Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-02-21
CRAZY FOR SUBSIDIES
soME PERTINENT REMARKS ON AN
IMPORTANT SUBJECT.

tcsn shipPing-sums for the Taxpayer
90 Think of-Blaiss w. New on the
British Way Of Doing IT.
A bill has been introduced in congress
by Mr. Farquhar, Of New York. for the
purpose Of reviving American shipping
by means Of subsidies. The bin proposes
a subsidy 70 American built vessels Of
thirty cents per ton for every thousand
miles sailed. A lobby has been at work
in Washington TO show how our declin-
ing merchant marine would be put upon
its feet again by the passage Of this bill.
OF course 1t is the men who would get
the money who are pushing for the pas
sage Of the measure. Mr.. II. X Thurbsr.
president Of the Brazil Nail Steamship
company, and Nr. j. ". Lachlan, gen.
eral manager Of that line. have been Be-
fore the house committee 70 show how
rood thing il would Be for the country
% pay them for doing their own business
II the bill should be psssed 5000 ton
yteomship Of Mr. Thurber's line would
receive about $1,000 for each round trip
between the ports Of New York and Rio
lie Jsnsiro; and 5000 ton vessel would
receive almost an equal sum for the
round voyage between New York and
Liverpool.
II such q steamship should make only
twelve round voyages to Liverpool in a
year her owners would receive for this
single vessel not less than $4,000 .
year. This is equivalent TO the interest
at 5 per cent on s., zoo, 900.
Evidently the subsidy men know what
they want.
Mr.. F. B. Crawford. on the other hand
has written a letter to The Manufacturer
Of Philadelphia showing what burden
70 the taxpayers this subsidy scheme
would become. Mr.. Crawford thinks
and very reasonably-that II we under
take to grant subsidies we ought to aim.
AZ the very least, TO make our steam
shipping half as great as that Of Great
Britain II IL should have that effect.
then, III each steamer traversed $1,000
miles per annum "a low estimated and re-
ceived 90 cents per ton gross las proposed
By the bounty bilD per 1000 miles. the
annual cost would be about 81, o00. 900. -
With figures like these kept before the
American taxpayer, how long do these
subsidy hunters think they could be able
10 keep the taxpayer up to the scratch Of
footing their annual bills: OF course,
with these munihcent sums going every
year into the Golfers Of the subsidized
ship owners, these men could become
very promising subjects for fat irving, I"
and the growing needs Of the G. o. p.
would render the creation Of q wealthy
class Of ship owners most desirable At
this Particular tine. when there "a q
growing tendency among manufacturer
20 demand OF congress TO remove their
shackles By giving then free raw ma
terials
The argument Of the subsidy hunters e
che Of the opeerest things that American
Politics-viih It's Dsny queer phenonena
has exhibited for many ! DAY.
The example Of England
The msz who have been fiihrr the air
for years with ordinations Of horror AZ
British free trade. and who have dill
gently circulated forged extracts from
English newspapers 70 frightea American
workingns1. now face about, al Of q
sudden, AID plead the example Of Eng
land!
But what are the facts.
The best Republican authorities ara not
agreed
Mr.. Blain. says: England has never
been aGriEhted BY the word subsidy. Z"
and he makes a ridiculous attempt TO
show that England has built up her com
mercial marine By granting subsidies
Gen. John Z. New, President Earri-
sons consul general at London, reports
70 the United States treasury depart
ment under date Of Sept. 8, 1889, thar
the British government does not grant
subsidies, in the general sense Of that
term, 70 any steamship company"
The fact is that not more than g per
cent Of England's shipping receives
money IN any way from the govern
ment. Some owners are paid small sum.
BY the British admiralty on condition
that their ships be built 50 as TO CARY
heavy guns, and that the governuent
have the option Of buying or hiring these
vessels IN time Of war. The estimated
expenditures for this purpose last year
were only cS9. $50. or about sI9O, 900.
Then England pays for the carriage of
her mails; but she is often provokinzly
careless es 20 who carrles them. For
example, a French company holds the
contract for carrying the British mails
from Alden, in Arabia, 70 the island
Of Xauritius-both Alden and Mauritius
being British possessions.
Would not the subsidy hunters be more
consistent and state their case more e.
fectvely II they held fast BY their old
argument, which serves them 50 well in
election times: England does il: there
fore, We must do the opposite"
President Harrison. IN his long and
almost Pointless message, does ar least
manage 70 get up courage 70 advise the
granting OF subsidies, under the form OF
liberal appropriations, for carrying the
mails But applying this % the Bra
lillian line, which seems 70 De the hun
gr1est and % crv the lo1dest Of all the
subsidy hunters, who wants 70 send let
sers 70 Brazil b. ths; line il twenty-five
and often thirty days, when, Is az pres-
ent, those letters can 20 su the wav 70
England and thus reach Brazil in twenty
three cayss
But have We no shiPpings
Much more, 81 least, than the hags Oh
the seas indicate.
The fast steamers. the great ocean
greyhounds~ plying between New York
and Liverpool, are largely owned BY
American stockholders. but they are IL
cluded in t2e--oyal naval reseTveof Eng
land. and x case Of war they would De-
come British cruisers.
There Is firm in Boston which carries
on large trade in fruits with Jamaica,
bur l. Is forced 20 sail its vessels under
the British flag. A wealthy capitalist Of
Boston owns ship which he is forced 10