The times., 1900-03-02

class OF vessel, II Is pointed out, IS merell
sufficient in amount TO equalize the advan
tages enjoyed by the foreign rivals Of pros
pecuve high-speed American vessels.
When the maximum sum Of nine millloT
dollars has been expended. under The bill
ln any one year. it is pointed out thai
should additional vessels then come in prC
rata reductions are made in the compensa-
Z tion paid to all vessels In order to keeI
within the limit fixed. and to give all yes.
sells compensation Of equal amount, ac-
coIding TO their size and speed.
II is expected that some $40 900 tons OF
foreign-built vessels now owned or build
ing for American citizens will be admit
ted 20 American register under the terms
Of this bill their owners being required
+ to build equal tonnage in the United
( States before receiving any compensa-
I t.on. Only one-half the amount OF com
Z peusatlon provided for American vessels
D, paid 20 foreign vessels so admitted.
. And all such vessels are excluded from
cur coastwise trade. Il is required that
. all vessels receiving compensation shall be
/ CT the highest class at all times. Vessels
4 in existence are only permitted to enjoy
/ the compensation for ten years. while all
I new vessels are to receive compensation
/ fer twenty years.
The provisions Of the bill from every
point OF view" says the report. "are over
whelmingly in favor Of new and more yes
I sells more shipyards and greater facili-
/ ties for ocean transportation"
Criticism Answered.
While deemed unnecessary, the report
/ states, a provision has been inserted IN
/ der which vessel cannot receive full
! compensation unless She carries one-half
! Of cargo. This completely answers crit
I under the bill for the compensation given
without carrying a cargo. As TO the great
er cost Of constructing vessels abroad and
in the United States. the actual facts @re
given as 20 contracts recently made. The
I International Navigation Company con
trscted few months ago for two vessels
70 be constructed in Great Britain and two
similar vessels in the United States. The
price in the United States was $50 per
gross ton more than the price asked at
Clydebank, Scotland. The difference
amounts to from Is to % per cent higher
in this country. The same company had
TO pay SiS per gross ton more for con-
structinE the St Louis and the St Paul
in the United States than was charged for
similar vessels built in Scotland.
The rates Of wages paid in the European
yards are shown to be on an average less
than one-half the rates paid in the United
States. The committee states that when
shipbuilding yards have been sufficiently
developed and have work enough to keep
them going all the time, the cost of con-
structing ships in the United States viii
be reduced. AS it is now the shipyards on
the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts have had
practically no work outside the construc-
ton OF vessels for the coasting trade and
for the Navy and other branches Of the
Government service. The growth of ship
building in the United States would give
employment TO a vast army of men in the
shipyards and in the iron, steel. and other
industries connected with shipbuilding.
This army OF men would consume farm
and other products. go that the benefit
would extend to every class Of persons in
the United States, while at the same time
the new ships would open foreign markets
and increase our exports. and thus furnish
still more employment for all OF our peo-
pie. The committee says:
A the most promising field for the future de-
velopment Of cur markets for agricultural pro-
ducts Il northern and temperate Asia the com
nlittee believes that our grain fields snd cotton
plantations will gain in greater proportion from
the enactment Of the law than the sesboard ship
building and ship-owHing States.
The slower Vessels the Best Paid.
Computations are given showing the ex-
act amount vessels OF various rates of speed |
would get under the bill. as compared |
with the cost OF operating them. These |
conclusively show that the /
slower vessels Will get a higher net COM ]
pensation under the bill than the fast |
steamships. A twenty-one-k knot ship max 1
ing IS geo miles per annum would get. over 1
and above the cost OF coal and the handling
Of il. net compensation under the bill OF 4
SO s32. while a ten-knot ship. making 1
~ 600 knots per annum, or less than half /
the distance OF the fast ship. would re-
seive a net compensation over the cost and
the handling OF the coal OF SIS, 120 per an
mum.
The fast steamships receive the lowest
net compensation under the bill COM
Dutation is given as to the amounts that
tank vessels, such as are used by the !
Standard Oil Company would receive in
il admitted to American reg
stry under the bill. These vessels carry
ing oil can take only an outward cargo,
and as they are foreign built they would,
because Of carrying cargo one way. re-
eeiye only % per cent OF the compensation
allowed under the bill. They would have
to comply with the American laws as tc
American officers, and that at least % per
cent OF their crew should be American
citizens. and other provisions which would
50 increase the cost OF operation over that |
IF running under a foreign flag as they
10 now, that they would necessarily lose
money by the change. In addition. they
would have to double their tonnage in the
United States Hence. there is no possi-
Dility whatever, even IL the law admitted Of
l. according to the committee, that tank
teamships would seek 10 run under the
proposed Law.
An interesting table is given of the
sxact amount which foreign steamships.
Z running under the operations OF this
1ll. would receive and the amounts they
COW get from their respective Govern
ncnts. II is shown that six British steam
ship lines. the Peninsular and Oriental,
-unping to Asia and Australia; the Orient
md Pacific Steam Navigation Company
-unning 10 Australia. the d. Currie and
Union Steamship Company, running TO |
Africa: the Royal Mail Company running
o the West Indies; the Canadian Pacific |
Line. running to Asia, and the Cunard and I
White Star Lines. running to the United
States, altogether received in subsidy and !
nail pay. from the British Government last !
rear s.. .909 i66. II they had been paid
.ccording to the rates fixed in the bill re-
,orted by the committee for traversing |
he identical routes they would have been
Untitled TO $3.50 g32. or S32S, 534 less than
hey actually received from the British
Hence. when this bill be- |
ONES a law American steamships run
ling under # will receive less compensa- !
ion from the United States Government
nan those respective British lines are now 1
eceiving from their Government. to say |
l0thug OF the tremendous advantage the |
British ships have because Of lower wages,
over cost Of operation, and the employ !