The Wilmingtonian., 1885-03-14
AID TO COMMERCE
-ss-t--
MIR. LORE ADVOCATES IT IN
THE HOUSE.
He States his Strong Relief In the
Possibilities of American
Commerce.

|
In connection with the fact that our en-
terprising ship building firm, The Harla
and Hollingsworth Company, have the con
tract for building a racing yacht to compel
for the American cup in the coming occal
race in which the best English craft are t.
be pitted against us, it is interesting to note
the position taken by our indefatigable rep
resentatve the Hon. CHAs. B. LORE in thu
House of Representatives last Thursday.
He claimed that proper discrimination
should be used when applying the term sub
sidy to governmental grant after it has
been clearly demonstrated that in the case
in point the actual expenses were but scant.
ly reached by tue grant. Mr. LORE said;
"Mr, Speaker, this is not political ques.
ton in any sense of the word. 1t is purely
an economic question, and do not believe
that anyone will be terrified by the cry OF
Subsidy" that gentlemen are disposed to
raise in this debate.
If it were a subsidy pure and outright the
time has been when Americans even were
not scared by the word 1t may have been
corruptly used, and every honest American
rebels at corruption; but by subsidy proper
ly used our American commerce in the past
has risen to equal and excel that of the
greatest commercial nations of the earth,
and no American citizen had reason to hang
his head or be ashamed.
Under subsidy we had line of steamers
that once floated upon the Atlantic under
The flag of this countryside Collins line
and well remember how every Americans
neart beat proudly as we read in the oule-
thus from time to time that the Collins line
of steamers was the prido of the ocean.
That was subsidized line.
To-day, sir, in Philadelphia, right in the
very city of my friend, the chairman Of the
Committee on Appropriations, the only line
of American steamers that was owned by
Americans and run by Americans has taken
the American flag from her mast, and to-
day floats the Belgian flag, and is subsidiz-
ed by the Belgian Government.
Then, ifit were pure subsidy I would
not be afraid TIE time has come when the
American people should not be scared by a
,,rrssysv,r- pfsU vftrsgvioaa--sdtntnvreu iron
the dead past by the able member from In
d llama lMr, Holman)
Our merchant marine is a thing of the
past and dream oft future. 1t has no
existence to-day, but We mean as far as we
can to take the initiative steps to again
rebuild that proud marine. This is step
III the right direction, The proposition be-
| fore the House is not to subsidize these
steamship lines, but to pay an honest com.
pensation for the honest labor they perform
The labor performed is comparable, as sta
ted by the member from South Caroline
(Mr. Tillmanl, to the labor of transporta
ton upon your star routes. Would you dis
continue the service on every little posta
star-route line throughout the country be
cause of the star-route frauds?
Can we not distinguish between fraud an
the just and honest application of an apprc
priation to the needs of great service
while at the same time we are taking ste
in the direction of progress? One promote
industry and builds up the marine; Il
other dwarfs not only the enterprise, bt
it degrades the man who is engaged in
: Now let us pay TO these vessels, as We p'
- to the little star-routes, fair equivalent f
the services rendered.
The Committee on American Ship-buil
ing and Ship-owning Interests, of which
have the honor to be member, have ca
fully and honestly considered this matt
not only during this session but in the Ii
session of Congress, in all Of its phases.
that consideration we were unanimously
opinion that it was wise and beneficial.
was introduced in the appropriation bill I
sented by the Committee on Appropl
tions. And let me say that this is one
the means which will enable us again
- float our vessels on every ocean and in ev
sea, manned by American tars the equals
= any in the world. (Applause.)