The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-02-18

''marine?" To say statute" meant
an additional $15O.06O yearly in the
yawning WeaZle-Skin of the steamship
line. Wanamaker referred the statute
10 Miller. who was attorney general to
the icy Harrison, for construction. That
able lawyer decided that when the
term mile is used in a statute, il means
a statute mile" Guided by this light,
Wanamaker wrote his contract. and.
to prevent those who should come after
him from having any argument, the
words statute mile were carefully
employed. The law said mile: the
contract made by Wanamaker cleared
UP the fog and said statute mile" As
stated, this clearing which said
statute" instead of marine" has cost
the public over Sl5O,000 yearly since the
contract took effect. Which makes. by
the way, a greater aggregate of public
loss than ever was traced to Quay.
AS displaying in fullest beauty the
capitol methods in public affairs, this
mail subsidy story might bear cOntinu-
alton. Little, mild Billy Wilson WAS
postmaster general when the Wanna
maker contract went into effect, and
Cleveland was in the White House.
GriscOm, who managed the lucky
steamships. was as warm a faVOrlte
with the Cleveland administration as
he had been with the HOOSler regime,
which preceded it. Well he might be-
Had not the steamship company which
GriscOm graced with his management
The deft grace 20 bestOW on Mrs. Cleve-
land q smelling bottle worth S3.SG0 for
selecting the flags which stood as sea
signals for the St. Louise There is con-
stitutional objection to a president re-
ceIVinS present; but this gitt-pal=y
does not extend TO the members of the
presidents family. As stated, Girls
com was d pet with both the Harrison
and Cleveland administrations. There
fcre. Wilson, whose eyes We're at the
White House. saw nothing Tor it but To
carry out the Wanamaker deal. And
he did The public was sue 9ze1 Tor
the $150.000 excess over right each year.
as Wanamal.er had arranged. Il viii
be interesting AZ this crisis 20 learn the
change which this subsidy. when 1t
took effect. wrought in the trans-At-
lantic mail carrying figures. The year
before the subsidy, when the mail
went by pound 10 the fastest
beats. the whole annual cost 70 the
government was 500 con. This paid for
four trips a week. or POS yearly trips.
But the American (EngliSh) line was
to receive II cents a statute mile as
per the Wanamaker contract This
came, and comes. TO S16.t-l0 each round
trip. With four boats, the utmost best
that under whip ana spur oar Amer
week. or ifty-twO a year. Those fifty
two trips, however. at i cents a STAT
ute mile piled IN the whole cos; 10
$50. coo annually. Splendid showing
that, We paid. subsidy. $50 900 an
nually for fifty-twO trips V here before
we paid 100000 for pos Nor was that
the end. The other three tripS each
week had TO be made. They were made
under the Ole system of 50 much per
pound by boats other than the GrisoOm
American (EnSlish) line and cost n the
neIghborh0od Of $3.50. GOO a wear. Today
we have the soectacle-we We had il
ever since little Wilson's day, save Tor
three months we We're busy VaIoDinS
Suain-Of one mail each week. costing
almost twice as much as the other
three. So much for subsidies. and a
John Wanamaker contract. So mach
fOr a deal" made by Republicans ard
carried into execution by the Cleveland
administration: than which last no rot
tener ever bred pestilence in public af-
fairs. Today we pay full $I.S11, 00U for
a transatlantic mail service which be
fore cost 100000. And get Wanasnaker
talks OF public honesty" And yet
folk wonder that the national expense
each year crowds $500, 100000 to the
wall, Jobs, my master, jobs.