The San Francisco call., 1899-08-30
AUCTION SALES.
THE CANAL AND THE SHIPPING BILL

c INCE it has become virtually assured that the
Nicaragua canal bill and the bill for the pro
- motion OF American shipping will be made ad-
minstration measures at the coming session OF Con
gress the Bourbon opposition to them has been more
determined and more active than ever 1t IS recog-
nized the issues can no longer be defeated by dill
atory tactics and accordingly the opponents OF the
two great movements are ralying their forces tor
the final contest.
The Philadelphia Record denounces both bills as
dubious schemes ior loOtng the treasury, and pro-
ceeds TO argue that the commerce OF the country has
no need for either an sthman canal or an enlarged
merchant marine. 1t says: Statements have been
recently sent by telegraph from Washington setting
forth the value OF the west coast trade OF South
America which we must so thousands OF miles out
OF our way around the Horn participate in for
lack OF an isthmian shortcuts and also setting forth
the hundreds OF millions OF dollars yearly lost to the
country in freghts paid TO the ships OF other ma
nations which monopolize foreign carrying
trade 1t is intended by such advance statements to
create favorable public opinion
Having thus set up the arguments Tor the canal
and the shipping bill what it doubtless regarded
flimsy cobwcb, the Record proceeded to sweep il
airily away. There is no intervening ishmus in
terrupt our trade with the Gull and the Atlantic
ports OF South America, it says, and yet do not
set the bulk OF the trade OF those ports 1t draws
therefrom the conclusion that il our Eastern
States had, through the canal, open waterway
to the Pacific ports OF South America. they would
rot be more successful in obtaining trade there.
The statements are unquestionably true An open
waterway is OF no use to commerce unless there be
ships to traverse it. We lose the trade OF South
America because our ship-owners cannot compete
with the subsidized ships OF European nations The
shipping bill is therefore as necessary as the canal
bill but the Record will not tolerate that self-evident
conclusion from its own statements 1t says: "Snce
foreign carrying trade is done cheaply by for
eigners that American shippers cannot undertake it
without loss (necesstating the payment OF subsdies)
we are benefited, not injured. Our shippers get ful
value in the service rendered for all the money it
costs Why, then, should subsidies be granted in
order to make good losses to be unnecessarily in
Cured in Improbable business ventures?"
The answer to that question is that foreigners do
not carry our commerce for more cheaply than we
could carry it for ourselves, and moreover the for
egn shipowner and merchant are more intent in de-
veoping the trade OF their own country than in pro
noting The swift upbuilding OF German com
merce and of German industries by the operation OF
subsidized ocean vessels is a striking proof OF what
can be effected for the welfare OF nation by that
policy. Before the grant OF liberal aid to German
vessels the empire had but comparatively small for-
eign commerce and was never dreamed OF as a rival
to the British Now Germany is not only rival ot
Great Britain in the trade of South America but is
actually competing in the British colonies and in the
Orient, where Great Britain had once almost a
monopoly of the foreign trade
According to Senator Frye the United States are
paying to foreigners 100000 day for carrying
our commerce 1t would surely be better to keep that
money at home If the Record will study the situa-
ton it will perceive that the canal bill and the ship
ping bill are something than administration
measures. They popular measures. The needs OF
the country require them, and the people demand
them.
The official call for the great pow-wow on trusts