The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-05-14

ships or in transports. provisions, am
muniticn, etc. in case of war.
such a large amount of subsidy prac
tically pat at the disposal ct the few
who benefit by this bill cannot but tend
TO unite, even more closely than now,
the great ship building, snip owning and
railroad interests concerned IN THIS meas
ure.
in their foreign owned ships and ge+ their
ships now being built into the subsidy
race the S9.O00090 limit will undoubtedly be
reached. Hence, IL viii be to their in
tereSt to combine to stop competition and
to prevent their subsidy rates and profits
from declining We believe that such
combination would he completed soon
after the passage of this bill.
I'VE place no faith in the antitrust
amendment All the federal and state
antitrust laws now in existence have
proven futile and have not lessened the
rapid growth of trusts. We see no reason
for thinking that this antitrust amend
ment would prove more effective.
by this bill, which processes to be in
tended to increase the expectation OF
American produce, the government IS
single ship line 81, 100000 a year for carry
ing abroad in its four first-claSs passenger
ships. not American products, but Ameri-
can tourists, who can afford to travel
and spend their money in Europe. That
is what the government IS asked to pay,
not for the expectation of American pro-
duets, but for the expectation Of Ameri-
can customers.
Reward to Existing Lines.
The report contends that even If sub
sides are iustihabie in building up an
enterprise such as the Pacific roads yet
mere is no justification FOR "a reward TO
existing lines.
As showing the Proportions of the pro-
posed subsidy it is stated that Sy,0O0,0O0
year constitutes interest upon $3.50, 900, 900
at the rate now Welded by our govern
ment bonds" and it is urged that the
government could better afford 20 use this
aggregate to build ships and give them
away than to make The donations pro-
vided in this bill
It is stated that $3.50 goo would so to ships
over twenty years old and therefore en-
courage the running OF these old ships,
for the sake of subsidy, until they go
to the bottom with crew and cargo.
The report, while it does not advocate
the free ship theory points out that in
its Investigations it found that every ma
ton except the United States allowed
its citizens to purchase ships where thley
pleased. In answer 10 the proposition
that other nations are increasing their
shipping by subsidies, the report points
Out that Great Britain. which has the
largest shipping. subsidies less than 3
per cent of her tonnage, and this Is on
mail subsidies except SI0ls,V0a
Cost of Operating Ships.
me report contains what Is stated 70
be the actual figures of operating the St.
Paul of the American line and the Cam
pania of the Cunard line, showing an in
creased cost of running of the former OF
S19 500 per year and this. the report states,
would be met by subsidy Of about S409, 900.
The report quotes from the manifests
of q number of freight and passenger
ships, showing that the freighters which
carry the product Of the farm and ware
house receive about one-ffth that OF the
passenger craft
In conclusion. the objections are
summed up as follows.
''First-The objections professed in the
title are entirely forgotten in the body OF
the bill.
''Second-It is reasonably certain that
the most of the subsidy would SO to lines
already established and prosperous.
''Third-Under the bin the ordinary
freight steamers, which carry so to 80 per
but a fraction OF the amount of subsidy
which the passenger steamers would re-
ceive, although the latter carry less than
10 per cent OF our agricultural exports.
''FOurth-Under this bill ship can run
practically in ballast and draw subsidy
we believe that when freight is not
promptly offered it will pay a certain
class OF ships TO run empty rather than
to wait for cargo.
"F4fth-This bill could tax all our citi-
zens TO provide extra profit for favored
few in this favored industry.
"Sixth-The professions of this Dill are
insinCere and its principles are unsoCnd.
We believe that the best interests o. this
nation do not demand the passage OF this
or Of any similar bill.