The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-12-07

arfr
Iii tourncvs added during the last |
,.cars is about 100000. This addi- |
bc,ng 2l. 100000 OF miles more than
" An opcration IN the whole country
81 1851 ..,.o,.o. hos too,, 4,
...e,d 100 during tho year: and during
49,, mast four years and mp 10 October
,a,, last. the total increase IN the num-
If Offices has been nearly 1900. The
...,,cr Of free delivery offices has been
.srl,. doubled IA tho last four years,
me number Of money order offices
.rs than doubled within that time.
-.r n.o three years ending june -. 1892,
... p,sial revenue amounted TO $l9i.Iif,%9
.icn was an increase OF $52,563.l5o over
... revenue for the three years ending
..rc o. 1883. the increase during the last
t.r.o years being more than three and a
,,ff times as great MS the increase during
f, three years ending June 30, 1888. No
..h increase as that shown for these
.n..r years has ever previously appeared
t thc revenues OF the department. Inc
1ostmaster-Gencral has extended to the
ro-tolHccs in tho larger cities the merit
s,-tcm OF promotion introduced 10y my
.rection into the departments here and
e. has resulted there. as IN the depart
,..rts. IN a larger volume Of work, and
fat better done
rrcr since our merchant marine was
r,ron from the sea by the Rebel cruisers
frnC the war OF the rebellion. the
rated states has been paying an cnor-
,..e annual tribute 10 foreign countries
4. thc shape OF freight and passage
n.r grain and meats have been taken
our own docks. and our large imports
M.r, laid down by foreign shipmastcrs.
A, Increasing torrent Of American travel
=. t.-.re has contributed a vast sum
,....fr OBJ the dividends Of foreign ship
...- Tie trade. as shown by books
custom houses has been very largely
.u.l and in many years altogether
.tt--...ftl by this constant drain. In
r'. yr.r 'Ss2 only 1913 per cent. of our for
.r Imports were brought in American
... These great foreign steamships
,..rtirai by our traffic are many OF
r.m under contracts with their respect
&c. governments. by which in time Of
war they win become a part Of their
armed and naval establishments. Profit
i.- hr 0ur commerce in peace. they will
fnm. the most formidable destrOyers
o. orr commerce in time Of war.
have felt and have before expressed
re feeling that this condition of things
WAS both int erable and disgraceful. A
wholesome change Of policy and one hav-
t- iu much promise. as il seems to me.
vas begun 10y the law Of March 3. 1891
r.t.r this law contracts hcve been made
b. tho Postmastcr-Ge General for eleven
snail routes The expenditure involved
i. those contracts for the fiscal year
Hrr0Nimates &J4.123.333. As one Of the
r~Its already reached, sixteen Ameri-
.t steamships OF an aggregate tonnage
O. $500 tons, costing S. 10000 have been
lllt or contracted to be built in Ameri-
c0 shpvards
l1" estimated tonnage OF oil steamships
lred under existing contracts IS 1G5,-
- and whom the full service required
N these contracts is established there
will ha forty-One mail steamers under
f. American flag. with the probability OF
fr-hcr necessary additions in the Bra
lillian and Argentine service The con-
o. IT'S recently let fer transatlantic SER
'i.e viii result I'm the construction Of
tto ships Of 10000 tons each. costing nine
or ten million dollars. ana viii add, with
Pic city Of New York and city Of Paris
t1 which the Treasury Department was
authorized by legislation at the last ses-
sion 20 give American registry, seven Of
tln swftcst vessels upon the sea to our
naval reserve.
The contracts made with the lines sail
ing to Central and South American ports
have Increased the frequency and short
cued the time OF the trips. added new
ports If call and sustained some lines
that otherwise would almost certainly
have been withdrawn The service TO
Buen0s Ayres is the first to the Argen-
tine Republic under the American flag
The service t. South HAMPTON, Bologne
and Antwerp is also new, and is TO begin
with the steamships City of New York
and city Of Paris In February next. l
earnestly urge q continuance of the policy
iraucuratei by this legislation. and that
tho appropriations required TO meet the
obligations of the Government under the
contracts may be made promptly. so that
Tie lines that have entered into these en-
fragments may not be embarrassed. We
have had. by reason Of connections with
the transcontnentM railway lines con-
structed through our own territory some
advantages i'm the ocean trade of the
Pacific that We did not possess on the
Atlantic. The construction Of the Cana
dian Pacific railway and the establish
uent under large subsidies from Cana
ls and England of fast steamship SER
}.o from Vancouver with Japan and
China. seriously threaten our shipping
interests in the Pacific This line of
English steamers receives, as is stated by
t. commissioner Of navigation, a direct
subsidy Of 100000 annually or $3),7G7
I.r "trip for thirteen voyages, in addition
o. some further aid from the admiralty in
connection with the contract under which
o.. vessels may be used for naval pur-
I.as The competing American Pacific
Stall Line under the act of March 3, 1891,
latcs only S63N per round trip. IF
i~. have been made within the last
Year, ass / am informed, TO establish
under similar conditions line between
Vancouver and some Australian port,
With view OF Selling there a trade in
VrI.l we have had a large interest. The
commissioner Of navigation states that a
very large per cent OF our imports from
Asia are now brought to us by English
steamships and their connecting railways
ST. Canada With Il view Of promoting
this trade. especially i'm tea. Canada has
imposed Il discriminating duty Of 10 per
CENT upon tea and coffee brought into
ta Dominion from the United States. II
This unequal contest between American
lines without subsidy or with diminished
subsidies, and the English Canadian line
90 which 1 have referred is 10 continue
! think we should at least see that the
facilities for customs entry and trans
portation across our territory are not
such as to make The Canadian route
favored one. and that the discrimination
as To duties 10 which / have referred Is
met by a like discrimination as to the
importation Of these articles from
Canada.
No subject. think. more nearly touches
the pride the power. and the prosperity
OF our country than this of the develop
laont Of our merchant marine upon the
Tho sea. II we could enter into confer
crro with other competitors, and all
would agree TO withhold government AID
v- could perhaps take our chances with
tho rest. but our great competitors have