Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-01-25
Hanna-Frye-Payne Shams-Fast Mail
PreteRses.


/ sidy bill is pushed it is that it will help
our foreign mail service.
In the very nature of things, we must
| employ to carry our mails the best and
| fastest ships must be secured. When the
pending contract with the international
was made, its shps-the Paris, and the
| New 1ork, and the newly built ST. Paul
| and St. Louis-were among the fastest
in existence. Since that time, however,
| and notably within the last two years,
/ marine engineering has so developed that,
whereas, ten years since there were none
| faster, and only four others as fast as
| the lnternationars Cthen) two steamers;
in 1860 there were foated nine which sur
| pass them in speed-three by one knot per
| nour, two by two knots per hour, and
! four by three knots per hour. Moreover
! line after line has contracted for ships
! OF from % to "A knots speed, until within
| five years, a e to 2l-knot ship (even now
not considered an eligible carrier for fast
| man between here and EuroDe) will be
/ a leisurely-goin tub. as pared with
! the faster steamers that will then carry
our mails.
f! But under the subsidy bill we are not
/ likely to have American mail steamers.
/ II the first place its promoters admit
| that such is not the case.
! In the second place, the bill is so draft
! cd as to DloCOU RAGE the building Of
! REALLY FAST steamers by American
| smpyards. 1t is on every hand conceded
| nlng steamer increases very rapidly,
| and out of all proportion TO the speed at
tanned And when we remember that,
| though scheduled by Lloyd as 20-knOt
sueamers-and so rated only last year
| by Mr.. Chamberaln-tne InternationaIs
| myers are now considered by Mr.. Cham
| berlaln as competent to draw subsidy as
i 2l-knot vessels (see p. 1889, we evidently
/ nave the data III view OF which the sub
sldy bill was drafted.
The internationally four steamers could
! not nope. even on temporary test, TO be
| rated as over 2lknot speed; hence, though
the bill provides special speed subsidy at
2.oc per gross ton per 100 miles on 2l-knot
steamers, while giving only ~ cents for
the next fastest Q7-knoD American
steamers in existence. it provides for no
! higher rate for swifter vessels: and,
| therefore, it offers least inducement of
| all TO the building OF faster steamers
! than q knots. The provisions of the bill
as to speed subsidy, therefore, are not
intended to induce the building of a sim
gle fast American mail ship. but rather
TO pauperize the four superannuated
! .greyhounds,' OF the American line to
| the tune (When the Paris shall be back
III serVice) of some $l,500,0G0 year.
| instead, therefore, OF any prospect that
| our government Will save $1,500,01U by Tree
carriage OIL mails IN subsidized ships, the
! fact is that the internationally mail con-
| tracts are mainly in respect of vessels
! that already are or will soon become un-
| fit for mail carriage at all; so that our
| government must IN any case contract
! with faster steamers.
| This particularly applies to shipping in
the Atlantic trade. That is to say: The
| Internationals four great subsidy grab
| bers-the New York the Philadelphia
formerly Paris, the st. Paul and the St.
| Louis-last year received $641 2SS from the
United States for mail carriage under
contracts which, though proper when
made, can never be renewed 1t is now
! proposed by the pending bills to double
even this enormous subsidy for ten years
to come after they shall have practically
ceased to be eligible for carrying the
mails al all.
Indeed, scandal has already arisen
in this connection; at page 10 of the re-
port of the superintendent of foreign
mails, dated October %, 1899, appears the
following:
The rules under which the mails for
transatlantic destinations were for many
years assigned to the fastest vessels
available tor their conveyance-that is
to say, in the case of two steamers leav-
| ing New York for Great Britain at or
about the same time, the mails Were as
! signed to the steamer which. according
| to the record of Its three voyages just
! preceding the assignment, delivered the
! mails in the shortest time in LOndon-has
not been ri9idly adhered to during the
| year just closed, preference having been
! given to vessels flying the flag of the
| United States"
! 1t is not here specifically stated what
American vessels were thus favored, but
| on the next page is given a schedule or
| all ships whose records were kept in this
connection This includes no other
| American ships than the International
! St. Paul, ST Louis and New York the
! Paris now being rebuilD, and shows that
| MT. MCNlnICN 3 pOStOHlCe department is
! deliberately preferring slow ships TO fast
! er ones for transatlantic mails.
How grave is the faVOritism thus shown
| the International can be best appreciated
| by an instance:
| According to Bullinger's Guide the
! steamers advertised to convey the L. 5.
mails from New York to the United King
| dom and the continent on November TIN
1900, were the St. Paul, scheduled to leave
at 10 a. m. and the TeuUonic scheduled
to sail at noon.
| New York, the st. Paul of the Internal
! uonal Navigation Company american
| line) met with an accident to one of her
! propeiers. on account OF which She only
| reached New York on November 4th and
| after the extent of the damage had been
| ascertained, she was withdrawn from the
service to be laid IN for several months
| on account of repairs.
| Upon the withdrawal of the St Paul. of
| the American line, it was naturally under
| stood that the mails to be despatched on
| November eth would be sent by the Teu-
| tonic, of the White Star line. On Thurs
| day. November Sth. it was, however as
| certained TO be the fact that the mails
| were not despacted by the Teutonic. of
| the White Star line, but were sent in
| stead by the International's slow steam
| er Friesland--normally some two or three
| days slower than the Teutonic. and in fact,
| arriving this time about a week later ?
! Ii would probably occur to 10 one even
| to imagine that this was in the interest
! of economy. Few, however. would APP
preciate without looking further how
| much of the money raised by taxation is
| thus thrown away.
AS TO non-contract mails, United States
| vessels are paid s1.60 per pound for let
| tiers, and five cents per pound for other
articles while vessels of foreign registry
| receive about fl cents per pound for let
tiers and about four and one-half cents
| per pound for other matter; so that every
| time a postoffice official employs an In
| ternational steamer TO carry mails, which
might be carried more promptly by a
! foreign steamer. ne not merely delays the
| mail. but in effect. steals FOR the Inter-
| nationals pocket the greater part (nearly
| three-fourths in the case of letters OF the
| total amount which the government is
] charged therefor.
Moreover. the government has lately
| been forced. notwithstanding its predilec-
| tons. TO hire carried by the foreign lines
mentioned the greater part Of its for
| eign mails. From Mr.. ChamberIain's re-
port. treating as il does. only of the
amount Of compensation paid, it might
be supposed that this was merely Incl
dental. Upon looking. however. at the
| figures for the transatlantic service at
New York, given at page of the super
intendent's report. We find that. THOUGH
THE INTERNATIONAL RECEIVED
TWO-THIRDS OF ALL AMOUNTS
PAID FOR TRANSMISSION OF MAILS
FROM NEW YORK. IN FACT. IT CAR
THE LETTERS AND 0NE-TIIRn or