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Show MUST CARRY THE MAILS. No Subsidies Proposed, But a Binding' Bind-ing' Law on American . Steamships. New York, Feb. 12 Tribune's Washington: Wash-ington: There are strong indications that the House Committee on postoffices and post roads will report favorably Blount's bill to re-enact the law repealed two years ago compelling all vessels owned by citizens of the United States, and engaged in the foreign carrying trade, to "receive on board, securely convey, ana promptly deliver" all such mails as the post office Department or any American Amer-ican diplomatic or consular officer or agent shall offer for transportation, and to receive as compensation for that service ser-vice what the law may provide or the Postmaster-General may allow, in pursuance pursu-ance of law. The ' bill does not change the present statute on the subject under which the Postmaster-General holds that he can pay no more than the amount of the sea and inland postage. The Times, editorial says : The contest which certain American steamship companies com-panies made with -the Postmaster General Gen-eral for a division of the $400,000 subsidy seems likely to produce very different re- ouiuj ii wut wimi uiey anticipated.. They apparently thought that by refusing to carry the mails at all, they would pro-note pro-note a subsid- T'Orcy and compel the payment of a 1 ceral compensation hereafter. here-after. The consequence is more likely to be the re-enactment of the old provision provis-ion which required all American vessels before the cleari ng to take the mails at two cents for each letter, leaving to the Postmaster-General the discretion of increasing in-creasing the compensation to an amount not exceeding the sea and inland postage. post-age. The companies have demonstrated that they did not need the subsidy and were only grabbing for it as so much money in sight. In a few cases the old requirement worked as a hardship, and some provision ought to be made for adequate ade-quate compensation where the service is desirable and it can be shown that the regular rates are insufficient. . |