The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-26
MAN sEnTIor TO rns VEST ixD1rs.
Proposals Invited Tor weekly ana semt-
weehly Mails 70 Pert Antonio.

Weehly MALLS 70 Fort Antonio.
WASHINGTON, Dec. u.s. Postmaster General
Gary has advertised for proposals to carry the
mails between Boston and Philadelphia and
Port Antonio, Jaamica, under tho provisions
OF the act Of March 8. 1891, to provide for
ocean mail service and to promote commerce.
The schedule Of snilings set out In tho ndvor-
tiscment provides for eemi.woekly departures
from Boston between April 1 and Sept. 80. In
elusive, and once a week between Dot. 1 and
March 81, inclusive; from Philadelphia, once
a week between Oct. l and March 81, inclusive,
only. From Boston the maximum period Of the
trip to Port Antonio is fixed at five days, and
from Philadelphia at four days. Tho right 10
reserved In the advertisement to the Post
master.General to substitute New York for
Philadelphia as a port OF departure, the time
limit Of the voyage therefrom being fixed at
four and a half days. 1t is stipulated that tho
mails are to DO carried from Philadelphia in q
vessel Of the fourth class, as described in the
act named. That is to say, an iron or steol
steamer, gross tonnage not less than 1900,
and capable Of maintaining q specd Of twelve
knots an hour ut sea in ordinary weather.
The law fixes the maximum compensation to
be paid for mail service in this class OF steam
ers at 1854 cents a mile on the outward voyage.
The ships to DO used, the law requires, are to
be American built, and constructed SO as to BIO
e eSs, the So ,Re% 9ru,ses should s1IEd n need thcir ser.
vice.
for the service named tho Government would
pay at least w., 0s0 200. snld TO DO sufficient to
out the se con tract III The sI report T'e Of a. N. Brooks.
sugerintendent Of foreign mails, FOR the year
tns E1y June 80, n nsS7; ,o shows pSs that rnnsn IN ssat near az
mails not only to Jamaica, but to Hayti and
other Islands in the West Indies. the follow.
as four times a week, and often more fire..
quently:
Plant line, Port Tsmg. 70 Jamaica ss5so
Quaker City Fruit line. Philadelphia to ,,.,
Atlas line. New York to Hayti. jamaica, &c. 7.pSs.sS
Boston Fruit Company, Boston 70 Jamaisa.. l.i27.so
Ns York iV to jamaica u ISns and Central cmtsrsIieAa America. 1901
Total .tS,OSS.Ho
Half Of which may possibly be fairly chargeable
to the Jamaica mai, the rate for which under
ordinary conditions Is Al cents q pound for let
tors and shi cents for merchandise and news
At present the department has contracts
authorized by the law of 1891 for the transpor-
tho annual cost of which is given:
New York to La Guayra, 1905 miles. SO
ss sT'p; Y c Hs' to At s%o 81 8 ample S.5ii mIl.s, 'S''ss'
Now ss 'r YSrs { y ye fa at a. a R a,5os miles. So ''7'SSS
trips q year. at 81 q mile. ............. l80. 1o&
a year, at 81 a mile. 1880
The total cost of the ocean mail service in
the past fiscal year was 20 ,0i9, 200. Within
two years after the passage Of the law Of 1891
the department executed contracts for. the
transportation of n ails in accordance with Its
terms on the following routes: Eew York to
La Guayra, New York to Colon, San Francisco
10 Panama, San Francisco to Hong Kong, Gal
weston to La Guayra. New York to Tuxpan,
New York to Havana, New York to Rio jan
Giro. New York to Buonos Ayres. New York to
southampton. New YORK to Antwerp.
The contracts, however, in some cases were
never carried out, and in others were but short
lived-for instance, only one mail being de-
%spatchcd to Rio Janeiro and to Buenos Ayres
so that on June 80, 1893. contracts we're In
operation on five Tines only. At that time
MIR. Brooks said in his annual reports, The In
auguration of the contract service has made
! very little change in the despatch of the mails
either with respect to the frequency OF the trips
the criminal ports. 1t has. however. resulted
in increased compensation to the conveying
steamship companies by the sum OF $iO6, 927."