The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1871-03-22

From the New Y ork Times, we take the fol.
lowing statement of a novel mode of Substituting
American steam lines, which was submitted to
the Committee on Commerce of the House OF
Representatives in January last. As no notice
has been taken of the proposition in Congress,
it is probable that it did not meet the approval Of
/ the Committee The plan does not look like a
bad one however, as the increased immigration
would. in the way of increasing labor and capital,
remunerate the country for the grants to the steam
! lines
A novel plan for the establishment and en-
couragement Of American steam lines from our
principal Atlantic seapOrts to Europe, was sub
mitted to the House Committee on Commerce a
few days ago. 1t proposes to subsidize such lines
by granting bounty on immigrants brought into
the country by their steamships. The number
OF steamers is limited 70 eighty of which at least
fifty shall be steamers built in the United States;
the remaining thirty may be built or bought
abroad. To encourage the building of the steam
eTs at home, and to provide fair compensation
for the extra cost Of building rst-class iron steam
ships in the United States, it is proposed to pay
the American built ships bounty of $50 upon
every immigrant, and the fOregn-built steamers.
registered as American, and owned managed and
commanded by American citizens, $40 per immi-
grant.
1t is argued that, under this arrangement,
American ship-Owners will be able to enter at
once into successful competition with the power
fol British companies which now monOpoize the
trade between the United States and Great Brit
ain, and that American lines will be promptly or
ganized, building half their steamers in England
to save time aud the other half in the United
States, to secure the additional bounty. The
plan looks to the protection of both ship-owners
and ship-builders, and is proposed as a compromise
measure which, it is thought will be equitable to
both those interests, and end the antagouism
which now exists between them, to the serious
injury of the navigation interests of the country
1t is also intended to supersede the personal and
special subsidy bills which are now before Con
gress and which seek to build up one or two
steam lines at the cost of the Government and
for the exclusive benefit Of the few favored indi-
viduals who are soliciting the grant
A strong argument in favor Of the proposed
system is that II faTors no individual clique city
or section, but Is open to all American citizens
who may be prepared to take advantage of its
provisions. 1t will afford tie new Philadelphia
Company the aid that they must have in some
shape to save their enterprise from melancholy
failure. Under its influence Boston may start a
Liverpool steam line with more than reasonable
prospect Of success and New York can esrab-
fish half a dozen profitable lines, provided her
ship-owners act promptly and in advance of the
ship-Owners of other ports.
To the objection that a bounty upon steerage
passengers would be violation of our navigation
treaties with England, it is replied that England
has set US the example in Substituting her steam
lines, and that in principal there is little differ
ence whether the subsidy is nominaily paid for
mail service or for the encouragement Of imm- |
grafton, under which last heading it is proposed
to grant the bounty.
The steamers it is proposed shall carry the |
United States mails for the sea postage shall be
at the disposal of the Government in time of war
and shall not be sold out of the country without
the consent of the Secretary of the Treasury.