Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-01-12

abIed.
Washington, Jan. 11.-Transpcrta-
ton Of the mails by railways, steanl-
ship lines and various star routes
'cpst the government, during the fiscal
year ended June 80, 1909, $83 ,493, 1852.
These are the figures given in the
annual report of Joseph Stewart, Sec
ond assistant postmaster general,
which was made public today. The
number of railroad routes employed
by the department was 1913, aggre-
eating PILLS miles. The total ex-
pense of the railway service for the
year was $45,054,54S For the fiscal
year Of 1911 it is estimated that the
expenditures for railroad transporta:
ton will be $46,620,000.
The result of the read justment OF
pay for railroad transportation, ef-
fective July 1, 1909, for the ensuing
four years, based upon the weighing
of the mails, shows a decrease OF
$494, 360.31, Or sos per cent; and for
railway postoffice car pay a decrease
of $3,l95.97, or 0.29 per sent.
1t has developed that electric
street railway companies in some of
the cities demand extortionate rates
for carrying the mails. Concerning
this situation, MIR. Stewart says:
I'm view OF the demand made by
electric car companies for higher
rates for service in the large cities
it is found desirable, in some cases
to substitute motor wagon service for
the electric car service
AS the appropriation made by icon.
gress for railway mail service can.
not be used for motor wagon service,
it Is recommended that 100000 be
appropriated for the motor wagon
service. It is shown by the report
that automobiles are displacing, to
an extent, not only the street cars
but hcrse drawn vehicles, as means
for the transportation of mails in
the cities.
The total expense of tine foreign
mail service for the year was $2,.
734,665. The rates payable to the
steamship companies for the sea con;
veyance of letter mails were 80 cents
a pound to American steamers and
-four francs u kilogram to foreign
steamers.
During the year 355, S59,2S3 pieces
Of mail were sent from the United
States to foreign countries, and 270,-
20O,32O pieces were received. The
amount collected by this country in
postage on mails sent abroad was
$S,627;O95.
In "a general discussion of the for
eign mail situation, Mr.. Stewart
says:
Under existing provisions of law
the department is unable to secure
contracts for the transportation of
our foreign mails in American
steamships to the ports of Brazil and
Argentina and those of tho Orient and
Australia. Over 70 per cent of the
vessels carrying OUT mails to the ORR
ent fly foreign flags. and not "a single
one carrying them to Australia and
South America, except to the north
coast, flies the American flag. The
department has no control over YES
cells performing service to these coun-
tries and therefore cannot prescribe
schedules.
''Our shipping to South America has
been pleced at a marked disadvantage
by the building of fast modern steam
ships for service between European
countries and Brazil and Argentina
under the stimulus of governm ent
aid.
1.-THE service from Rio de Janeiro
is made in Italian, English, French
and German ships to their respcc-
tive ports in from twelve to fifteen
days, while the time for the trip
from New York to Rio de Janeiro in
the fastest vessels carrying our trade
is eighteen and a half days, and other
vessels require as much as twenty
eight days.
These countries are of great COM
mercial Importance to our own. Trade
with the Orient could be developed to
immense DruportiOns under encOurag.