Evening star., 1898-12-29
Efforts to Increase the Ccuntry's
Merchant Marine.
PROVISIONS0F SENATOR HANNA'S BILL
Representative Bingham on the
Proposed Bounty.
REASONS GIVEN FOR IT

who is the author of the law providing for
a subsidy to American chips carrying the
United States mails to foreign ports, is
much interested in the subject now being
agitated In Congress of government aid for
American merchant vessels.
THE bill for a subsidy for American
mail-carrying Ships said Mr. Bingham to
Star reporter at the Capitol today, was
reported from the committee on post offices
and post roads in the Fifty-first Congress
by myself. 1t was enacted into law by
Congress in lieu of the Farquhar bounty
bill which Congress regarded as too rad
ical at that time. The law paid a subsidy
to United States vessels carrying the mails
on a basis of mileage and speed.
THE immediate outgrowth of that law
was the construction in an American ship
yard of two magnificent vessels the ST
Paul and st. Louis. These vessels, together
with their two sister ships, owned by the
American Line, became part of the naval
defense of the United States in the war
with Spain. The subsidy law provided for
their use as auxiliaries to the navy, when
required.
Il believe that the time has arrived when
we can safely go further than that law al
lowed, and give additional protection to
American vessels The proposition is now
TO pay a bounty based on tonnage and
freightage, for the purpose of building up
tHe IHtIcIldHt marine. am heartily
favor of such proposition
The Presidents Recommendations,
President Mckinley called attention in
his latest annual message to the subject of
the merchant marine N the following lam
guage:
The annexation of Hawaii and the
changed relations of the United States to
Cuba, Porto Rico and the Philippines as re-
@ We al fha
adoption of "a maritime policy by the United
States. Thee should be established regular
and frequent steamship communication en-
couraged by the United States. under the
American flag, with the newly acquired
Islands Spain furnished to its colonies
at an annual cost of about s., 600 900 steam
snip lines communicating with portion of
the worlds markets as well as with trade
centeIs of the home government.
The United States will not undertake.
10 DO less. 1t is our duty to furnish the
people of Hawaii with facilities, under ma
tional control for their export and import
trade 1t will be conceded that the present
situation calls for legislation which shall
be prompt, durable and liberal
The part which American merchant YES
sells and their seamen performed in the
war with Spain demonstrates that this
service. furnishing both pickets and the
second line of defense, is national neces-
sity. and should be encouraged in every
constitutional way
"Details and methods for the accomplish
ment of this purpose are discussed in tn.
report OF the Secretary of the Treasury
TO which the attention of Congress is re-
spectfully invited.
Senator Hanna's bounty Bill.
The most notable bill now before Con-
eress relating to the merchant marine was
introduced in the Senate by Senator Hanna
and referred to the committee on commerce..
This bill Is 5O2D provides that from and
q 1axy Tf T,,I,,
be paid, subject to the provisions herein
after contained, certain compensation to
tTe owner or any vessel duly registered by
cltlzen or citizens of the United States
ana being at the time of entry engaged in
the foreign trade of the United States
which shall be entered in the United States
from foreign port, or from any mort he
longing to the United States the trade he
tween which and the Atlantic gulf and
Pacific coast ports of the United States
snail happen not to be confined to vessels
of the United States
me secretary of the Treasury is author
lied and directed to contract with the
owner Of any vessel of the United States
hereinbefore described and registered for
foreign trade, for the payment to the
owner for period of twenty years. and
subject to the provisions Of this act out
OF any money in the treasury not other
wise appropriated, the sums following
namely: e
On each entry of a sail or steam vessel
not exceeding sixteen entries in any twelve
consecutive months, one and one-half cents
per gross ton for each one hundred nauti
cal miles for the first one thousand five
hundred nautical miles sailed both ont
waro ana homeward bound, and one cent
per gross ton for each one hundred nautical
miles over one thousand five hundred nan
ucaI miles sailed both outward and home
ward bound e
steam vessels which may be suitable for
carrying the mails of the United States or
as aux1llaries to the forces of the ITnited
states IN time of war other need if of
me ionowlng tonnages and capable of
maintaining the following rates of speed
under the conditions hereinafter provided
shan, in addition to the CONDENSATION nro.
vioeo III the hrst paragraph of this section,
receive compensation per gross ton for
eacn loo nautical miles sailed both outward
and homeward bound at stated rates. ac-
c0rding to tonnage and speed. fixed by the
OIL. Ihe method of establishing the mile
age is fixed, and it is provided that no yes
at least one-fourth of her navigating crew
snail be citizens of the United States or
such persons as shall be within the pro-
visions of section 2174 of the Revised Stat
utes of the United States
documented vessel of the United States
engaged in the deep sea fisheries for three
months during twelve consecutive months
shall receive bounty annually, from any
money IN the treasury not otherwise APP
propriated, of 81 per gross ton Provided,
That at least one-third of the crew shall
be American citizens. An American citizen
serving as member of necessary and
proper crew Of an American vessel licensed
for and engaged in deep sea fisheries for
three months more during twelve con-
secutive months shall receive a bounty,
from any money in the treasury not other
wise appropriated. of 81 per month during
the time necessarily employed in the voy-
ages Of such vessel
The bill regulates the granting of regis
ters to vessels and names the classes of
vessels prohibited from enjoying the
bounty. The ships shall carry a certain
number of American boys, according to
tonnage. to be instructed in seamanshin
and navigation. and all the bounty assisted
vessels shall be subject to use as trans
ports or auXiiaries.
Arguments for the Bill.
In behalf Of the hill arguments have been
submitted to the committee on commerce At
length. An extract follows:
THAT American natural resources, capa-
city aad enterprise cannot be excelled by
these of the people OF any other country
may be asserted without presumption And
yet. In the face Of this, the foreign COM
merce conducted by our own shipping has
decreas ed from SO per cent in 1876 and ca
per cent in 1860 to IL DER cent in 1897 Other