The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-09-11
Transatlantic Stea m Navigation
~ L l..

From the London Times Aug I'll
Most readers will col!ect that during the recent de-
bates In the American Congress the stormy discussions
upon national rights varied by the introduction Of
very different proposition. commercial company,
charging itself with the navigation of the Atlantic be-
tween Liverpool and New York subsidized expressly
BY the State in aid of its performances Applied have
amounted TO LOO per cent on the original gaut the
iton created some little consteinaon but the end
It was granted, and the American line Of Atlantic
steamers will heDceforth receivo twice tue subsidy
before given. This circumstance has been made
the subject of alusion by correspondent. That the
writer strangely mistaken 10 his reference of the ques
tion to that Of free trade will very easily discovered but
the general train Of thought suggested by the letter
may be conceive to some proh,sb account
1t is by clear that these matters rightly
deittood either one side Of the tho other.
Between Liverpool New York th.r are running two
lnes Of tteamtrs, 8ri,irh and American.
cou,agd In each by la1e grants Of noucy from their
respective governmcnts, Nperforn tao .ge in the
shortest possible time The subsidy contributed to the
British line amounts 20 quarter OF nliop sterling;
that enjoyed by the American Company till lately about
the some 1t understood that in consideration of these
allowances the spendiay comanies to disro
gard ce views Of mercantile tnterpre The
vessels are built for speed only carry
goes than mails passengers their otcr wise enorm u,
tonnage being absorbed in engine and coal room. They
Scr In fact from vulgar little less widely
than OF war being constructed not indeed for fight
rg but r rum to tho prejudice Of all more productive
capacities Under these the passage
the Atlantic has ecn reduced from weeks days and
now literally question ofhours The American stsamers
though not oxcelliDg In their average perform
snees have succeeded in winning by abaU- haf
neck; that Is to say the very quickest tiausC
cordbing four hours shorter than that next to thas
been executed by American vessel As the passage
be set at about $50 hours there Of course
margin enough 10 make up the odd four and IL Is evil
d. that favorable circumstances Of work weather
might any day turn the scale in favor of the English.
lbe competition indeed is to be prosecuted more vgor-
ouy than before and il is upon this pon coupled
with the credit Of vctory' that the American company
"a succeeded in Obtaining the large increase Of subsidy
mentioned above Between The tso governments there
fore bounty amounting to something like three quarters
Of million annually will be paid upon ocean racing.
Now, there can be no doubt that II is Of the very
highest importance to bring two such countries Great
Britain and America close possible to each other 1t
is damaged by the smallness of the gain apparently
pTocurbe -Four hours Is not large proportion Of 25o
but If hours and minutes. had not been closely
reckontd that of $50 would have been
reached chronometer obtains the prize another
by the der of 80 seconds in year This difference
in itsc may be nappreciable but it Ii owing to this
competition for seconds that ordinary tmepieces
we'll to minutes In good race the actual difference
will al ways be small otheree. indeed the would
not be good one But. granting all this is it worth
while upon sound views OF policy to purchase the im
proyemen,s still possibly atainable at 20 high premium,
and If Is this premium oert In the most advisable
shape and maDner CONSIDERING the relative position OF tue
twocountres their commercial relations their natural
advantages 1t sperfecy certain that the traffic across
the which divides them would not only - perform
ed without the aid cf bountes but would b. performed
under the stimulus Of strong competition This compcti
on would not indeed egtmstly be pushed to the ex-
tent OF trading without profit Remuneration would al
ways be looked to as fair condition o voyage but
what IL may be asked would b. the probable difference
between voyages thus executed under the ordinary coeR
tivee of trade and thoe performed under the artificial
cnconraE. Of buunties IL Is tor this dierenoe,
and hing that State premiums paid;
and il miles hour could be done nj profit Is IL
desirable 10 do Tx at a loee Perhaps It may be said
that four five hours difference In the delivery ola
mail may make the difference Of pe'ce or war be-
tween the two countries and that We need hardly
look beyond tho recent crisis for an Illustration OF
the contingency Bnt would tho mails on the whole
be caied expeditiouy than at present II tho duty
left to the unaided energies OF British and American
marirers! Fer is be forgotten that il unties
provide with swift line OF steamships they entiro
y drive all Others from the ed II The stimulus OF 0xed
premiums IL gained The stimulus Of free competition Is
lost No vessel will attempt TO against another Tch
iarts with the advantage OF subsidy The re dcr viii
easily obeerve that there Is great duuctfpn bctweea
touoits thus allotted and the encouragement common
i Oft red to msshancal or scientific exceeoco. When
p tmiums Proposed for the best chronometers We
old contract beior hand pay aonual stipend to
anufact urpg house but adjudeed the reward TO
the be-, perfor after fre competition In the
~ny With raceborscs and with yachts there substantial
Incentives TO excellence, but they do not incude spe ai
bouptes to breeders or builders although the ordinary
stmulus Of competition Is much ocaker In these cases
han in that of eesgdDg steamers IL IL hardly olcar,
therefore tbat cur policy in this respect sound al
though on the other hand IL may b sad, perhaps that
IL at stake than superiority Of speed The
cleaners ultimately triumphant whether British or
10 and fro and this traffic it IL welt worth securing by
bounty TO the coDqotrors just private sp4cu.
later could contend with salaried company,
uhs'dzed Brush line could compete with subsidized
american line The Americans indeed say that were
eettirg he Atlantic to Ourselves when good premium
evoked competition their eide OF the aud thev
n, " expect that stUi better premium will put them In
our place. But what Is TO be tho ,nd of aush struggle
| ttur hours advantage or isss ell certainly not
decide such championship II has boon plainly
ed these hours have cost an extra quarter OF
million year What will be the expense OF genuine or
permanent victory We have thrown OUT ,n*e remarks
Tor ppbio alton because appears to that
experience II going very towards coovictng the
country of the hforo n anu mat inc w"
states are approaching the predcam'n OF rival railway
e,mJ anies Al the very period when the room Tor im
pro,.ment has become smallest, are rend ring our
selves liable to the larprst demsndt As thing nov
stand u is tcarcly possible In the sbeence Of aoy re
nakhble invention, that the sp'ed of our Autnnc
| voyages can be materially ipcreatcd W. may WORK up
| our four hours srrcar~ge the Americans perhaps
may turn this surplus into Ave but We hardly see nov
much mere u to be expected Meantime the free cours'
Of competition Ia entirely suspended and after giving
| away quarter CT a million year We shall be reduces
20 The necessity Of either ,pendng much more sub