Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1900-05-11
FOR AMERICAN SHIPS.
THE MvcH.pIscvssEp HANNA.
PAYNE-FRYE BILL
Senators Favor Passage of the Subsidy
Measure-Why 1t Is Needed and Whit
1t Will ACKNOWLEDGEMENT by Free
Traders and Foreign ship Owners.

Sentiment among members of the up
per branch of Congress so strongly fa-
vOrs the shipping bill that its passage
Mt the present session is assured. 1t is
known as the Frye shipping bill, hav-
ing been introduced by the President
pro tenn. Of the Senate, Hon. William
L. Frye, of Maine. who is also CHAIR
a OF the Senate Commerce Commit
tee. to Which Legislation affecting our
marine is always referred. For twen-
ty-five years Senator Frye has been the
lending champion of American shipping
in Congress. Senator Hanna first ill.,
troduced this bill i'll the Senate, how
ever, at the time Senator Frye was n
member of the Peace Commission in
Paris. 1t was introduced in the House
of Representatives by Serene II.
Payne, of New York. This explains its
several %hyphenated titles.
This bill is necessary. because our
shipping in the foreign trade is unpro-
tected In competition with the cheaper
built, cheaper-operatcd. heavily sub
sidiGd and bounticd shipping of other
nations. Our ships nOw carry less than
nine per cent. of our imports and eX-
ports. Foreign vessels annually re-
ceive S20O,000,00O for carrying 81 per
cent. This vast SUN is taken out of tho
country and employs aliens, instead Of
being spent in American shipyarls and
giving employment to our W citizens,
and thereafter being used over and over
again in adding to the employment and
enhancing the wealth of the American
people. This bill extends to American
shipping Oil the sea precisely the same
Kind OF protection that is given to
American land Industries that are sub
ject TO foreign competition.
More Important than the expenditure
eli $1,000, 100000 during the last thirty
hve years in paying foreign ships for
doing our foreign carrying, IS our grow
ing national danger because Of our in
cre:sing weakness upon the sea. For
the support and reinforcement of our
navy, we need merchant ships and sea-
men. The difficulty now experienced in
securing sailors for our navy would be
removed il we possessed n merchant
shippllS equal to the needs of our for
elgn commerce. Our neglect of our
shipping makes orr foreign commerce n
means for building up the auxiliary ma
val strength or our maritime and COM
mercial rivals. This commerce. now
annually valued at over So, 1000, 900, 900,
pays for the auxiliary naval training of
foreign merchant ships and scalnen.
This shipping bill is now upon the
calendar in each branch of Congress,
having been favorably reported from
the House Merchant Marine and Fish
cries Committee. and from the Senate
Commerce Committee.
Briefly, the bill provides that all YES
sells under American register, making
a foreign voyage distant more than $50
miles from the United States, Shall
be paid for the first 1000 miles not to
exceed ia cents per gross ton per hum
area miles sailed outward and inward,
ard j cent per ton for each additional
hundred miles sailed outward and in
ward. this compensation being limited
to no To exceed sixteen round VOYAGES
III any successive twelve months, In
addition. vessels whose speed exceeds
twelve knots per hour are paid extra
compensation, graduated -p%roportion-
ately to their size aud speed. This bare
~ meets the extra cost involved in
building and operating ships of high
speed. although these vessels. for auxil-
lary naval and for mail carrying pur-
poses, are most useful to the govern
ment. Tho compensation paid to slow
sailing and steam vessels is just equal
to the higher cost of their construction
In the United States. and their OPERA
t1on d the American flag; and the
same is true of all vessels receiving this
compensation. Owners of existing
American vessels for which colnpensa-
ton Is sought must have % per cent.
additional new tonnage built in the
united States before receiving any n
1t is proposed to admit to American
register such foreign vessels as are now
owned by American citizens, on condi.
ton that these owners have lew ton
mage built in the United States equal TO
that so admitted. The compensation
to the f~orciSn-built vessels is but one
half that paid to AmeTican-built ships.
Not to exceed nine million dollars nav
be expended in any one year. If the
amount earned exceeds the amount
available, there is a pro rata reduction
in the payments made to each vessel
under contract. All vessels receiving
compensation must carry the mails free
OF extra charge. The bill remains in
force for ten years, during which time
any American citizen can build auy
number of vessels and put them in our
foreign trade. and receive, according to
size, speed and cargo carried, the same
amount of compensation that is paid to
other vessels. High speed steamships
are not to receive more than 81. 600. 600
In any IL year, out of the total
amount. and so per cent. of the latter
is reserved exclusively for Pacific
Ocean shipping under the American
flag.
Foreign governments now pay their
merchant ships yer $26.OO0,OOO a year
IN subsidies. mail pay, subventions, ma
val reserve retainers and bQunties, to
enable them to successfully compete
with their riyllS. TO sec,,ro n ,,,o,.