The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-04-19


and that 1t mag be as long as possible
ii will not be more than year--befOrs
limitation c0npeis pro rating. Tho
proportion OF marine that may be
first class and grade) at any time dit
fers according to circumstances. II would
BE- . good marine that has half Of It OF
this character, and a fairly deserving one
that has one -thlrd The total registered
steam tonnage, presumably in foreign
trade, June 30, 1899, was $50, $50 tons. This
may be increased to 100000 tons by next
July. We viii take half OF this amount
zoe, 000--for steam. The registered sail
tonnage was 46s.05i tons. Not more than
150, geo Of this amount will be eligible for
Compensation. (Thus about 40 per cent
OF our marine Will be recognized at the
treasury and 60 per cent disowned) The
marine. to start with under the bill. may
be estimated as follows:
OF American steam. tons .ZOO,OvO
OF American SAIL tons ............. $4,000
OF foreign steam. tons. 10000
Tonnage of compensated marine,
tons.... ........... ......... $50, GOO
Tonnage Of rejected marine, tons 517,054
AS we shall see. pro rating will begin by
the second year
we come now to the problem OF aver
age rate OF Compensation" per ton. Here
is where the bill llmps badly. The steam
ers will be tried for rate of speed, not
loaded. as they should be. but ballasted--
trimmed head ana stern to the best draft
for running. Every one of them will get
an oyerrated record, say of one and half
knots on the average. This viii Increase
the compensation in the ayeragc~~se not
less. probably, than Is per cent and re-
duee correspondingly the size OF marine
that will exhaust the 1xed sim OF $4,000
Geo. We may fairly hgure the three arts
OF the new marine as follows: The average
1 81 4 .apFp lfs =
OF American sail. $3.50; OF foreign steam
S1i.2i. annually, provided employment be
constant. The proportion Of American
steam is 1917 per cent ;of American SAIL
49, OF foreign steam. 46.t6 per cent This
average rate per ton Is therefore SlS.ll.
and the size OF marine for full "compen-
! s.ation" will be only 6S6. 49S tons. II wa
deduct nothing for speed-trial, jockeyin,
and juggling. the size would be only
I 77e. 800 tons at the most.
: Needless 10 say. a marine of this size
is only a pigmy to the giant wanted. The
demands OF our commerce. increasing from
6 TO 10 per cent annually. are now about
5000 600 OF gross tons. Four to Ave mil
lions OF all the shipping required should
be American, and must be to save a.
home the 5000, 0000 900 now annually PAID
for the use OF foreign shipping. Ten, II
or 20 per cent OF marine will scarcely
pay the country for substituting Il.
II is CLAIMED, however, tOdt pTo-TaLlnt
the "nii1e millions" VIII add largely to th'
size OF the marine. How can this be de
pended on? 1t Is asseyerated that thu
Compensation provided In the bill Is nb
solutely necessary to even UP condition.
for fair competition with foreign vessels
Either this is true or 1t is false. Eithe
the prorrtng provision contemplate
smallness leanness and meanness, or 1
gives the lie to the rate o. compensation
fxed upon as necessary. There Is a scre'
loose here. II IL be true that the norma
rate Is requisite. how is II that 46 per cen
of the new marine Is to receive half-rat
Compensation" to start with IT, true
! how can it be expected, how can 1t be he'll
out TO the people, that limiting the com
pensation'' wiz work otherwise than
DISCOURAGE and subvert the whole scheme
When the marine has size to exceed III
tonnage, say o; 6s6,49S tons, or there
abouts. prorating begins, and the rate pc
ton decreases II the size continues in
q creasing, as 1t may do, will II not prov
that The subsidy was needlessly large
: begin with
e Let us here set forth a few figures TO sc
c how proratng will affect the virtue elaine
z as inherent in the bill.
a Proportionate Division OF S9,000.000.