Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-10
THE MAIL SUBSIDIES.
Report of the Workings Of the Act of
1891.

The last annual report Of the foreign
mails division deals largely with the work.
ings of the steamship mail subsidy act of
1891. According to the figures of the report
of the superintendent of the foreign mails,
made public yesterday, the contract serve
ice has made very little change in the dis
patch of mails, either in respect to the
frequency of trips or the time occupied
between terminal ports"
1T has, however" continues the report,
resulted in increased compensation to
the conveying steamship companies" This
increased compensation to the steamship
companies amounted last year to $4O6. .927. 2S,
and increases year by year. 1t was ST.
1885 for the five months of the previous
year making a total cost up to June 80 last
OF siS4.O3l.l3 in excess Of the regular postal
rates.
The report cites as instances as follows:
The steamship company carried mails on
the route from New York to Tuxpan and
New York to Havana, which. If paid for at
the rate previously paid, the full sea and in
land postage, would have amounted to but
SS,OS.02. but under the subsidy act the COM
pany got 81 per mile. outward trips, for
carrying this mail, which brought to the
company during the year s134.525. a net in
crease over former rates of $l3l, 1898.
On the route from San Francisco to Hong
Kong. operated by the Pacific Mail Steam
ship Company, mails were carried the reg
ular postage upon which would have
amounted to A9.54s76 Under the subsidy
act the company get 81 per mile. outward
trips. and thereby received s95,523 for the
carriage. being an excess over regular rates
of S5.94A. The contract for this route
provides that after the first two years the
trips shall be doubled and the compensation
increased to 81 per mile, which will increase
the subsidy from s95.523 to $3s2,092
On the route from San Francisco to
Panama, operated by the Pacific Mail
Steamship Company, the amount of full sea
and inland postage upon the mails carried
during the year aggregated but A,6o015. but
the subsidy gave the company sS,s2S.S9 an
excess of $50, 1854 The contract provides
that after three years the subsidy shall be
increased at rate which will aggregate
$214 S6S per year instead of sS7. .92s.99.
On the route from New York to Colon,
Company, the regular postage rates on the
mail carried during the year would have
amounted to s3o, ,539.3 30. but the subsidy ag-
gregated $50 III. After two years the trips
are to be Increased, which will increase the
subsidy to sl03, 16S.
The subsidy act will go into effect with
the International Navigation Company on
October 12,1S95, under contract already
awarded. and that company will then re-
ceive subsidy of $50, $50 per year for the
period of ten years for carrying the mails
800 per year for the route from New York
to Antwerp.
Detailed Statement.
July l. 1882. service was actually in opera
ton, under contracts authorized by the act
Of March 8, 1891. upon four routes; from
New York to La Guayra. from New York
to Colon, from San Francisco to Panama
and from San Francisco to Hong Kong, and
contract had been executed for service
from Galveston to La Guayra to commence
on the lst of May, 1888; but the date of its
commencement has been twice POSTPONED
at the request of the contractor and is at
present nAed for the 18th of January 1894
On the lst of November, 1892, con tract SER
vice was commenced on route New York to
Iuxpan and III Jermediate ports and route
New York to Havana. On the lst of De-
cemoer similar service was commenced on
route New York to Rio de Janeiro, and on
the lOth OF December on route New York to
buehos AyreS; so that during the fiscal
year contract service has been in opera ton
on elsht OF the eleven routes mentioned in
my iast report as being actually under con-
tract the remaining three routes being
IdlVeston to La Guayra, which has been
postponed to commence on the 18th of Ian
uary' ls54, as heretofore stated, and routes
from New York to Southampton and from
| Wv 10TH 10 Antwerp, respectively, upon
oolh OF whlch routes service is to COM
memce on the 18th of October 1896
ne service upon route New York to pio
| de Janeiro and route New York To Rnsnno
Ayres ceased in January last by reason Of
the Iallure or the contractors and the CON
| tracts nave been annulled; and the con-
tract upon route San Francisco to Panama
! has been Cancelled: that at the date Of
| this report the contract service autborizad
! by the act OF March ?, 1891. is in actual on
Grafton uDon only five routes viz. Nau,
| York to La Guayra, New York to Colon
san Francisco 70 Hong Kong, New York To
Tuxpan and New York to Havana"