport News, Norfolk, Port
Hampton, with service from Mobile, New
Orleans. Galveston, San Francisco, Seattle
and Tacoma Absolutely new services for
American ships, for trans-AmerIean lines,
are from New York, Boston and Baltimore:
a line 10 Buenos Ayres from New York
and one from Philadelphia; line from
Port Hampton 10 Venexuela and South
America A line 10 the same ports Is PRO-
jected from New Orleans TO AspsnwaII.
calling at ports on the north coast Of Gen.
trail America and ports Of the Spanish
main A new line on the Pacific coast
from San Francisco 70 Chile and the lover
coast of South America Is proposed, and a
new line from Tacoma and Seattle to
China and Japan; also new line from
San Francisco to Melbourne.
Provisions have been made to secure
quicker service, resiacing the time by one
fourth to Panama and As much as sir DAYS
between Panama and San Francisco. The
service between New York and
Brazil Is 10 be reduced to nine
teen instead of twenty-five days and
upwards as now. The new service. in
connection with the enlargement Of the
old, viii require the building Of q number
of ships with an aggregate tonnage Of
154, go tons, and 81 probable cost OF from
So, 900 COO to s37 oo0, 600. Ii is hoped that
either of the Lines projected wiz invite the
further investment OF capital. Newport
News or Norfolk has been chosen as tha
best point for the upper southern
coast, and Port Hampton (starting
~ Mobile. Galveston and New 0rleans} as
the best port on the lower Southern coast
Some part OF the service can be put
on Immediately. II viii require the whole
term Of three years 20 put on many larger
ships. Three years is the hmis prescribed
by the Law. The most importarat require
ments sre THAI only American built
ships, constructed after the latest
ideas and with modern appliances.
shall be employed. They musE be owned
and ofheered by American citizens and
crews. and must contain 3 certain proper
ton of American citizens The use Of
these steamers as government transports
or cruisers, upon paying 10 the owners the
fair, actual value Of the same. IS stipa-
lated. Bids win he received anfii O'Clock
on October 81. Is91. The contracts are for
ten years