affording
fresh openings for it, by establishing new lines of communication,
or introducing new methods of conveyance, the expense of which,
after the first outlay has been incurred, may be expected to be
borne by the parties availing themselves of the facilities offered
them. But this having once been done, and sufficient time having
been allowed for the experiment, the further continuance of the
service, unless required for political reasons of adequate
importance, should be made to depend upon the extent to which the
parties chiefly interested avail themselves of it, and upon its
tendency to become self-supporting."

Noticing the greater or less sums at which private companies may be
induced to undertake short line postal service, and stating that the
line is both benefited and injured by the necessity of punctual
sailing hours, the Report states the reason why subsidies are
required, thus:

"The vessels now under contract with the Government are, however,
for the most part, required to maintain high rates of speed. The
contractors are also subject to a variety of conditions, designed
partly to secure the efficiency of the postal service, and partly
to render their vessels available for other national purposes
wholly unconnected with that service. In return, they are in the
receipt of subsidies largely in excess of the amount of revenue
derived from the mails they carry, and those subsidies are
guaranteed to them for terms of years varying from four to twelve,
most of which have at the present time not less than seven or
eight years to run. An Estimate printed in the Appendix, will show
that while the amount of the subsidies to foreign and colonial
lines, as contracted for in the past year, was no less than
L822,390, the sums received for postage upon these lines can not
be estimated at more than L443,782."

The Report further says, as to the mode by which postal communication
can be procured, "where frequent and rapid communication already
exists, it is only necessary for the Government to secure from time to
time the services of vessels already engaged in private traffic." But
as there are no such cases in the transmarine routes, and as private
enterprise supplies the demand of steam lines only on the short
routes, like the inter-island service of Great Britain, or that to the
Continent, or the service of the Sou