The Portland daily press., 1899-01-11

restoring the American flae to the seas.
lie said our manufactures were sratly
hampered by not having the ships TO
carry their goods abroad.
Mr. Griscom said his company was
eco. 900 worse Of BY running the New
York, Paris, St. Paul, and 81. Loui.
under the A neriosn flag than it would
be II the ST. p were under the brisisn
flag.
r. B. Thurber OF New York, president
Of the United States Export association
said this exports had found tnat American
ships were required to carry American
goods as every ship was q missionary for
Its goods.
Carriers rssociation, appeared before the
committee. He said that his people old
not care to have the bill apply to them,
but that they did want the ocean trade
improved by making 1t possible to build
ships in this country and sail them under
the American flag. Hundreds OF
thousands Of dollars, he said. were yearly
being lost to this country under the
present system.
II ocean steamers built and owned In
this country were carrying this trade, the
whole country would be benefited and
the lake vessels would get their share.
Our merchant marine had been disappear
ing year by year, and unless some such
uOiuptUB ttiOu bs tnot pfoNiutu ihuthc piA
was given to ship owners American ships
would not much longer exist IL was the
purpose of the bill, he declared. to:make
ships receiving q subsidy available In
time OF war and In making such prepsra-
ton for war there should be no politics.
Mr. Clyde Of New York gave figures upon
which to base calculations tor subsidies
between American and foreign ships. he
spoke Of the great service performed by
the American liners in the war with
Spain. MIR. Clyde also gave brief re-
view of the means by which Great Britain
mad secured the sea carrying trade.
Mr.. Cham berlain,s of the bureau OF
navigation, treasury department, said
country and South America. the only one
now flying the American fiag in those
waters, would lose money II 1t had to give
up its mail contract to accept subsidy.
MIR. Sewall of Maine, said he did not
wish to have the bill regarded as benefit
Tor the ship builder and owner, but as u
national benett. We had all the elements
to take the trade he said. We had tho sup
plies, but the trade was In the hands of
others and we would have to spend money
to secure 1t. Ii belittled the matter to go
into figures in regard to the question. 1t
should be q national question. 1t was
abolutely necessary 10 preserve this
60 nave q mercnaHt mhrine inis
was the first time, he said, that all the
shipping interests had come together and
they now agreed that the bill under cJn
sideration was the only thing that would
save the Ter chant marine.
Mr.. Handy OF the committee expressed
the belief that the American people would
not very long agree to pay SUBSIDIES.
Any subsidy paid the steamships, re-
piled Mr.. Sewall, would soon be brought
back to the country at large by those
ships. The subsidy would about amount
10 the pay roll of the ships. The vessel,
however, could not sail rod unless she
,arried a cargo; that cargo would be COM
posed Of American goods
Ex-senator Edmunds said that II it was
'oupd that the subsidy provided was not
arge enough he, as one taxpayer woula
gote to treble it. Alexander X. smith,
,lso spoke in favor Of the bill. He said
hat the pay mept Of subsidies to ship
owners was not new.