New-York tribune., 1891-03-05
EFFECT OF THE SUBSIDY BILL
VIEWS OF SENATOR FRYE AND THE CoM-
MISSIONER OF NAVIGATION.
THE FATHER OF POSTAL SUBSIDY HofEr'N -
EXCELLENT RESULTS-MR. BATESS "Lo0Ni
VIEW OF SHIPPING LEGISLATION
BY THIS CONGRESS.
Try TELEGRAPH TO THE TBIBCNEJ

Washington March notwithstanding tne lio. '"
the shipping interests Of the country nave su"'1
another serious defeat mt the hands or Congress III '
rejection OF the Tonnage bill. there is still somethns
,oft for these interests TO draw consolation from IN
the massage Of the Postal Subsidy bill. THIS la''o
measure in the form in which 1t became ""' 10 "
by any means what its framer Senator Frye l'V'"
IL should be, bat 1t IS something, DeglhhlhS' anu "
this fact Mr. Frye Mr.. Dingley and 0ther ao'oo''' "
,mcrcan interests at sea find q little comfort anu
announcement. For the last five CphSTe'scS WIZ"
bat one exception, when n Democratic senate 'l'"eu
its hack upon the American sailor and shlpo"her' h'
General Postal appropriation has reached inc Hcn'o
which did not go back to the popular Dranc" "'''
foreign postal subsidy clause rider placen upon
at the instance OF Mr. Frye. once he ana Quiet ''i."
ful friends OF our shipping succeeded III se''e Wv
measure through both houses but it failed u Decomc
ogectjve The record Of the highhanded ana OUT
r,peous act Of Mr. Clevelands Postmasterue
which set at naught the mandate OF congress Is sun
too fresh to need to be quoted.
Now there is a better prospect The SUBSIDY
measure such as il Is, will doubtless te carrier H
effect promptly and in good faith. In the brief con-
yer,aton reported below, Mr.. Frye's sidc OF WHICH
only +, presented II will he found that the father Oh
posta subsidy is encouraged TO degree ana Is aoe
to give q reason for IT, Mr.. Frye discussed tie suo-
jcct as follows with the correspondent OF me lrD"o
Tho Postal Subsidy bill which has become a law IL
b identical with that reported favoraby from the Oo
nco-y vair ago the only difference being that tn' 'N
tr,ne prices he paid by the Po'tmastr-"e"'r' nU %
hcel reduced just onehird in each class OF SHIPS ms
should not nave been done the first two classes be-
cause those are very expensive ships and by raSoh VI
nacd very extensively run and yet have great hope'
that the efficiency Of the law Will not be mAcn "c'he
-, ,bis amendment The bill gives the Postmaster
General the right make contracts the execution VI
which ray not begin for three That was 10 give
the security OF a contract those who might propose 10
invest their capital in this direction and also to give 'e
time enough IN which TO build ships II the OH hau
passed exactly reported It. have no donpt OhS'
rn q, tho swift.s and best steamers in the world would
b,vc been nut on between Ncw.York and Southampton
am encouraged hat that even now 1t NAV Dc uoh'
II the Po,tmastcrencral will make contract for ihe
otvecn Ncw.Yor Ayres for the carriage OF
tho mails in sccond.class steamers, have no doubt even
4, the ur.,ent price that the necessary ships io su'
a line VIII be built and put into service ,..
The success Of thi, bill depends now very largely upon
rho po.mastr.Gcncra II his sentiments in relation TO
M matter are in accord with those Of the President and
~ the G.puhllcan party the bill will b. mheny success
ful There will be. in NY opinion two or thfee "heS
q, vessels from the Pacific Coast westward 10 AINraa
bin, I,pan otc also Francisco southerp 70 h'
south Am, rcan Republics also from some "u port sou'
r,,. fror New.York to Southampton. and New-iork TO
Bucnos Ayr"@. ,
inc country seems to approve OF the reciprocity idea
torurocty without this bill something Ike IT, would
almost inevitably have been entire failure IL Is OF no
e to mink for moment OF successful reciprocal trade ar
rangemonts OF the countries 70 the south OF Us
-
toms under foreign regret exceedingly that thc
80 i tho Postal Subsidy and Tonnage bills, both OF
which were reported by from the Committee OF commerce
and passed by senate Ions agohaNe lah Ill Vo iou
without consideration until the closing u'9S "
h last session OF this Congress, thus prac'
tcay compelling tho Senate to agree 10 "hae'er
,he Uouse propo,,d hoped at that late day hat
I'm the conference committee something might nave oeh
done for the Tonnage bill AZ the same time anIh'V
b,, tho Senators who cannot be charged
Irev y
,crr renee and committee OF conference would I'M
doubtedy have hasrded all legislation In this direction
II boh o, these bills could become laws many year.
would elapsed before we "ouiu nave h"u ou'
former place the ocean
Il ,hIs not the nrst successful Postal Subsidy bill ever
enacted BY COngrcss1
Yes. ltis have offered a amendment to the Post
once appropriation bill, think in five different Con
..s.es limited Postal Subsidy bill. Each time but
one It has adopted in the Senate and defeated IN he
House passed and became Law" but postmaster
,,cnerl Villas took the liberty of defeatng ne WIN o
Congress by carrying out the provisions o' the DILL
This il the first complete Postal Subsidy bill which has
eyer passed Besides providing for swift mail service
which Is absolutely essential TO trade relations VITA any
foreign country 10 would II successfully executed, be
roerl auxiliary o, the Navy. and have no doubt would
cav. expenditures in the Navy Department mora than
equal to the entire incurred under Its provisions
Mr. Bates the Commissioner Of Navigation. whose
Office requires him 10 look after the Interests OF the
merchant marine. takes n diSconmglng view OF The
subsidy measure. lie is clearly OF the opinion tlat
il viii amount practically to nothing. and that 1t Is
little better than sell out Of the American sailing
marine to foreign steamship Interests, which, he says
have bccn actively represented before the List Con
gross With reference 10 the latter statement, how
ever he is careful to make specific charges, saying
n Is idle 10 charge that which cannot be actually ana
clearly proved Having been mainly Instrumental IN
securing tho Introduction OF the shipping pHuiA mo
the National Republican platform Of i77s, on when
| has ID
nover Mr. Eacs takes greatly 10 heart the opposition
~ certain Republican members, notably Mr. 'ahder'
Of Massachusetts, Messrs. Cannon ana iopAIhS' oi
Illinois and of some other Western men; ana ne ais
cu,ses their course in terms such aS an ola SiIor OF
sbipwrcht may be said possess special facility III
laying his tongue to-
The Commissioner has been repeatedly asked lot
his oninlon upon the defeat OF the Tonnage bill ana
upon the passage of the Postal Subsidy BILL but uhul
now he has given no expression OF his views lor
| publication. lie said today:
The Tonnage bill fsDed to rasS was intended %
hopcnt and t protect marine, that the dhereh
~ ., the cornrv and the different kinds .: vessels sail
and steam should be enabled to contend with the ores
rivals 1t looked increasing the marine a. "no'''
ync to the owner, OF vessels the privilege OF changing
from sail TO starl from small vessels to la 2c ones ana 10
dovlouing tho carving OF trade natdrl lines LIE
Postal Subsidy bill. which has passed, aims o"y AZ e"0
| fishing a few mail lines IL VIE como IN" oper'Vo'
| ,9h contracts made by the Postcnce Department Such
roucs will he advertised the Department may tlhh I"
host IN establish and ,t stain although the bill provides that
e distribution OF these nail lines shall be fairly made a'
between states North South Fast and West Sl ther
ran hut few general benefit, follow, aud perhaps hoie t
cent TO the particular companies that rn1cilake the service
r limo. that may established will no doubt work up
hp.ine., and Increase commerce little but II any
r.,t Increase follows, the benefits will be- reaped MOSTLY
| by foreign shipping The remuneration Is so low ~
scarcely to encourage any lines that may probably be
induced 10 nut ON larger and faster vessels but the pay is
wholly out OF proportion to the subsidies paid by oaer ma
,nns COR the same that vessels would have To CO.
The notion OF having these mail steamers enter the
tr,ns,tantc trade Will probably fail because the re-
r,er,,., m l. Nxd 80 low The benefits expected from
the original bill a. passed the Senate surely fail Of re
| aliIaton.
II the tonnage had been supported It should