Suggestive Facts about Steam Lines.

Evening Star, Issue 6727, 8 October 1885, Page 3

Suggestive Facts about Steam Lines.

The First Lord of the English Admiralty, during a speech the other day at Liverpool, quoted figures showing that Great Britain controls two-thirds of the entire carrying trade of the world. That is to say, she does twice as much shipping business as do all other countries combined. That is a marvellous showing on the part of the tight little island. It is a fact well known to all persons posted on the subject that the use of mail routes created by means of subsidised steam lines haß had most to do with the enormous growth of the British carrying trade. The subsidised steamer has been the pioneer for nearly every one of the great snipping routes from which England to-day profits so largely. First, rapid and certain mail communication is established, then the two countries become acquainted with each other's business capacity and requirements, and soon a mutual exchange of commodities ensues, and ere long a large trade is created, which calls for the employment of many vessels. Trade and commerce follow rapidly in the wake of the pioneer steam line, and that is just how Great Britain's vast carrying trade has grown up. It is stated that since 1840 England has paid 250,000,000d0l for ocean mail services, with the deliberate purpose of establishing and maintaining steamship lines to connect the United Kingdom with all parts of the world. She is to-day spending 3,0Q0,000d0l annually in steamship subsidies, which is 1,640,000d0l more than she receives back in the way of postage. She finds, however her abundant reward in the extraordinary increase of business brought to her by the wise policy she pursues. Commerce-winning is carried by her to a degree of perfection such as the world never before saw. Her flag floats on every sea, and finds its way into every port. Her customers arc everywhere, and with them she takes care to keep in regular communication by means of steam lines, even though they seem to run at a lops that in more apparent than real. She <viste he.e bread upon the waters and ii rot urns to her incrciis-d an hundred fold before many clave. How different is the present puiioy of the United States. In 1884 our Government received, by way of postage on letters sent from San Francisco to Australia, the sum of 36,479d0l 30c, and paid the Pacific Mail for doing the work the sum of 11,479d0l 08c, leaving a net profit to the Government on the transaction of 24,99!)d0l 62c. This condition of things has been going on for a number of .years ; yet, row that the colonies have grown restive under an arrangement by which they bear all the cost, and ask the United States to share the burden with them, Postmaster-General Vilas i 3 shortsighted enough to refuse their request, and one of the most promising lines of communication with our country is, in consequence, in danger of being withdrawn. During the fourteen years the lino has been in existence its steamers have taken away from this port no less than 12,600,000d0l worth of products, and has caused 52,000' firstclass passengers to pass through the country, tj tjie advantage of our railroads, hotels, etc., and has doubtless increased the amount of shipping between > the two points. . Yet this is all to cease for no other or better reason than that a Cabinet officer refuses to exercise the power vested in him by Congress. If an English Minister were to do the same thing he would be deemed insane, and driven! from power' inslantcr. The trouble in regard to this matter is being made at an unfortunate moment. -; The Canadian" Pacific is just about completed and in a position to compete for the business", which it is doing with an avidity that showfrthat foreign commerce is appreciated on the other side of the border if it is.uot on this. If the lino should bo withdrawn and the business it controls should pasa to our neighbors, Cleveland'e

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