The sun., 1896-01-11
the MAIL DESPATCH BoAr
A Difference or Opsnioa Between the Gov.
ernnent nnd Stenmehip CompanIes.

erument nhd Stenmehip Compnnleb.
Tho Post ONCE authorities have been endesv-
orng TO get tho steamship ofllcinls at this port
to cooperate with them in plan TO facilitate
tho delivery Of foreign mails, but after many
conferences and the extension OF propositions
on the part OF both, the plan seems to have been
abandoned Postmaster Dayton holds that the
idea OF having boat equipped and under the
control of tho postal authorities to take the mail
from incoming steamers and deliver II direct to
the mail trains. without having to pass IL
through tho local office. would constitute tho
greatest reform that the present administration
Local authorities st ato that over SO per cent.
OF tho foreign mail arriving Mt this port Is
deiiverns % 81 il direct to the he ma mail trains it Two would
make q difference OF from six TO twenty;f9ur
hours In i's delivery az Its destination ana d 81.
tion of the local office. They, further contend
that only local foreign mail should go through
principal exchange offices namely. Chicago,
Philadelphia, BOSTON. Baltimore. st. Louis and
II is proposed TO man tho boat with force Of
clerks and TO assort the mail matter sack it, and
service, but there tho matter stops. because tho
authorities contend that the steamship com
panies are no, willing to contribute enough
the Government to run the boat. On the
other hand, tho steamship agents haye held
| thoroughly discussed. some agents were will
| ing to contribute the sum that would be saved
| to their lines by the use OF tho boat. while
| others snid that they would not contribute n
| cent toward IL. So far rs any concerted action
| Is concerned, the agents have abandoned the
| idea. and IL now remains to be seen what each
| company proposes TO do.
| The North German Lloyd line, through Gus
tav schwab, has offered to bring the mails up
| from Quarantine on Its own tugs and deliver
| them free at the railron piers along the North
| River. IL in turn tho Government will receive
| local mail at the Barge Office md transport it
| to the Post Oficc in mail wagons. This offer
| has not been accepted. and Mr.. Schwab saya
that while he was perfectly willing to contrib
ute the amount the line would save by the uso
OF the despatch boat he does not intend to go
down into his pocket. He holds that the Cow
| ernment would find his plan tho least expensive,
| and TINT 1t is really the only feasible one.
| The Hamburg American. Cunard, White
Star. and other lines have offered similar faeili,
| ties. but nothing has come Of the offer. Emil
Buas OF the Hamburg merican line says that
the German lines as well as other lines. have
ocean post Offices. and tho mail arrives assorted
and could easily be transferred to tugs and de-
nvered to the trains. but the Government does
not make the railroads deliver mails at Post
| Onces. aud II the companies furnished the tugs
| they would expect to be relieved OF the mail
| matter at the piers. 1t is generally held by tho
| agents that their offer is a liberal ono and
would be great deal better than II tho Gov
ernment operated II single despatch boat.