The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-02
THE BILL OF THE BOUNTY BEG
CARS

CARS.
The minority report on the Hanna-Payne
shipping bill, a synopsis of which was
published in our dispatches yesterday
ought 10 be sufficient to kill il outright
If the bill should become a law, and the
statement made by the minority Of the
committee which reported it is correct, the
treasury would be heavily burdened be-
fore the end of the term for which boun-
lies are provided and there would have to
be an enormous increase in the revenue
of the government According to this
statement the bounties would amount to
$l65,OOO 600 on contracts that would be
made within twelve months after the pas
sage of the bill and the ships which
would have to be built would increase the
aggregate of the bounties 90 at least $780,
900 600. 1t is also asserted that the most of
this money would go into the pockets of
one company, the International Naviga-
ton Company. 1t seems that the bill was
drawn by those who would be benefited
by it. Ii is therefore just what they want.
They have not been at all modest in their
demands.
But there is another objection to the bill
which is even more serious than that
which has been pointed out in the minor
ity report, and that is that it would be
a heavy burden on the farmers Of the
country. IL is claimed by the trade bodies,
especially those of the West. that it would
cause a very decided increase in the ocean
freight rates until such a time as all the
ships contemplated in the bin were built.
The increase in the ocean rate would have
to be paid by the producers of wheat, cot
ton and provisions. And If the ocean
freight rate were increased the prices of
these articles in the home market would
be lowered to the extent of the increase,
because the foreign market controls prices
in the domestic market. II appears there
fore that the bill is an attempt to build
up the shipping interest and the manu-
featuring interest at the expense of the
agricultural interest.
The prices of farm products are now so
low that farming in most sections of the
country is Improbable. In the South the
low price of cotton is making it difficult
for the farmers to provide for their fam
lies and pay their taxes. AS agriculture
is the foundation of our prosperity cur
first duty is TO take care of the interests
of the farmers. We certainly cannot af-
ford to put heavier burdens on them, with
lhe view of helping the ship-builders and
manufacturers.
1t is alleged that England has built up
her commercial interests by the bounty
system but those who make that state
ment forget that England is an importer
of agricultural products. not an exporter
of them That fact makes a vast differ
ence in the discussion of this question of
bounties for the ship-building interest.
The people of this country are not at all
partial to the bounty system for the pro
motion eof any interest. The paying of
bountes TO the sugar planters of Lousi-
ana was so strongly condemned that Con-
gress was forced to repeal the sugar boun-
~ law In the face of the experience the
country had with that law 1t is hardly
probable that the people would approve
boundes of nearly 100000 a year for the
| ship-building interest ..tf
We are regarded as the most enterpris-.
| ing people in the world and it would be
strange indeed il we could not build up
| merchant marine sufficient to carry our
own products to market and bring back
to us what we want from other countries
as cheaply as this carrying could be done
by the ships of other countries and that
too without the assistance Of their re-
! spective governments. 1t ought to be pos
sible to build ships in this country as
cheaply as they can be built elsewhere.
| We have the materials. which can be pur-
chased in our market at less cost than
| they can he had In any other country.
! We build locomotives for the whole world.
| Why is il that we are so far behind in
| ship-building? 1t seems 10 us that if we
were to reform our Anticipated naviga-
ton laws 1t would not be long before our
| ship-builders would discover that they
| could build ships as cheaply as they can
be built in England, Germany or any other
country 1t is pretty certain that Con-
! gress viii not approve the Hanna-Payne
| bill, at least not in its present shape.