Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-12-27

preceuing paragraph ana ciause !
tal." and were very careful to use the
word paragraph" in the one case
where it would make their cargo
amendment void, and to strike out the |
word "naragraEh" aud insert instead
the words clause ta)," ten lines
thereafter, when it was needed to make
eIectual the enormous speed" sub
sidy as to which it is expressly pro
the compensation provided in clause
ta)." F"Nr7
A fair comparison of the comparative
treatment by the Senate bill, as Just
passenger steamers, respectively, is as
follows:
While q fast passenger steamer has
a capacity in cafgo-tons of but one
third or one fourth of its registered
tonnage figure, freighter is, or the
other hand, SO arranged and fitted as
to carry far moro tons of cargo than
the figure OF her registered tonnage.
For example: At page CT Of Senate
Committee Hearings of 1900, at re.
quest of Senator Elkins. Mr.. Clyde,
speaking in behalf of the bill, gave
certain figures as to what he stated
were typical examples Of freighters,
these being:
Example l. Steamship 1867 registered
gross tonnage, with cargo capacity of $500
tons.
Example 2. Steamship 3,6a9 registered
gross tonnage, with cargo capacity of about
A, 200 tons.
Example 8. Steamship 1867 registered
gross tonnage. with cargo capacity Of
aobut 200 tons; and steamship $500
registered gross tonnage, with cargo
capacity of 5000 TONS
An ordinary freight-steamer of say
6 900 tons gross tregisteredl tonnage
would, therefore, carry say 800 tons
of cargo, and on 3.200-mie tordinary
Europeanl voyage would receive 50, $40,
or fofs tie round trip, 6,400 miles,
81, 740, say 63 l.5 cents per ton of
American exports actually carried on
the outward trip.
The registered tonnage of the st.
Louis lone of the Internatonal's four
great steamers which would get sub
sidyl is 1899 tons. At the rate of
subsidy proposed by both original and
amended bills. the st. Louis, being a
steamer of twenty -one knots or over."
would receive for the first !, 800 miles
Of each her outward and return voyages
$40 cents per 100 miles and 3. 10
cents per gross ton per 100 miles for
| the remaining distance, or over 1926, 600
for the round trip.
But the actual cargo capacity Of the
| st. Louis, as calculated by Mr.. Chamber
lain is 3,575 actual tons of cargo. The
| fact, therefore, Is that for carrying less
than half the American exports for
which the freight-steamer was sub
sidized, "a, TAO, the luxurious, swift
passenger steamer is subsidized to the
extent OF S25, 900, or, In proportion to
| American exports carried, the pas
| senger steamer receives more that
eleven times the susidy that does the
| freighter.
But this is not all. The cargo of the
freighter is ordinarily made up Of
heavy bulk freight-grain, -four, pork.
&C., while the cargo of the passenger
steamers is IN the main OF boxed and
Grated manufactured articles. Not
merely does their actual weight Per
| cargo ton average less than 1900
pounds. but they are in the main the
teoted" manufacturers, shipped abroad
to be sold to foreigners at far less
prices than our own citizens are made
to pay for the same articles.
Nv.
Senator Frye's next amendment is
found at page in the bill, and pro-
vides that If the Atlantic trade al
rates fixed by the bill shall not REQUIRE
10 per cent of the 5000, 600 provided,
then that any surplus Remaining OF
such 70 per cent shall be added 10 the
30 per cent reserved Tor the Pacific
trade, in case 1t is required to pay sub.
sid es provided.
This amendment is simply recipro.
cal provision for a similar one already
in the bill in favor Of the Atlantic
trade, and possibly not matter which
outsiders should criticiss, the theory
OF its promoters in that regard being
. expressed by their Mr.. Clyde in biz
argument before the House committee
''If we are satisfied. we who expect IL
share tire direct benefits of this bill, Il
begin with-if we are satisfied to see on,
single menber of that committee receiv,
that much money, in whose affairs we hayI
no interest whatever, we think yon can b
> sure thut he Is not getting more than tn
, service he renders is fairly worth.
If we can agree among ourselves as to hoy
, that money can be distributed ito them
: selves) so as to do the most good and bull
= up the largest possible merchant marine,
w hpt thluh tilht you snuulu give weight U
q the adverse criticisms of people who hav
8 had no practical experience in the owner
8 ship or operation of ships"
Q Senator Frye's last amendment ha
q not received the attention it deserves
0 1t is as follows:
'"All fittings and machinery forming
part of the construction of vessels built /
n the United States under the provisions {
g this act shall be of American manutactur,
u provided they can be obtained in tn
Q country"
= The situation is this: Not merel
J. does our present law give ahsoluteI
: free trade In the materials for shiI
. building to all builders of ships Il
" the foreign traue, but in spite of TIL
. free trade, our manufacturers hay
: steadily monopolized more aud mo
= the business Of supplying these mi
= terials, especially engines and lifting
u until now practically none are in
ported.
10 Mr.. Frye now proposes further
1f "protect' our American manufacture
D. of machinery by compelling our sbiI
?, builders for foreign trade to purehai
"a of them, and thus permit these man,
T. facturers to raise to any figure thu
+ may combine to charge, the price
Us which, of late, they have been glad
or sell machinery and fittings. In sho
j. it is proposed, first, to give subsic
I, to American shipbuilders ON the grour
~ that their materials cost them mo
q than do thoss of foreigners; an
10 second, by another provision of II
o. same bill, to make these same Amer
10 can shipbuilders Fay still more (
10 their materials. Either this il tor
81 foolery, or successful blackmail, levi