Omaha daily bee., 1889-10-28
SUBSIDIES TO OCEAN STEAMERS

SUBSIDIES 1O OCEdN oIBhmbhc
The volume issued by the government
on trade and transportation between
the United States and Spanish America
devotes considerable space 10 the pre-
sentation OF facts regarding the pay
mont OF ship subsidies by other nations.
The purpose Of this is obvious. There
is TO be q vigorous effort made to obtain
an expression from the international
congress favorable TO policy OF steam
ship subsidies on the part OF this
government, and tho argument
contained in the facts pre-
sented Is TO prepare the public mind OF
the country for such an expression by
the congress. 1t is quite possible, how
ever, that 1t will be shown that these
facts, as presented, are misleading. in
which case the argument they are in
tended TO convey would fail.
The assertion is broadly made in this
volume that all the commercial nations
OF Europe aud most OF the countries
of South and Central America
pay subsidies or bounties for the
encouragement OF foreign COM
merce, and figures nre given OF
the amounts paid by each coun-
try. For example, 1t is stated that
England pays annually over four mil
lion dollars in subsidies, France nearly
seven millions, Italy three aud half
millions, aud Germany over three
millions. But do these governments
expend this money on the subsidy plan
which it is proposed the United States
shall adopt? Take the case Of England.
Consul General New, at London, has
furnished the state department with
report on British subsidies, and he
states that that government does not
grant subsidies, in the general sense OF
that term, to any steamship company.
The postoffice authorities make con-
tracts for the conveyance OF mails to
the different parts of the world with the
steamship companies having steamers
sailing to those ports, and no payment
other than for tho conveyance of mails
is specially made for maintaining COM
munication between Great Britain and
Central ard South America and the
West Indies. Companies building large
steamships are granted some aid by
the government under contracts
that such vessels shall in time
of war be called into the service Of the
government as war ships and transports
and even in such cases the aid given is
not large. Consul New reports that the
amount paid for postoifice services for
| 1SSS-S9 was a fraction over three mil
| lion dollars, compensation far from
excessive for n service of such vast dis
tances and heavy proportions as the
British mail. And the statistics for
twenty years show the very suggestive
| fact that the charges for this service
have been steadily diminishing, while
| the amount of mail matter has neces-
sarily been increased.
AS to the othor European countries,
| arc doubtless moro in the nature of sub
| sides, but those OF Germany and Italy
are not on very large scale of geuer-
osity, and their system is evidently not
| on the tonnage-and-mileag plan which
it is proposed this government shall
adopt. If they were, three million dol
lars would go but a short way in
| the annual payment of sub
sides. But the subsidy advocates
have always cited the example OF Eng
land as the one to be followed, and it is
sufficient answer to them to show,
upon the unauestionable authority OF
Consul General New, that tho British
government does not grant subsidies,
but simply pays for its mail service,
getting this done as reasonably as DOS
sible. And England has found this
policy, to which there can be no reason
able objection. sufficient to enable hei
to hold her own against the countries
which have attempted by artificial
props to build up their mercantile ma
| rina.