Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-12-07

four years ana up, L, OCT. - last ne total IN
crease in the number OF offices has been nearly
nine Thousand. The number of free delivery
offices has been nearly doubled in tie past four
years, and the number of money order offices
I more than doubled within that time
For the three years ending June y, 1872, the
postal revenue amo1 lI TO sl91 a Ia'9 which
for the three years ending June 30, 1855 the in
crease during the last three -aars
being more than three and a half
times as great as the increase curing the
three years ending June 30. 1888. No such in
crease as that shown for these three years has
ever previously appeared in the revenues of
the department. The postmaster general has
extended 10 the post offices in the larger cities
the merit system of promotion, introduced by
my direction into the departments here, and it
has resulted there as in the departments, in a
large volume of work and that bettered
work
Tribute to Foreign Compa mics.
Ever since our merchant marine vas driven
from the sea by the rebel cruisers during the
war of the rebellion the United Stat IS has been
paying an enormous annual tribute TO foreign
countries IN the shape of freight and passag.
moneys Our grain and meats have been taken
at our own docks and our large imports there
laid down by foreign ship masters. An in
creasing torrent of American travel to Europe
has contributed vast sum annually to the
dividends Of foreign ship-owners The balance
of trade shown by the books of our custom
houses mas been largely reduced and in
many years altogether eAtinguished by this
constant drain In the Year 1892
only l2.3 per cent. of our imports were broug hit
steamships maintained by our traffic are
many of them under contracts with their
respective governments by which in time Of
naval establishments. Pruiting by our com
merce IN peace. they viii become the most
formidable form destroyers Of our commerce in
pressed the (, cling that this COY dition of
things was both intolerable ana disg1 acefuL A
wholesome change of policy and one having in
II mnch promise, as 1t seems to me, vas begun
by the law of March 3, 1891. Under this law
contracts have been made by the Postmaster
general for eleven mail Routes. The expendi-
ture involved by these contracts TO- the next
fiscal year APPROX mates 1854 LIB So As one of
the results already reached sixteen American
steamsh ps: an aggregate tonnage of %, 400 tons,
costing $4,000, have been built or
contracted to be built in American snip yards.
Inc estimated tonnage of all steaI lships re.
CURED under existing contracts is lis SOe and
" hen the full service required by these COL
tracts is established there will be forty-on
mail steamers under the American flag with
the probability of further necessary additions
In the brazilian and Argentine service. The
contracts recently let for transatlantic service
VIII result in the construction of five ships of
luCOO tons each, costiaE SO 900 600 or So OO0OO0
and will add, with tl.s City of New York and
City OF Paris to which the trea ury department.
was authorized by legislation at the ls st session
10 give American registry, seven of thu swiftest
vessels upon the sea to our naval reserve. The
contracts made with the lines sailing TO Central
and South American ports have increased the
frequency and shortened the time of the trips
added new ports of call, and sus; al ned some
have been Withdrawn. The service TO Buenos
Ayres is the first to the Argentine Reuuhlic
under the American flag. The service to
southampton, Boulogne and Antwerp is also
new, and is to be begun with the steamships
City OF New York and City of Paris in February
next.
Shipping Interests Threatened.
earnestly urge a continuance of the policy
inaueurated by tais gislation, and that the
appropriat .ons required to meet tn Obligations
OF The COVE .umans under the contracts may be
made promptly. So tuGt the lines that have en-
tered INTO these Z gaGelr, ,1ts may not be en-
barrass ed. We have h1d, by reason o. connec-
constructed -. 1Tg,, ,-- --rritOry. some
advantages in tho IN trada of tie Pacific
that We dd NOT posses 90. me Allan .lc. The
construction -- lie O. Id a Il .ail..ay
Fl n Ca ada ana ---ElarG oil fast steamship
service !. oan t.cJ'i er ,,lJl japan . ld hi..a
$ lo,.aly al b. our 81! ing interests III til p
Pac ic. This line o t7r-ls st ...as'- recer We.
a. Is atcl Ug ne coInmi. sI0ner OF navi att I.
direct sG.sl- % Sa'tHU ANNUAL J. or S3J,lJ
per trip for thirteen VOC -,S, n addition to
some fur her aid from the n4iral' in con-
ncc:lOu with contract, under which I. e vessels
may h- used toE E-sl luI'I' b:'ss. he cOmpct-
ing American a. nc mai. inc, un1e- act
OF March j. lsiI- receives only $3.50 yer round
trip.
Efforts have been making within the last
year. as I'm informed, to establish III der sim
liar conditions a Iue between Vance Iver and
some Austria ian port, with a view of seiz-
ing there a trade in which we have Ia ] large
interest. The commissioner of n; vigation
states that a very rye per cent OF ouI imports
fro Asia are now brought TO Us by English
steamships AM their connecting ia lWays 4
Canada. With a view of promoting ii IS trade,
specially il tea, CANADA has impos Cd a ais
crIIni ating duty of 10 per cent upon. tea and
coffee oruu GIN INTO the dominion from the
United States If this unequal COZ test b.
tweea American ines without subsidy. or with
diniui- he. subsidies, and the English Canadian
: line TO which have referred IS to continue, l
I think we sh1Ild at least e that thu facilities
l for customs entry and transportation across
our territory are not such as TO make he Can
adian rpGte a favored one, and that the dis
Grim matt, N 10 the Duties to whiC have
I referred, Is met by a like scriuinatlOn rs TO
the importation OF these articles from Canada.
: No subject, think, more nearly tor ches the
4 pride, the power, and tue prosper Y of our
country than this of the development of our
/ merchant marine upon the sea. If We could
! enter into conference with other competitors
! and all would agree to withhold government
aid we could perhaps take our chances with the
rest, but our great competitors nave est ablished
| and maintained their lines by sovernn ent sub
! sides until now they have practically excluded
US from participation In my opinion no choice
is left to Us but to pursue, moderately at least,
4 has Hraag