Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1900-05-08
FOR AMERICAN SHIPS.
THE MUCH-DlSCUSSED HANNA
PAYNE-FRYE BILL.
Senators, Favor Passage of the Subsidy
Measure-Why Tt Is Needed and What
1t Will Accomplish Opposed by Free
Traders and Foreign Ship Owners.

Sentiment among members of the up
per branch of Congress SO strongly IA
yors the shipping bill that its passage
at the present session is assured. 1t is
known as tie Frye shipping bill, hay
inc been introduced by the President
pro tenn of the Senate, Hon. William
Z. Frve, of Maine, who is also chair
man Of the Senate Commerce Commit
tee, to which legislation affecting our
marine is always referred. For TWEEN
ty-fye years Senator Frye has been the
leading champion of American shipping
in Congress. Senator Hanna first in
troduced this bill in the Senate, how
ever, at the time Senator Frye was a
member Of the Peace Commission in
Paris. 1t was introduced in the House
Of Representative by Serene Z.
Payne, of New York. This explains its
several hyphenated titles.
This bill IS necessary. because our
shipping in the foreign trade is unpro-
tected i'll competition with the cheaper
built cheaper-operated, heavily sub
sidiZed and bountied shipping of other
nations. Our ships now carry less than
nine per cent. Of our imports and ex-
ports. Foreign vessels annually re-
ceiye $200,G00000 for carrying 81 per
cent. This vast sum is taken out of the
country and employs aliens instead of
being spent in American shiDyards and
giving employment TO our own 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 on 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
of $4,000, 900, 600 during the last thirty
five years in paying foreign ships for
doing our foreign carrying, is our grow
ing national danger because of our in
creasiEg 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 If we possessed a merchant
shipping equal to the needs of our for
eign commerce. Our neglect of our
shipping makes our foreign commerce
means for building up the auxiliary ma
val strength oC our maritime and COM
mercial rivals. This commerce, now
annually valued at over $1,000. 600 600.
pays for the auxiliary naval training of
foreign merchant ships and seamen.
This shipping bin is now upon the
calendar in each branch of Congress,
having been fayorably 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
o foreign voyage distant more than 100
miles from the United States, shall
be paid for the first 1000 miles not to
exceed IL cents per gross ton per hun
dred miles sailed outward and inward,
and l cent per ton for each additional
hundred miles sailed outward and in
ward, this compensation being limited
to not to exceed sixteen round voyages
in any successive twelve months. In
addition, vessels whose speed exceeds
twelve knots per hour are paid extra
compensation, graduated proportions
ately to their size and speed. This bare
~ meets the extra cost involved in
building and operating ships of high
speed, although these vessels, for auXil-
larry naval and for mail carrying pur-
poses, are most useful to the govern
ment. The compensation paid to slow
sailing and steam vessels is lust equal
to the higher cost of their construction
IN the United States, and their opera
ton under the American flag: and the
same is true of al vessels receiving this
compensation. Owners of existing
American vessels for which compensa-
ton is sought must have % per cent
additional new tonnage built in the
United States before receiving any pay
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 new ton
mage built in the United States equal to
that so admitted. The compensa ton
to the foreign-built vessels is but one
half that paid to American-buiIt ships
Not to exceed nine million dollars may
be expended in any one year. If the
amount earned exceeds the amount
available, there is 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 any
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 So, 200, 900
in any one year, out of the total
amount, and 80 per cent of the latter
is reserved exclusively for Pacific
Ocean shipping under the American
flag.
Foreign governments now pay their
merchant ships over S26 100000 a year
In subsidies, mail pay, subventions, ma