Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-09-06
MARKS BIG ADVANCE
Proposed Expansion of Mail
Service to Canal Zone.
PROPOSALS SOUGHT FOR
Company Just Incorporated at Tren-
ton Will Bid.
HAS $15,00o,00o CAPITAL
Those Engaged in Competing Rail-
way Transportation Barred From
Benefits Of Act.
PROPOSALS SOUGHT FOR
S15.OOOOOO CAPITAL

Benefits Of Act.
The formation and Incorporation OF the
Atlantic and Pacific Transport Company
as outlined in dispatches received from
Trenton, N. j., today, is believed at the
Post Office Department to be the result OF
action taken by Postmaster General
Hitchcock to secure strictly adequate
and independent mail service by Ameri-
can ships operating by way Of the Pana-
ma canal
The Postmaster General advertised for
proposals for such a service July 90 and
that advertisement, says Second Assistant
Postmaster General Stewart. marks the
biggest advance in its way ever known to
the mail transportation service Of the
country.
The schedule Of the routes for which
service is called for is as follows:
For ocean mail service from Seattle
with right of call at Astoria-to Panama
once every two weeks, twenty-six trips
a year, calling at San Francisco and al
ternately at San Pedro and San Diego
Cal, and from San Francisco to Panama
once every two weeks, twenty-six trips
a year, calling alternately at San Pedro
and San Diego, CAL Time from Feat
tie to Panama, sixteen days, and from
San Francisco to Panama, ten days
Contract for item years. Bond required
with bid 100000
From New York to Colon, calling at
Charleston and Savannah once each
week. fifty-two trips a year. Time TO
Colon six days. Contract for ten years
Bond required with bid. 100000.
From New Orleans to Colon, once each
week. flfty-two trips a year. Time 10
Colon four days. Contract for ten years.
Bond required with bid, S75OoO
The Postmaster General reserves the
right to require the steamers on each OF
the aforementioned routes, whenever
they may continue their voyage to port
at the opposite end of the Panama canal,
to carry any portion Of their mails to
such port without additional compensa-
ton, whenever in his judgment that
course is advantageous to the Post Of
fee Department.
Conditions Imposed.
The advertisement was issued under au-
thority of the act of March 3. 1891, to pro-
vide ocean mail service between the
United States and foreign ports and to
promote commerce. 1t authorizes the
Postmaster General to enter into con-
tracts for a term of not less than five
nor more than ten years in duration, with
American citizens, for the carrying OF
mails on American steamships between
ports of the United States and such ports
in foreign countries, the Dominion OF Can
ada excepted, as in his judgment Will
best subserve and promote the postal and
commercial interests Of the United states.
1t requires the mail service on such lines
to be eQuitably distributed among the At
Iantic, the Mexican gulf and the Pacific
ports. and it gives to the Postmaster
General the right to reject all BIDS not
in his Opinion,l reasonable for the ATTAIN
ing Of the purposes named.
It provides that the advertisement for
the service shall describe the route, the
time when such contract shall be made,
it's duration, the size of the steamers to
be used, the number of trips a year to be
made. the times Of sailing and the time
when the service shall commence. which
shall not be more than three years after
the contract shall be let. 1t also requires
that the steamships performing the serv-
ice shall be American built, owned and
Differed by American citizens in con-
formity with the existing laws, as we'll
as that a certain proportion of the crews
shall be citizens of the United States. 1t
also goes into detail as TO the character
Of the types. improvements and equip
ments Of the vessels 1t even provides
that officers of the United States Navy
may volunteer for service on such vessels
and under certain conditions be assigned
to duty there by the Secretary of the
Navy and that the vessels shall take as
apprentices or cadets American boys I'M
der twenty-one years of age. to be edu-
Gated in the duties of seamanship, rank
as petty officers and receive such pay for
their services as may be reasonable.
Railway Competition Barred.
Second Assistant Postmaster General
Stewart says that, go far as the de-
partment is advised, there are no
steamships in existence that conform
to the requirements set forth in the
July advertisement for proposals. He
further stated that in his judgment the
Instructions to bidders contain two
provisions far in advance of anything
ever attempted in this country before,
as follows:
mo award Of contract for the mail
service on the routes herein described
will be made to any bidder who shall
be engaged In any competitive trans
portation business by rail. or who shall
be engaged in the business of export
ing or importing goods. wares. mer-
chandtse or other property on his own
account or who shall bid for. on be-
half Of, or in the interest of any per
son or corporation engaged In such
business, or eIIHoI u lAcnAs " - Q
the control thereon through STOCK OWL
ership or otherwise.
1.-The right is reserved to the Postmas-
ter General to cancel without indemnity
to the contractor any contract entered
into under the advertisement II at any
time the performance OF the same snail
rest within the control OF any compeu-
tive railroad company. or OF any person
or persons In control Of the same through
stock ownership or otherwise, or II any
party to any such contract shall make or
give any undue or unreasonable prefer
ence or advantage to any particular per
son, company, firm. corporation, or To-
cality, or any particular description OF
traffic in any respect whatsoever, or SUD
ject any particular person, company. nrm'
corporation, or locality, or any particular
description of traffic, to any undue or
unreasonable prejudice or disadvantage.
Proposals for the ocean mail service re-
o,Iired will be received at the Post ONCE
Department until 4:3O pm, November %,
next. the service on each route to COM
mence not later than October Is, 1914.
Company Has 81 1000, 900 Capital.
The dispatch from Trenton today
states that the Atlantic and Pacific
Transport Company of New Jersey was
Incorporated yesterday with capital
authorized to the amount of SIS, O0O, 900.
Its headquarters will be at Baltimore,
with branch Offices at the principal
seaboard cities on the Atlantic. Pacific
and gulf coasts. The company will
bid on the service required as set forth
in the Postmaster Generals advertise
ment Among it's incorporators is
Adrian H. Boole of Washington, for