The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1899-01-28
BRITISH SUBSIDIES.
Supremacy I'm the Ocean Car
ryfng Trade.

A few days since the London Times
made a demand on this country for
fair and equal conditions in the carry
ing trade. e., oversee commerce.,
Fair and equal conditions, however, arc.
not the hope of England.
II our readers will turn 10 volume Nv
of Reports of Parliamentary Commit
tees for 1916, they will find on page so
the following statement made by Gu
nard, who was applying for an in
creased subsidy for his line-viz.:
II had got this contract three months
sooner there would have been no American
line.
Meaning the Collins line. In volume
vi of the same series Of reports for
1889, which Is n report OF n select COM
mittee on packets and telcgraphs, tho
effect of Cunard's and other con
tracts" is fully set forth by a question
of Richard Cobden's relating TO the
withdrawal of the Collins line:
Q. You are aware that ceased because tho
American government withdrew the sub
sidy?
That there could be no doubt as to-
the cause of the failure of the Collins
line these additional questions were
asked:
@. Mr.. Cunard's contract is e1si. 900. Is II
not? A. Yes. eisl.40o
Q. f320, 900 IN the amount that Is now
paid by this country and the colonies for the
transatlantic postage, including the Gal
way line?
O. And in the face of these increasing
subsidies, the American government has
altogether relinquished the practice OF sub
sidizing their vessels and their vessels, OF
course. have been driven of the passage2
No cooker OF statistics can rub out
the above figures, and steel clad men
dacity cannot obscure the fact that
contract" transatlantic postage"
and Subsidies" are used interchange
ably, all meaning the same thing. The
connection between Cunard's Increased
"contract"--it commenced at 1000
and the withdrawal OF the Collins sub
sidy is not quite SO plain. Most of the
British steamer contracts nre made for
ten years, and 81 600, 900 year for that
time has n great deal of influence; and
IL Is not wonderful than Toombs asked
in the senate on June o, 1883: Has
this Collins line any claims on you?
or that the proposed appropriation Of
$340, 800 was defeated.
The demand OF the Times is for fair
and equal conditions for navigation.
"at all events outside the actual ter
ritorles OF the union" This at least
covers the carrying trade of and to the
Philippines. Any substituting of steam
ers 10 the Philippines by our govern
So. xaifh tha paniu-
sular q Oriental Steamship company.
This company has been receiving
subsidy from the British government
and from India and other colonies since
1897. AS accounts are kept IL is difficult
TO say exactly what they have received
or are receiving. In n letter TO the Lon
don Times OF September 2s. 1856, Hen
neker Heaton, member OF parliament,
quoted Mr.. Fowler, secretary OF the
treasury. that the loss on British steam
er subsidies was & 100000 per year.
G240 900 being lost on the India service
alone. This service is conducted by
the Peninsular & Oriental Steamship
company.
In another part OF the same letter we
find: "But even II the Peninsular ~
Oriental were SO absurdly extravagant'
as to expend an excess of 305,oo0,' etc.
In Engineering, London, November
Il. 1898, IL Is referred 10 as receiving
"over 1000 a day as mail subsidy"
II probably receives about s1,7Oo0O0 =
year. On ten years contract this also.
Is an influential sum; n gum Consider
ing the fact that this line runs steam
crs as far as JAPAN sufficient to makea
great deal of talk against subsidizing
any American line that might interfere :
with the price II +. g. o. stock, either
common or preferred.
OF course that sense OF fairness, for
which the British are so famous, would
see nothing unfair In increasing both
It's =. a. o. and ITS Canadian Pacific
lines subsidy II It was necessary to pre-
vent fair and equal subsidies 70 an
American line.