The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-14
FOR GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP.
A Minority Report Against Subsidiz-
ing Pacific Gable.


Representative Corliss of Michigan yes
terday presented the report OF the minority
of the House Interstate and Foreign Com
merce Committee against the bill ordered
favorably reported last week by the com
| mittee authorizing the payment of an an
nual subsidy of $500, coo for Pacific cable.
While the committee voted to report the
Subsidy bill by a vote of to :, with two
members absent, bat FIVE members
MessTs. Sherman, Hepburn. Joy, Hawley,
and Loyering-are now said to be in favor
of the bill with the amount fixed at s50O.OlO
year. Messrs COrliss. Davis. Davey.
Fletcher, Mann, Muller. Shackeford and
Stewart favor the construction of the cable
by the Government, while Messrs. Bar
ham and Wanger wish the Government
Ownership bill added to the Subsidy bill
as an alternative.
The minority report favors the apprO-
priation Of SS000, 600 for laying the cable
by the Government and opposes the Sub
sidy bill for these reasons:
That it grants an exclusive privilege,
which will become monopoly and fosters
1t by subsidy of s6, ,O00, ,O0O-more than
half of the estimated cost of the entire
construction of the cable.
That it makes no provision for the re-
duction Of tariff tolls from time to time.
justified by the increasing cable communi-
cations arising from the inevitable expan-
sion Of American trade and commerce.
That it fails to provide for the extern
sion OF the cable to China and Japan.
which is necessary for the development
of the trade with those countries.
That such a cable franchise would
largely control the expanding trade and
commerce of the Pacific, and would be-
come a monopoly OF great value justifyins
its construction by private interests with
out such a liberad subsidy"
In the judgment of the minority the
military and naval interests as well as the
expanding trade and commerce of the
country demand the construction Of the
cable by the Government, and its mainte-
nance and operation at the lowest possible
tariff rates, as an aid to the trade of the
United States and a protection to their
people.
The report continues: "a new era has
dawned upon our country. For over
century the genius and industry OF our
people have been applied to the develop
ment of our natural resources and inter-
nal trade and industries. until every part
Of the United States has been supplied
with means Of rapid communication and
transportation; until every city, town, and
hamlet has been made to feel the bene-
fit of industrial enterprise: our navigable
lakes and rivers have been improved until
our inland waters are dotted with a mer-
chant marine equal to the present neces-
sites OF commerce: our agricultural lands
and natural resources have been devel-
oped until they are capable of producing
sufficient product to supply the markets
OF the world. The time has arrived in
our marvellous development when. in or
d-p tn
progress, We must reach out and command
the commerce of the sea.
Great Britain has achieved her COM
mercial supremacy by the purchase or
construction and control of the great ca
nails, by the acquisition Of territory, and
the establishment of her colonies in every
part OF the world: by the construction and
ownership of cables to every part of her
vast possessions. thereby securing rapid
communication at reasonable rates for
her trade and commerce. We should prof
il by her example and connect the waters
of the oceans by the Nicaragua Canal and
join together the islands of the Pacific
with a cable constructed, owned. and op-
Grated by our Government for the benefit
OF the people. without profit or hope of
gain, save the expansion of our trade and
the development Of our merchant marine
and commerce
The report takes up the estimated cost
Of constructing and operating the proposed
cable and makes q comparison with the
cables across the Atlantic, reaching the
conclusion that the revenue of the Pacific
cable at the end of five years after con-
struction would be sufficient to cover the
expense OF maintenance operation. and
repairs, and would therefore ensure free
messages for the Government and the low
est possible traffic rate to American trade
and commerce.
The minority therefore recommends the
passage of the bill for the construction Of
the cable by the Government.