The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-12-07
Tbs MAIL SERVICE.
Importance OF Continuing the Policy Of
Substituting Ocean steamship Lines.

substituting Ocean steamship Lines.
The report of the postmaster general shows a
mos. gratifying increase and a most efficient
and progressive management OF the great busi-
ness OF that department.. The remarkable in
crease in the revenues, in the number of post
Offices and in the miles of mail Interchange
furnishes another evidence OF the high state of
the prosperity which our people are enjoying.
New offices mean new hamlets and towns; new
routes mean the extension Of our border settle
ments, and increased revenues mean active
comrnercs. The postmaster general reviews
the whole period OF his ad ministratICn of office.
and brings some Of his statistics down to the
month of November last. The postal revenues
have increased during the last year nearly
s5,01o.G coo. The deficit for the year ending june
so, lo92, is sS4S,3il less than the deficiency of the
preceding year. The deficiency of the pTesen;
fiscal year, 1t is estimated, will be reduced to
l,752. as. which will not only be extinguished
during the next fiscal year, but a surplus of
nearly sl.001,c0o should be shown. III these cal
culations the payment to be made under the
contracts Tor ocean mail service have not been
included. There have been added 1850 new
mail routes during the year. with a mileage of
s,s63 miles, and the total number of miles OF
new mail trips added during the year il nearly
100000. The number OF miles OF mail jour
76,ooo,0oO. this addition being 81, 10000
miles more than were in operation in the
Whole country in 1851 The number of post
year, and during the past Jour years and up to
October p last the total increase i'll the number
of offices has been nearly 10000. The number
OF free delivery offices has been nearly doubled
in the past four years, AMI the numbar OF
money-or 'er Offices has more than doubled in
that time. For the three years ending June 50.
1892, the postage revenue amounted to $ly7, 44i,-
$50, which was an increase of So. 263, $50 over the
revenue for the three years ending June 81,
1883. the increase during the last three years
being more than three and a half times as
great as the increase during. the three years
shown for these three years has ever previously
appeared in the revenues of the department.
The reimbursement has extended to the
in tho orrn- n re -
OF promotion, introduced by my direction into
the departments her. and 1t has resulted there.
as III other departments, III a large volume OF
Work and that better done.
Ever since our merchant marine was driven
from the sea by the rebel cruisers during the
war OF the rebellion, the United states has bee1
paying an enormous annual tribute to foreign
countries in the shape OF freight and passage
moneys. Our gram and meats have been taken
at cur own docks ana our large imports there
laid down by ioEeign.shipmasters. An iucreGs-
Ing torrent OF American travel 10 Europe mas
eon.riouted "a vast sum annually to the diyi-
denis OF foreign. ship owners, The balance OF
trade shown by the books OF our custom houses
have been Largely reduced and in many years
altogether extinguisned By the foreign steamer
lines. In ls92 only 1903 per cent. of our i'm
ports were brought in American vessels,
Foreign steamships maintained by our traffic
are many OF them under contracts with their
respective governments by which in time of
war they will become a part Of their armed
commerce in peace, they will ie.
com the most formidable destroyers
OF our commerce in time OF war. / felt and
have before expressed the feeling that this CON
ditlon OF things was both intolerable and dis.
graceful. A wholesome change OF policy. and
having much promise. as it seems TO me. was
begun by the law on March 5, 1891. Under this
iaw contracts have been made by the postmaster
genera! for eleven mail routes. The expeudi.
fiscal year a~pproximates 500. Ia. 3s3. AS one o:
the good results reached, sixteen American
ships, OF an aggregate tonnage of $3.50 tons,
costing =. 100000. have been built or contracted
10 ba butt III American ship yards. The esti-
mated tonnage OF all the steamships required
under the existing contracts is 1918 =. and when
Is established there will be forty-one
mail steamers under the American fag.
additions in the Brazilian and Argentine SER
vice. The contracts recently IL. for trans
as'aH'ic service Will result in the construction
OF I'VE ships OF 10000 tons each, costing $4,000. 90
or <lt.uto.Oo1, and Will, with the city OF New
YORK and The City OF Paris, IN which the treas
ufy department was authorized by legislation at
the last session 10 give American registry, add
seven OF tie 9"iItest vessels upon the sea 10 our
naval reserve. The contracts male with the
lines sailing 10 Central and South Ame-icsn
ports AEv- increase! tho frequency and snort
ene1 the time O! tae trips. added new ports OF
Ca. ana sustained some 4Iues that otaerwis.
VOL ii most certainty have been Withdrawn.
HE service 10 Eseno, Ayrcs Is the first u tie
AfSehs ne Republic unrter the American aa-.
Ans service ID roEtGGmptOG, 6Du uEne au! Ant
"eff' - $3.50 rev, nad 5 b. begun with The
Steamships t.tF ot New YORK anu city OF Paris
III February acxL I earnestly URGE coatinu-
NN-S 49, "t t44S
lsrs3atnn. aad that the appropriations
Seq&.re1 t. meet tie obligations OF the
government uIaer the contracts NAV lie
promptly inside, 30 that the ilucs that have
e1tGEed In<" ne engagements may not be- en-.
taFFAsse1- " have had. by reason 81 c0uZeC-
LOIS "tEa the t-aasCoHLincEtai railway lines
constructor f1rvlEl cur ov7et t~crritory. soma
= NAHCaFes III the gain OF trade on the North
racine taat Nc ll4 hot POSSESS on the Atlantic
lie construction OF rac Canadian Paciac rail
Way ana EAc establishment. under large sub.
v~eatoas from ta2sla and Ensla3t, 81 te.t
ast@.lss}tp sc1gtes from Vancouver with Ian4n
an. lliHa s~c-.Cast. threaten our s.ip.iur in
t~Tfsts n tie Pacific. This line OF FugI sh
steamers re7e yes, as stated b. The commissioners
o. navigation. = direct subsidy of s4s3nsk4 an
hNa..E. 81 s3.so5 PcT trip :ry tbirtNea voysgsx.
II addition 10 some further AID from thu admir-.
hl'N III connection with Contracts b~ w..cb tie
vessels Eaay - used Ter naval purposes, IRE
competing American I&clLc Mai. under t.,
att ~ March 3, t~}i, receives vu.v S6...4 n.r
T9aHi tap Efforts nave been making within
t4e ia-t Eeaf. 81 ! am luEo-iue5. n
e*tA5.l~1 urtter similar conditions a H7a
DSt@%tA Vancouver and soma Australian mort.
N4ta a F.eS - ee334Gg taer9 "a trAtie III va I'll we
nave nae : sa-ge interest. The cOCaE! ss.orer az
navigation states that q very large rer cant Of
1HF imports 4rota Asa s-e now brought 10 us hv
faE+ra steamships aud their connecting rail-
way III CauS1a.
N.tA view o. pgonoliag this ..aae, especially