The total cost of the service for the year on these seven subsidized routes was $1,114,603.47, a net excess over the amount allowable at present rates to steamers not under contract of $346,677.39, or, deducting the amount would have been paid non-contract steamers for the despatch of the foreign closed mails which these steamers carry without additional cost to the department, a total excess of $293,013.40.[IQ] “All other mail service between the United States and foreign countries,” the postmaster-general regretfully reported, is “wholly dependent on steamships over whose sailings the department has no control."[IR]

* * * * *

The total tonnage of the United States in 1910 as given by Lloyd’s was 5,058,678 tons: 

No. of vessels.  Tons.

Sea 2774 2,761,605
Northern Lakes 606 2,256,619
Philippine Islands 89 40,454
                                    ---- ---------
  Total 3469 5,058,678

The number of ships on the lakes as given does not include wooden vessels trading on the Great Lakes.  While the ocean tonnage has declined from more than two and a half million tons in 1861 to some eight hundred thousand tons, that engaged in the coastwise and inland trade has steadily increased for many years.[IS] On the Great Lakes especially is employed a fine and powerful merchant fleet.

THE END.

FOOTNOTES: 

[Footnote IN:  Registry law of 1792, in Revised Statutes, sec. 4132.]

[Footnote IO:  Revised Statutes, see. 4131.]

[Footnote IP:  Tariff act of Aug. 5, 1909, sec. 19.]

[Footnote IQ:  Postoffice Department report, 1910.]

[Footnote IR:  Postmaster-general Hitchcock, report, 1910.]

[Footnote IS:  American Year Book, 1911.]

INDEX

  Adriatic, the steamer,

  American Shipping League,

  American Steamship Company,

  American Year Book, reference to,

  Anderson, Com.  Gen. George E., reference to,

  Arctic, the steamer,

  Argentina, use of subsidies in,

  Aspinwall, W.H.,

  Atlantic, the steamer,

  Atlantic Transport line,

  Auguste Victoria, the steamer,

  Australasia line,

  Australian line,

  Austria-Hungary, history of the use of subsidies in,
    provisions for two classes of subsidies in,
    increase in the proportion of steamers built in,
    total of tonnage in,
    grants of,

  Austrian Lloyd Company,

  Austro-American Shipping Company,