Show I How Yilas Explains the Pool I WGTON July 31PostmastGn eral Vilas commenting upon the refusal of I the steamship companies to carry the mails said Certain American steamship companies compa-nies probably under the lead of the Pacific Mail Steamshipbonipany have entered into a combination apparently with the purpose 1 of forcing 1 distribution among them of1 400000 appropriated by Congress for mileH rage f compensation for carrying the nmils Some of them wrote to the Post ofce tDe partment desiring to know what terms would be given I proposed to each of the Companies to go to the full limit the law would allow and award them both sea and l inland postage < CfaiKis about three times what they had been receiving for the same service during the past twelve years yea I is three times what is paid I for carrying the mail across pid Atlantic and probably in most cases all I that should be paid for carrying the mails The companies were still acting i concert and in consequence of their combination I thei combinaton refused re-fused to accept these terms which were so liberal compared with those they had received re-ceived that they felt I suppose they could I drive the Government out of the position it had taken by refusing to carry for the compensation com-pensation offered The companies seemed to think that if they refused to carry the mails there would be no other course left to the Government but to make the contracts with them and distribute the 400000 accordingly A complete schedule for the transportation of mails will be arranged and they will go with very little difference in point of time to their destination The rate we offer is G per cent more than the British lines receive from their Government Govern-ment It was a rate unjustifiably large but the Government deemed it fair to go to the utmost length which the law and reason allowed al-lowed in order to avoid any difference with the American Steamship Companies until I Congress should meet The department has made such arrangements that the public will suffer no inconvenience worthy of mention in respect to the carrying of mails and in some cases notably in the Cuban service the mails will be expedited |