The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-02-26
three vessels having speed of Is knots

miles. These vessels come under the
fourth class of the mail contract and re-
ceive 66 2-3 cents mile for each outward
bound trip. They make IS trips year be-
tween Boston and Port Antonio, and 26
trips a year between Philadelphia and Port
Antonio. The compensation received I'M
der the present contract is $123, $50 a year.
Under the Hanna-Payne subsidy bill they
will receive $153.062 or an increase over the
present law of S29,O0O or $141.SO for each
single trip, which makes the compensation
paid under this, the fourth class of the
present law, amount to practically the
same that Is paid under the Hanna-Payne
| BILL
The government has no contracts made
under the second class of the act of 1891,
which is 81 a mile for each outward-b bound
trip; but under the first class 1t has a con-
tract with the International Navigation
company, carrying the mail between New
York and Southampton, England, known
as route No. 81. Under this contract 1t
makes % trips year of 3,641 statute miles
outward-bound, or a total of 1879 332 statute
miles at "a a mile, and receives a total
compensation of s757 1928.
The vessels employed in this service are
the New York, 81 knots, TO- SOP tons gross;
the Paris, q knots, 1874 tons gross; the
St Louis. % knots, II 500 tons gross; the
St Paul, 20 knots, 11,629 tons gross. This
makes an average of 81 and II ,2131a tons
gross for each vessel. Under the Hanna
Payne bill the compensation received will
be as follows:
The distance In knots or nautical miles
Is 1885, Under clause (a) of the bill they
will receive ~ cents for each 100 miles up
to 1900, or 22a cents, and cent for each
100 miles above 1900 miles, or 1866 cents,
making a total of 1916 cents received under
clause la, but under clause (b) a vessel
Of this kind receives in addition 2.3 cents
per gross ton for each 100 miles, which
&c fnfa1 anF,a ON.
sation per gross ton of Sill 97-100 for each
single trip.
This amount, multiplied by the II 213 tons,
amounts to a compensation of $l2,555 for
each single trip, or for the 81 round trips,
or 1O4 single trips, amounts to $1,3O5,74O for
each year, or an increase compeY alton
over the present contract of $54S% each
year. amounting to $105H for er = round
trip.
1t will be seen from the al : that ves-
sells of the third and four class receive
practically the same su' ldy under the
present law as they wiz receive under the
proposed law, but the vessels of the first
class will receive nearly double the COM
pensation under the proposed law that they
do under the present law. AS the two laws
are based on a different system, you can7
not make a fair comparison without exam
lining the exact tonnage, as provided in the
present law, and compare it with the same
tonnage in the proposed law.
l have made an estimate of what would
be received under the law of 1891 and under
the Hanna-Payne bill by vessel of each
class making q single trip between New
York and Liverpool-a distance of 900
nautical miles or $3.50 statute miles. The
comparison is as follows:
First class, 20 knots, 5000 tons, at 81 each
statute mile, $3.50 miles multiplied by 81
outward-bound trip-equal to Sl3,s00 LIB
multiplied by 10 equal to 22.50, equal to 37.6,
re inii az
equal to 1884; multiplied by ISL equal to
ISL, equal to co., round trip, $15,64S; differ
ence per round trip, 81 ,S4S.
Second class, 16 knots, 5000 tons, at -
each statute mile, $3.50 miles multiplied by
49, outward-bound trip, $500; LIS multiplied
by Is equal to 22.5O, equal to 376, equal to
1872 cents, multiplied by 5000 tons, equal
to SO $685. multiplied by 151 equal to 1910.
equal to 1912, round trip, $780, difference
per round trip, $472.
Third class, IA knots, $500 tons, at 81 each
statute mile $3.50 miles multiplied by 81,
outward-bound trip, equal to S3,459; 1.5 null
tiplied by is equal to 22.50, equal to $3.50,
equal to ST. cents, multiplied by $500 tons,
equal to 81 ,692: multiplied by Isl equal to
Is TO- equal to SOL, round trip, 1854; diifer-
ence per round trip Tin favor OF contracp,
$76.
Fourth class, ~ knots 1900 tons, at 66 2-3
cents per statute mile $3.50 miles multiplied
by 66 2-3 cents, outward-bound trip, $2,2yi;
1.5 multiplied by 10 equal to 22.6O, equal TO
S7.6 cents multiplied by 1880, equal to 1854;
LIS multiplied by ISL equal to 1910, equal
to 37S cents, multiplied by 1900, for round
trip equals 81, 12S; difference per round trip
Tin favor of contracD, N,069
From the above figures it Is shown that,
although the compensation Is largely IN
creased under the first class slightly in>
creased under the second class, that vessels
of the third and fourth class will not re-
NON n q tiOu for each trip
under the proposed law they do under
the present law.
Again. to carry out the analysis, let me
call your attention to the fact that during
the time Mr.. Wanamaker was postmaster
general of the United States he advertised
to make a contract for carrying the mail
of the United States from San Francisco
to Hongkong, distance of $3.50 nautical
miles, or $685. statute miles. The vessels
were of the third class and received 81
mile for each outward-bound trip. or $685..
I have not been able to ascertain what
was the tonnage and speed of these vessels,
but as they came under the third class
they were required to have speed OF IA
knots and $500 gross tons. Such a vessel
for this distance would require 68.3S cents
under clause (a) and 60S1 cents under cause
((b) of the proposed bill, or total of H.29
and one-tenth per gross ton each 100 miles,
q compensation of $6455 per round trip, or
$537 less than they receive under the present
law.
Another contract made by Mr.. Wanamak-
er was from New York to Rio Janeiro, In
South America a distance of Ats nautical
miles or s. 1876 statute miles. The vessel re-
ceivfng the contract was OF the fourth
class and under the present law vessel OF
this class would receive $3,65666; under the
Hanna Payne bill it would receive. 81 ,873.50,
or a difference in favor of the present law
for each round trip of 81 ,7S3.16.
After these contracts between San Fran
cisco and Hongkong and New York and Rio 4
Janeiro had been in operation for some
years the companies holding the contracts
were unable to carry them out on account
of losing money, and the contracts were
Cancelled Today we have no mail route in
operation under the act of March 8, 1891. to
any Asiatic port or South American port.
What conclusion are we to reach from
the comparisons above made? In my judg-
ment there can be but one, and that Is for
vessels of the third and fourth class there
will be no increased compensation under
the Hanna-Payne bill above that of the
present law, but for vessels of the first
class there will be very large increase.