The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-07-14
SUBSIDIES FOR THE SHIPS
THE CLAUSE IN THE POSTAL BILL
STILL ON THE TAPIS.

Favor the Scheme.
WASHINGTON, July lS.-In the house to-
dav Mr.. Blount Of Georgia submitted the
conference report on the postoffice appro-
rriation bill. An agreement has been ar
rived at on all the amendments except that
Known as the Subsidy" amendment. The
rate of postage on seeds, plants bulbs, roots
and scions has been fixed at cent for each
two ounces or fraction thereof. 1t is pro-
vided that no contract for rent Of third
class uostoffices shall be made for longer
neriod than one year. The report
was agreed to, and then Mr.. Bingham of
Pennsylvania moved to concur in the senate
Subsidy amendment, with an amendment
reducing the appropriation from $500, 900
10 s450, 900, authorizing the Postmaster
General to increase the mail facilities not
onlv between the United States and Central
and South America and West Indies, but
between the United States and China
Japan, the Sandwich islands and Austria
Iasia. and providing that American ships
CARRYING mails shall be allowed four times
the rates Of compensation they now re-
ceive
The debate on Mr.. Bingham's amendment
occupied the entire session until the 5
the amendment, said Mr.. Bingham, was
not one of subsidy or bonus, but question
as to the read justment of the compensation
under the law Of 1858 as applied to
the sailing of American steamships
under the existing conditions or
1888. The steamship companies were
not paid by weight but by the amount of
sea and inland postage, and therefore any
change in the rates of postage effected a
IL, ha cati maid In thapn
When the law was passed under which the
present method of payment was established
the rates of foreign postage varied, but
averaged more than four times what they
are at present under the international
postal union. and he contended that under
this circumstance it was not just to COM
pensate steamship companies now under
the infexible law of 1858.
Mr.. BLoUNT's OPPOSITION.
Mr.. Blouut of Georgia opposed the motion
to concur and expressed his firm antagonism
TO the subsidy system. That system had
been followed by England, but her action
in this respect was political, the subsidies
she had given having, as a general rule,
gone to her colonies with which she must
Il keep up her connection. The same system,
4 as followed by France and Germany, had
resulted in throwing the lines of these
nations into bankruptcy, and he was
opposed to the United States inaugurating
4 any such policy. He compared the com
pensation paid for mail transportation by
SEA with that paid for the transportation of
n freight and express matter to Substantiate
n his argument that the former was sufti-
GENTLY high aud perfectly satisfactory.
N SHIP OWNERS ALONE DISSATISFIED.
4 1t was satisfactory to the commercial
world and to every one except the ship
owners The line to China and to Australia
now received from so to 100 times more for
mail transportation than it did for freight
transportation, and yet it was proposed by
the pending amendment to give it four
times as much as it now received he spoke
by authority when he said that the Post
master General was in favor Of the pay
ment of sea and inland postage only. The
Postmaster General favored neither the
amendment of the senate nor the amend
ment of the gentleman from Pennsylvania,
but he believed that the existing provisions
for the service were ample. and that to-day
the United States had the best mail system
on earth.
DINGLEY IN THE AFFIRMATIVE.
Mr.. DingleY of Maine hoped that what
ever objections might be raised to the senate
amendment, they ought not to affect the
house in the decision of the simple question
presented by the amendment Of the gentle
man from PENNSYLVANIA. That amend
ment involved fair and reasonable mail
Fay-not sub byidy-sufficient to just
y compensate American steam
L,1,lps which piled between the
United States and South America
and the east, and enable them to be main
aned, pay sufficient to make it possible 20
Stablish other American lines to run to
countries of South America, with whom he
leSlred closer mail and commercial rela-
aons. The amendment gave substantially
the same basis of payment as was provided
oy the law Of 1853, because the rate Of sea
and inland postage was today hardly more
man one-fourth of what it had been in 1858.
THE GREAT DIRECTOR.
Mr.. Holman of Indiana attacked the
principle of subsidy.
Mr.. Owen of Indiana, discussed the
amendment in a commercial point of view,
ana advocated it as a means of advancing
the business interests Of the United States
America,
Mr. Nelson of Minnesota said the argu-
aent that American shipping did not exist
occauSe OF the war which occurred TWEEN
,i,e ave years ago was to him all
stuH and nonsense, all fuss and
leathers. The trouble was that the
government had put the merchant ma
le IN sort of straight jacket. 1t said to
t5ople wishing to engage capital in navlga-
my Vne high seas, "You cannot engage in
aN ehteprse unless you buy American
'esse>' This was putting the merchant
ba 1ailue a IN straight jacket Applause on
"' uemocratic side
NORWAY AS AN EXAMPLE.
Ne ne referred to the country of his birth,
: SoC {9y, as a poor country, with less than
%y'o,UVO Inhabitants She was so poor that
or. Ee could not subsidize a single ship for q
fsie year, and yet with free trade and
~. shipS, she stood next to the United
n, Sa.ea . IN tonnage and commerce [Applause
~ tne democratic side In every port OF
Te,; world could be found Nor
Vs'ah ship, and the idea that, in
..S country with all its wealth and all its
ty.go,uIces, American shipping could not
n| ' "lthout a subsidy to few steamship
b~, was preposterous. The granting OF
M, .ti iI'es TO few steamship lines would
~, Emulate commerce but would simply
cop,,d,,.nq .nq.n with weapon to fight off al!
\, WOULD HELP MONOPOLY.
t,a, a,r' Dockery of Missouri made an elab
5io. ugGment against the system OF sub
4fd' ona contended that the effect OF the
te Tx aInendment would b. 30 discourage
!. suu4ilng Of additional lines. and 20 en-
e san poor men as Jay Gould, Rus
orase and &. +. Huntington 10 prevent
nsI ',uoh being built up 20 the Pacific
3NAihshlp company A system OF
as,i,t'' would not revive the nerchani
MA Ihat marine had declined because