The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-21
HAxNA.rArxs sHiprIxo s1LL.
Commissioner Chamberlain Compares Its
Bounties with Those OF England.

Bounties with Those OF England.
WARRINGTON. Aug. 20.-EuRene T. Chamber
lain. Commissioner OF Navigation. makes the
| following statement In regard to the Hanna
Payne shipping bill:
Some OF the recent criticisms OF the Senate
bill No. $780, generally called the Haunt Payne
bill. convey the Impression that the compensa-
ton IL provides for steamships Is wholly I'M
| reasonable. On the general principle OF the
| bill differences OF opinion are TO be expected.
but it's details are not. believe. subjecv to
criticism on the score Of extravaganza. at least
| when compared With the support foreign gov
| ernments offer to their mail steamships.
| The hill gives uniform rate OF compensa-
ton to all vessels (sail or steam) virtually ono
| cent per gross ton for each 100 nautical miles
traversed to Offset the Increased coat Of con-
structlon and operation In the United states.
! 1t has not. so far as am aware. been criticised
as unreasonable. II one accepts the theory that
the government is warranted In offsetting
those differences In order to give our merchant
| shipping in foreign trade start.
| Tho bill also gives tower and above that
| virtually ono cent per ton per 100 miles)
a special allowance for steamships OF over
1900 gross tons and OF fourteen knots speed
or upward About eighty per cent. OF the
| sea-gong screw steamships OF the world
| which comply with the requirements named as
years. have received the assistance in some
| form OF the various governments whose flags
| they fly. The proposition In Senate bill 5000.
| so far from being unwarrantable, therefore.
| Is mere compliance with the ordinary mari
| time custom OF years. II seems strange only
to those who have not looked at the facts.
The special and additional rates for steam
ships Of fourteen knots or over. which have
been condemned as cxtravagant and unheard
l Of ~. Ill.,.
allowances given to similar steamships by for
eign governments Bearing in mind that
these rates alone mot the allowance for differ
ence In cost OF construction and operaton) are
being considered. the rates proposed are not
| more than enough to counter balance contribu-
tions by foreign governments to similar steam
ships.
The largo British m all contracts are award
ed In lump sums. but have been at the pains
to ascertain the steamships by which they are
performed. their size speed. NUM- Der Of voy-
ages and distances traversed during a year.
With this data it il easy to ascertain the addi-
tional rates named to which similar vessels
would be entitled to under the Senate bill
5590. Viewed another way. this comparison
Will show what foreign governments pay to
certain steamships and what Ann rican steam
ships OF precisely the same size and speed run
min * parallel to them through out year would
receive as an Offset under the Hanna-Payne
BILL The following are the su4smaries:
British Senate
Tonna0. Contracts. B,Ii.
Peninsulsr and ORR
entail las, stb s1.oso.2s7 s1.14e.e41
= ent SIS Go;.,:.,.. $780, 41s.1oo 4es.bs1
RS $ = M 90, ss.e7s 4sH,s.o 4es41c
E.i ,ia D. ;;aa..'... 21'7SS 2ei,doo leU I4a
Cunard White Star 7p,47s 86b .b4B 1,oto,62
Totals $4,000 ss77s.o s2 s3.+ss.s3t
Senate bill $3.50 thus proposed to Offset $3,-
7IS9S2 awarded under British contracts with
$34SS.S34 awarded under American contracts
The proposition Is not extravagant nor does IL
moan pot OF money for the owners OF fast
American steamships. We're 1t not for two
facts that Americans will obtain advantages
for operating slow cargo boats In conjunction
with mail steamships. and that our Pacific i'm
tercourse with Asia is not subject to Suez Canal
tolls. the bill would probably fail to accom- sh
its purposes.
THE last item in the table. which shows a
marked difference. calls for q word. The
United States has been paying tho Cunard and
White Star lines an ually 8 1870 900 on the aver
age for some years tS225.0 in 1881 for car
ryng the outward mails Unless this amount
he added to the 1905. 200 paid those limos
by the British government. It ought to be
deducted from the $l.O4O.624 which
corresponding American vessels performs
Ing tho same service would receive
under Senate bill $500. az being merely mail
pay and having nothing to do with ship sub
sides.
Any method Of comparing facts with which
! am familiar. will show that such advantages
as the Hanna-Payne bill gives to American
shipping. are as much to the benefit OF cargo
vessels as to mail steamships. In spite OF the
higher rates given to the latter class which
have been computed on the lnsis OF efforts by
other nations to maintain last ocean mail
lines"