The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-07-03
THE STARS AND STRIPES MISSING.
Mr.. Frye Shows Why American Yes"
sells Need Protection.
Interesting Comparison with the
Ships OF other Nations.
Our Steamship Lines Doomed Unless
Congress Takes Action.

proceeded TO the consideration Of the two
Senate bills reported from the committee on
commerce to place the American merchant
marine engaged in foreign trade upon an
equality with that Of other nations, and pro-
vide for an ocean mail service between the
United States and foreign ports, and to pro-
mote commerce. Mr.. Frye spoke as to both
bills. The first. he said, was for bounty on
tonnage to be applied to all ships, sail or
steam, wood, iron or steel, of certain class,
that class being very perfect in requirement.
It was the bill agreed upon by the Shipping
League Association of the United States and
had been very largely endorsed. He had
supposed Mr.. Tburber of New York, and
the Brazilian Steamboat Company would
have much preferred postal subsidy Dlil
but had received letter from him, IN whicn
he had given very strong reasons In favor OF
both bills, especially in favor OF the tonnage
bill AS to the cost of the bill Mr.. Frye said
the commissioner of navigation estimated its
cost for the first year as about So OOO, ana
S6,OOO,OOO. Mr., Frye said he would be much
disappointed If in four or five years the cost
did not rise to 81, 100000 or SS.0OO.00O.
The other bill was known as the postal
subsidy bill. 1t provided that the Postmas-
ter General should make contracts, after ad-
vertisement, with the lowest bidder for car
rying United States mails in Amer
lean vessels. 1t provides for four
classes Of American vessels. Here
Mr.. Frye described the four classes oi yes
the first class, he said that English ships
were not so well built as American ships.
The City of Paris one OF the hnest In the
service, consumed 800 tons Of coal per day
and carried $50 men to handle coal. Ihere
was no provision whatever on board the
ship for these men to wash themselves.
They were compelled to go to bed as they
were, all cOvered!with CRIME. persplratl0n,
coal and ashes. The ship which the Cramps
of Philadelphia built for Mr.. Spreckles had
an apartment and shower bath for the men.
That was an illustration Of the difference
between American and Engllsn Dullt Snlps'
Mr.. Frye repeated the prediction made by
him some time ago that the passage OF thls
bill would be followed by the establishment
of lines of American ships running to Eu-
rope, South America and China and Japan.
He said the United States had only TOUR or
five lines of steamers left. One was the line
for New York to Brazil Ihat line was Kept
on the ocean today by the mail pay from
the Brazilian government and In no other
possible way. John R0ach's Brazilian line
last S277 900 in the first four years 1t ran and
never paid dividend. The United States
did not pay it for carrying the mail and had
refused to pay it enough even for the actual
cost of handling the mail. The line to Ven-
Zuela started Tor the purpose OF establishing
trade with that country. had bare margin
Of profit and had succeeded in building up
between the United States and venZuela
three times as large trade as
there was between the United States
and any of other the southern countries
in proportion to population and wealtD.
Now there was Spanish line. coming In
competition with 1t under an act OF the
Cortes, giving it 5000 for every round trip.
How long, he asked, would the Venezuela
line stay in existence. So, too, with the
Cuban line. The steamers OF aiSpanish line
had come into competition with II, receiving
under the act Of the Cortes 5000 for every
MT Gray asked Mr.. Frye whether the peo-
Pile OF the United States did not get the ben
eft of commerce carried on by these Spanish
lines.
Mr. Frye admitted that. He asked how
long the Cuban line would stay in existence
in the face of such competition. New Lea-
land, he said, had Withdrawn her subsidy
from the Pacific. Mail Steanshl2 COMPANY
and the Spreckles line lad now that su5sf--
dy. The Pacific Mail Steamship Company
could no longer compete on the Pacific ocean
with the new subsidized line from the Ca
madam Pacific Railroad Company and would
have to disappear. Unless Congress did
something soon there would not be single
steamship line traversiDg the oceans carry
ing the American flag.
The American carrying trade was dead for
want of protection. lt was the only great
American industry OF winch tnH same could
be said. The people Of the United States
paid $50. 900 a year to keep alive the su
gar growing industry Of the United States.
Six millions year would revive the dead
body Of the American merchant marine and
keep 1t on the ocean. In the early days, the
American carrying trade was protected by
differeutial duties. But commercial treat
les had been made, one after another, with
the nations of the earth aud protection from
diferential duties ceased. The c0astwise
carrying trade was protected and the result
was the coastwise fleet Of the United States
today was larger than all the coastwise fleets
of the whole world, and freights were lower
in that tradethan anywhere else In the world.
HeIhad made calculation as to the difference
In the cost of operation between the steam
ship Alliance of the Brazilian line and the
Spanish, French. Italian, German and
British ships of the same size in the same
trade and found that calculating the sub
sidy, difference in wages and difference in
cost of maintenance, the Spanish vessel had
an advantage over the American vessel of
S10,4 month the Italian ship. 5000; the
German, SS.024; the British, S7,100. These
figures were facts not fancies.
In his judgment there was but one remedy
and that was protection to American ships
engaged In foreign carrying trade. either by
bounties or subsidies