Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1910-01-29
POSTMASTER.GEN'L
FOR MAIL SUBSIDIES
NO 2o.KNoT SHIP
CARRIES U. 8. MAIL
Claims America Is Not Holding Its
Own With Other Nations Re.
garding Inducements to Mail
Carriers in American Ships.

! WASHINGTON, January 13.-Post.
master-General Hitchcock in his re-
por. to the resident goes at length
into the subject of ocean mail service
and he recommends legislation for
adequate mail pay to American stem.
ships. The Postmaster-G General says
1.-THE act of March 3. 1891, author.
lied the Postmaster-General to enter
into contracts with American citizens
steamships between ports of the Uni.
ted States and such ports in foreign
countries, Canada excepted. as in his
| Judgment would best subserve. and
promote the postal and commercial
interests Of the United States. Under
this statute the Department has eight
contracts. as follows From New
York to Puerto Cabello, Venezuela
calling at San Juan, Curacao, and La
Guaira: from New York to Maraciabo
Venezuela, calling at La Gualra and
Curacao; from New York to South.
ampton. England. calling at Plymouth
and Cherbourg; from New York to
Tuxpam. Mexico. calling at Habana.
Progreso. and Tampico; from New
York to Habana. Cuba: from Boston
and Philadelphia to Port Antonio. ia.
maica: from San Francisco to Tahiti;
and from San Francisco to Sydney,
New South Wales, calling at Honolu.
In. Page Page, and Auckland. Service
is being performed under all these
contracts except the last mentioned.
All other mail service between the
United States and foreign countries IL
wholly dependent upon steamships
over whose sailings the Department
has no control. or the vessels con.
veying the United States mails to the
Orient. more than 20 percent. fly for.
eign flags, while not a single steam.
ship now carrying our mails to Aus.
tralasia and to South America, ex.
cept the north coast, flies the Ameri.
can flag.
This condition Is not in keeping
with the policy of other great com.
mcrcial nations. The maintenance of
frequent, fast. and regular mail serv.
Ice must be tne first step In establish.
Ing closer trade relations between this
country and foreign markets.
"The efforts of the Department to
secure and maintain a contract serv.
ice under the provisions of the act
OF March 9. 1891. to ports of the ORR.
ent, or Australasia. and OF South
America. except the north coast, have
been unsuccessful. Advertisements for
service on 80 routes have been issued
without results. Proposals were re.
ceived and service was lnaugurated
on six routes, each more than 1000
miles In length. but in every case the
service has been discontinued because
the provisions OF the law are not SUI
fciently liberal to insure its main
tenance. On none of the long routes
has a single contract been made for
the carriage Of the mail b. 2O.knot
or first-class ship.
THE foreign trade Of South Amer
lea Is $1,50O.00O 900 and Is increasing
at the rate of 100000, 900 a year, YET
this country has only two contract
routes to that continent. both of them
to Venezuela. The Orient offers vast
opportunities for trade. vet there IL
no contract service between the Uni
ted States and the ports of the Philip
pines. Japan, China or Australasia
The building and operation OF fast
modern steamships for service be
tween European countEes and Brazil
and Argentina under the stimulus oil
government aid have placed the ship
ping interests of the United States al
marked disadvantage. The trip
from Rio de Janeiro to Genoa In Ital
ian ships is made In twelve days. Eng
lish. French, and German ships reach
their respective ports In from four
teen to fifteen days. The time OF the
trip from New York to Rio de Janeiro
in the fastest vessels carrying our
trade is eighteen and one-half days
while others require an much al
twenty-eight days. The voyage
could be made In less than fOurtea
days In vessels of the type plying be
tween Europe and Rio de Janeiro
The United States has service to Rio
de Janeiro and southern Atlantic
ports OF South American about six
times a month and to the northern
ports OF Brazil about three times O
month. but the Department has nc
voice In fixing the dates of sailing OF
the ports of call From, Europe to
Brazil there are on an average fou,
mail trips a week during the year
and from Brazil to Europe an average
OF five mail trips week. Japan Is
establishing lines to Mexico and South
America and Chile to the western en-
trance OF the Panama Canal.
The report of the Bureau of Navl.
CATION OF the Department of Com.
merce and Labor for the fiscal year
1903 shows total of $40 800 900 as
The amount now paid annually by for.
eign governments for mail subsidies,
admiralty subventlons, and shipbuild.
Ing and navigation bounties, or this
amount $2S254,537 is paid for mail