The morning call., 1892-05-07

make the best time. In order, therefore.
to gain places as second or even third class
vessels il was necessary for each to undergo
q severe test.
: The tests were all taken and the steamers
: we're all graded according to the speed they
made.
''These trials will not amount to any,
thing" said a marine expert while they
were being made. THE company will squirt
its vessels over the speed course and will
81 then run them as 1t pleases"
This proved true.
The tests, In so far as they showed any
thing OF the actual working speed Of the
Mail steamers, were downright farce.
One steamer-the Rio de Jsneir0-did not
come up to the speed of the lowest grade-I4
knots an hour, but she was permitted to take
the mails according 10 the contract with the
understanding that she was to make better
time'thereafteT. when her machinery should
get into good working order.
That test was more than a mere farce. 1t
was q bowling burlesque
But none Of the tests proved anything, for
that matter.
The results did not represent the working
speed of the steamers as run at present,
even under most favorable conditions, aside
from the question Of the quality of the coal.
Now here is where the trick was played
right In the matter Of coal.
The steamers were speeded with the very
best quality of foreign coal, giving a strong
heat and making plenty of steam.
' The contract went into effect and on the
first trips out, both to Hong-Kong and TO
Panama, the Mail Company used Cardiff
coal, wnich is conceded to be the best used
on the coast for steamer purposes.
Half Cardiff and half NanaimO went on
the second trip.
Nanaimo is cheap coal.
All NanaimO went on the third trip. and
that is the kind used on all voyages since
made.
The idea in using the best coal on the
start was Of course to make the Govern
ment believe that the Mall Company was
going to do wonderful things in the way of
fast time. 1t did make fair time at first but
now it runs the steamers at the old rate of
speed.
Congressman Bowers was right when he
introduced testimony in the House of Rep-
TeSentatiyes yesterday which went to show
that as far as Is Of the Is ports along the
Mexican and Central American coast are
concerned the Government might as well
never have subsidized tbs Pacific Mail Com
pany.
Under the contract the Mail Company
must start its steamers out at certain times
OF the month and arrive as near certain
dates as possible. An attempt was made to
follow this plan at the first, but it was not
followed up.
The steamers do not always leave on
: schedule time ana they arrive when they
get here.
- One Of them-a chartered vessel, the
George W. EIder-recently took % days to
make the voyage up from Panama.
A ii this shows that the Mail Company is
determined to get as much money and per-
form as little service as possible.
1T Rh0Ws tOO that WHARF thara ia IN
centive it can do good work.
Under strong ompetitiOn-which would
be blessing TO San Francisco-it might do
wonders.
As matters now stand there Is little to
hope for from the Pacific Mail. Strongly
allied with the railroads, il VIII do nothing
TO help San Francisco and everything to
tnjure her
The Traffic Association members look
with great favor upon the measure intro
duced by Congressman Bowers, by which it
is proposed to take the subsidy away from
the Mail Company until such time as il shall
snow that its present operations in conjunc-
uon with the railroads are not against pub
TIC policy. They should 60 further than to
merely look pleased and say, "A good
move They should help in the work
themselves. At present. however. they are
engaged In constructing railroad across
Tue desert to Salt Lake City. This may be
e0oo thing, but II will take long time,
and San Francisco needs relief now.
Ihere IS strong feeling among a few of
Ene memOers 10 make the freight-routing
plan an issue Of the fight against the rail-
roads this summer. These members know
that dealing with glittering generalities and
crying Down with the railroads" and
Give us competing overland line" are not
going to give San Francisco low railroad
rates or make the Pacific Mail come to time.
The routing Of overland freight, they be-
lieye, is something that can be taken hold of