29
OCEAN MAIL SERVICE.
many, and Japan—which in most cases by the very terms of their
mail contracts are constituted parts of their respective navies in the
event of war. Under present conditions it is morally certain that
this measure of dependence will increase. The following statements,
compiled from the reports of the Post-Office Department, show the
changes in our ocean-mail pay made between 1905 and 1908 (figures
for 1909 being not yet available) :
PAYMENTS TO AMERICAN AND TFORFIGN STEAMSHIP TINES FOR TRANSPORTING
QCEAN Marrs oF THE UNITED STATES, 1905 AND 1908.
Mail pay.
Company.
Nationality,
Route.
1905.
1908.
American ships:
American Linea..........c..cuene American ......
New York and Cuba Maile. ......".....do.. en
Panama Railroad Companyd..... coco. alaiian.-.
American Maila..........0... 0] ll meme
Red ‘“‘D”ea...... ceenten a saa
Pacific Mail. x whims
Oceanica..... mm
Miscellaneous... a
Trans-Atlantic .....
Gulf of Mexico .....
Caribbean ..........
OI. SO
3 od vem oscars
Trans-Pacifle.......
Miscellaneous ......
$662, 867
203, 260
112,064
116, 986
107, 458
88,411
341, 982
83. O88
$737, 352
203,115
191, 969
105, 667
105,128
65, 657
87,962
20, 425
Total.
1,666,116
1,467,255
Foreign ships:
ORNATE cuvmnssivmumniesivasinsmns
White Star... .......
North German Lloya . --.
Hamburg-American ..............
Compagnie Générale Transatlan- -
tique.
Toyo Kisen Kaisha .....ocauanao.
Nippon Yusen Kaisha ... ., .._,
Miscellaneous ..... rae!
British ........
Aol.
Ferman ........
vueilD wewsnn any
French .........!
Japanese .......
sirellB eis
Miscellaneous. .
Trans-Atlantic <n]
eeelO iia
wnn 0 mr smnnnnnesne]
eenl0 iene
Caribbean ...........
Trans-Atlantie .....
Tete)
Miscellaneous......
153,115
264, 921
204,110
78,756
50, 868
189, 362
827,275
331, 562
90, 920
8,705
23,986
16, 002
170, 220
2,797
8, 881
135.716
Total. .
200 164
L,228 032
Grand total ..
2,565,280 «2,695, 287
8 Contracts under act of 1891
SUBSIDIES UNDER THE ACT OF 1891.
' Government llne,
The expenditure of $1,467,255 in 1908 represents the entire amount
paid by the Federal Government to American merchant ships, either
in the form of subsidies under the act of 1891 or for ocean-mail pay.
Of this amount $191,969 was paid to the steamship line to the Isthmus
of Panama and the railroad, owned by the Government. Our Government,
unlike any other government at the present time, maintains
its own army transports and either builds its own colliers for the
Navy or charters foreign colliers.
Under the ocean-mail act of 1891 American vessels, under contracts
prescribing rigid requirements, are paid at fixed rates per statute
mile outward bound. The American Line for 20-knot steamships to
Southampton is paid $4 a mile, and in 1895 its fleet of four steamships
surpassed all others in trans-Atlantic trade. The New York and Cuba
Mail is paid $1 a mile for its steamships, 16 to 18 knots, to Cuba
and Mexico, although the law permits $2 a mile; the American Mail
and Red D are paid $1 a mile for the mails to Jamaica and Venezuela,
