The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-07-14
THE TONNAGE SUBSIDY BILL.

The Tonnage Subsidy Bill passed the
Senate oil Saturday by party vote. 1t
now goes to the House, and from all that
can be ascertained its fate in that body is
not doubtful. Nor, we imagine, is there
any reason for apprehrnding that the Presl-
dent will withhold his signature when 1t
reaches him. Thus measure which is OF
the utmost consequence to the commerce OF
this port bids fair to become law.
The provisions of the bill were explained
in this column q few days ago. 1t grants
out of the public funds an annual subsidy
to steamers which run from American to
foreign ports The sum to be granted Will
depend on the tonnage of the vessels, their
freight-carrying capacity and their speed.
IN these respects much is left to the dis
erection of the Secretary of the Treasury,
and it is quite likely that the details of the
bill as passed by the Senate may be medi-
fed when it reaches the House. They are
of less importance than the main principle
involved. The essential point of the bill is
that it seeks to establish regular and swift
intercourse between such American ports as
San Francisco and such foreign ports as
VALPARAISO; an intercourse which the
slender dimensions of our trade with South
and Central America prevents ship-owners
from starting at their own risks. We have
reason 10 believe that the leading steamship
owners on this Coast have not been mat
tentive observers Of events in Congress,
and that " hen the bill becomes q law no
time will be lost in laying before the de-
partment programme for line of steam-
ships connecting this port with the South
American Coast.
The passage of the bill in the Senate was
resisted by Senator Vest OF Missouri in
speech of power and plausibi!ity. The
trouble with the Missouri Senator is that he
studies the question from a theoretical
standpoint only, and because he does not
find any Justification for subsidies in the
philosophy of political economy, he refuses
to pursue the course which every mercan-
tile nation has adopted to foster its mercan-
tile marine 1t would be grand. no doubt,
to live up to the doctrines which the Sena-
tor proposes. But, in the meantime, we
should have no maritime intercourse with
South America, and a valuable trade which
might lust as well be ours would remain in
British hands. We showed the other day
that Chile is a large consumer of goods of
which we have a surplus, and large pro-
Queer OF goods which we import. Common
sense would indicate that we should eX-
change the one for the other and facilitate
the exchange by every means in cur power.
Unfortunately, the Interchange at the start
would be too limited to support a line Of
steamers. No steamship owner would run
the risk of laying his vessels on the berth.
What, then, are We to do? To let the trade
20 TO Europe, for fear of shocking Mr..
Vests doctrlnal views, or to make bid for
the trade by guaranteeing the pioneer line
against ruinruS loss? England has shown
US how practical nation answers the Ques-
ton.
Senator Vest declares that revival of
the policy of subsidies will lead to scandal
and corruption. Very possibly. All great
enterprises are open to the same objection.
Wherever large sums Of money are dis.
bursed. somebody tries to steal in con-
nection with the disbursement. There
probably never was Government building
erected that somebody did not at least try
to make Illicit gain out of the job. But the
danger of such steals does not prevent the
appropriation of large sums annually for
the erection of Government buildings.
Friends OF the Administration. and for that
matter members of Mr.. Vests own party,
will have ample opportunities 10 guard the
subsidy grant against misappropriation. 1t
ought to be easy to hedge the appropriation
with such conditions that the grantees
could not touch dollar until they had COM
piled with the terms of the grant If the
steamships accomplish the work demanded
OF them they will get their money; if they
fail in their undertaking, they will not be
able to draw their subsidy unless the Sec
rotary of the Treasury and the President
connlve to assist the fraud; and, in all our
history, we have never had Secretary of
the Treasury WHO has been accused Of cor
ruption.