New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-01-13
urRsrDIES FOR SHIPPING.
..orzrR HEARING ON SENATOR
HANNA's BILL


.,er,xrNrs FOR IT'S PASSAGE MADE BY Ex-
.~v.noH EpMUNps. J. HILL AND
f. b rHrRsER.
.,,~,on Ian 1.-THE Senate Committee on
--n.rce held an important hearing to-day
S,rr Hannas bill for the encouragement Of
ss,r.rce by granting subsidies 10 American ship
Ex-senator George F. Edmunds made the
-. s,steraent OF the day, explaining the bill at
,~.h and the reasons for It's introduction. He
"a hat the subsidies proposed were small that
.,,,.Ists could not AFFORD 10 enter enter
90 simply for the sake Of earning the subsidy
-, could only do so largely account OF other
CONGREGATIONS He urged the importance Of hav-
&c American vessels in case OF q European war
ling that H. for instance Great Britain and
france or Germany and France or Germany and
prssis or any other two Powers. one OF which
nav be engaged in carrying American goods
.sould engage in the situation would be-
-ome very awkward. II would be especially in
40 the e1igencies OF the should compel a
,rusferrence OF the business He contended that
mis- could NOT really be done and that this country
rould thus be left without means of Transporting
is commerce
! J. Hill OF the Great Northern Railroad spoke
a, the conditions In the Northwest and the
Pacific Coast he called attention the fact
that the people OF the United States are pay
ing s2OOOCU0oo annually to foreign vessels for
shipping their products and said such an outlay as
this was only possible TO great nation and TO a
country whose financial condition was like that
OF the United States good that the nations
bcy.ng here also borrowed here the money with
which they make their purchases. Outlining the
prospect for the future Mr. Hill argued that by
1900 the United States would have population
OF eighty million people. and that by 1920 the
popua;ion would be increased to hundred and
twenty millions. making It four times large
as at the beginning OF the Civil War. Fl EVIL
dent that export business would continue TO in
crease and with II the expense Of employing for
slrn shipping unless something done TO
change this system.
GROWTH OF PACIFIC COAST TRADE.
In reply 10 a question from Senator Gallinger. Mr..
Hill said that there had been great increase in
the expectation OF cotton through Puget Sound
ports. and that there was simply no limit TO the
production Of the -four for export The trouble
was that the millers could not procure ships in
which make their exports
Senator Galinger asked II there had been in
creased demand abroad for American -four. to
which Mir. Hill replied that there had been lat a
prlce" He went TO say that this export had
been largely increased by the low rates OF trans
portauon offered by subsidized Japanese line,
which rate for time So per hundred Mr.
Hill said that he knew Of no important foreign
lines Of shipping outside OF the American lines
which we're not subsidized.
Senator Elkins asked what would be the effect
this country should put the treasury in compeu-
ton with the treasures OF other countries in the
encoura cement OF shipping as proposed. but with
out giving him an opportunity 10 reply TO this
question. Senator Frye asked what would be the
effect OF the passage OF this bill toward securing
the establishment OF an American line 10 the Orient
To this question Mr.. Hill replied that, whe ne
felt lAe saying that in the event o, the passage OF
The bin he would be inclined himself to put on a
S. % s me s sSDs for Il e
was so important in his own section OF the country
the wheat product OF the Pacific Coast. including
California, Oregon and Washington would relieve
the wheat and flour which this line would carry
should be taken from the States east OF the ROCKY
Mountains.
-. THE MARKETS OF THE ORIENT.
He spoke At some length Of the scarcity OF all
ships on the Pacific Ocean. saying that without
soro. aid ,hsre was not sufricent business 10 en-
eourare moro of them. Mr.. Hi said that he had
sent two experts to study conditions In China. India
and other Oriental countries with the view TO get
ting an intelligent estimate OF the possibilities OF
those markets for American products. and said that
after spending much time and much conscientious
labor 10 arrive at intelligent results they had re-
ported that the possibilities were unlimited and
therefore beyond computation. He said also that
aericu1turaI products from States o. the Rocky
Mountains intended for export Tor the orient Simply
F B. Thurber, president Of the Export Association
OF the United States, which, he SAID commanded an
Aggregate capital OF 81. 2D0.0OV0vo. the next
speaker. Mr.. Thurber detailed his experience as
nyomofer az one time OF a steamship line to Brazil.
which had been a failure simply because this Gov
eminent mad refused 10 do more for the line than 10
nav ii the ordinary rate OF postage for carrying lei
ters He said that Brazil had paid $50 while me
United States had paid only So O0 II TINS country
rad been liberal as Brazil, the success OF the en-
terprise would have been assured He dweit some
what upon the necessity TO trade in general OF nav
ing American goods carried in American vessels pc
cause every ship was trade missionary Tor the
country whose flag IL carried. He went on TO say
thai all commercial atoms pursued the policy OF
subsidzing their shipping lines until they became
sslf-susrairing and then gradually Withdrawing
their support he thought the United states
should pursue similar policy MI Ihuroer CON.
SAID h was favored by the Administration. and Il
was therefore evident that II was the only DIN
1Sicb Could pass at the present session OF Con-
Eress TO take another bill would mean delay o,
at least year. and this policy ne oid not oeheVe
Tns hearing will be continued tomorrow.