The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-12-11
SUBSIDY BILL ATTACKED
Senator Clay "Opens the Fight on
Hanna's Pet Measure.
he Declares Tbnt the Proposition Is
vicious in Principle and Repus-
nant TO the spirit OF Free Insti-
tutions-Protest Against ProHigate
squanderiag OF Public Money.

was resumed in the Senate today at the
/ close Of the morning business, Mr. Clay
opening the fight for the opposition.
Much interest was manifested IN the ar
gument. both the Democrats and Repub-
licans remaining IN their seats.
I At the outset. Mr.. Clay declared that
clear analysis of the bill would demon
strate to an unpreiudiced mind that the
] results claimed for the measure-to pro-
mote commerce. increase the foreign trade
of the United States. and provide auxiliary
/ cruisers and seamen for the Government
use when neeessary-co not possibly
follow On one point. however. everybody
was agreed-that when il became law it
would take from the public treasury s9.-
100000 year for twenty years, making in
| all $120, Gee, coo, and would donate this vast
sum to the owners. of ships engaged In
carrying foreign trade to aid them in max
/ Ing their private business profitable. He
desired Il to be understood that the ma
/ jority members OF the Commerce Commit
lee had not only voted against reporting
the bill favorably, but would vote against
its passage.
8Ir. Clay then proceeded to analyze the
various features of the bill. he present
! ed figures to show that the subsidy 10 be
given the slower vessels up to twelve
knots speed which. ne said. are really
our great freight carriers, is only IL
cents per ton, while that given 10 the fast
! ships which only carry passengers and
| fine manufactured goods, for instance
twenty -oIie-knot vessel, is SIG cents
per ton 4 swift passenger steamer like
/ the st. Paul. Paris. New York, or St
Louis. of the American line, would draw
under this bill $504,2 annually. while
d ten-knot ship, which would carry twelve
times more farm products and heavy
| freight than the fast steamers, would
draw only S4S.3e6 a year, less than one
sixth as much
To show this injustice and inequality
he compared the manifests Of the 81. Paul
and of the Manhattan, the latter 14-knot
/ freighter OF the Atlantic Transportation
Company whose subsidy would be Siz5,-
526, or ene-Jhird OF the amount TO De re
/ ceived By the former. These doeum&ats
| showed that the Manhattan was loaded
I down with farm products. while the St
/ Paul carried practically none except Eve
or six tens Of dressed and canned meats.
I Mr.. Clay declared that IL passed his eoni-
prehensicn how those favoring the till,
which donates more than $500. coo year
to the St Paul, could make out that the
farmers and producers Of the country
we're the principal benefciaries under It's
provisions
The real and only benefeiaries were the
| stIpowners. and they alone and not the
farmers, had appeared before the commit
tee and urged the adoption Of the bill
He made another comparison between the
nenifests OF the St. Louis, whose subsidy
would be 1854 .2s0, and of the George 81
the White star Line, which showed thss
the latter, whose subsidy would be only
$50 $50 carried twenty times as many
farm products and semi i-manufs ctured ar
/ ticles as the former. These acts, be ar
i gued. showed that the subsidy rates OF
/ the bill were especially planned, not TO
I promote exports of American products.
but to provide luxurious steamers for
| those who wished to travel abroad and
who are amply able TO pay for dTst-class
cabin accommodations. II proportion to
| American exports carried the fast passen-
ger steamer would receive more than eiev-
en- times the subsidy the freighters would
get
| Proceeding, Mr. Clay pointed out that
| the absence OF any requirement compel
ing shipowners to obligate themselves to
build vessels of equal tonnage instead OF
only twenty-five per cent as i5 provided
| to those receiving the benefits of the sub
sidy, was a serious objection to the bill.
Such a provision would have resulted
largely in building up the merchant ma
/ f1De ana given great stimulus 10 SNIP
building in the United States.
But the shipowners who have been so
zealousIy urging this bill are only inter
ested in increasing the protts of their
| present business, not in tie future Of the
merchant marine. Even the provision re-
gardiBg the admission 10 American registry
Of foraign-buiit vessels owned by Ameri-
can capital would not in his opinion. re-
suit in any large increase IA our merchant
/ navy. For. 10 secure the benefit Of the
subsidy 10 such vessels, the owners must
not c1ily build new ones Of equal size but
must he content with only half the subsidy
given to American registered ships at the
| time OF the passage of the bill. It would
| be impossible for them to compete under
! these conditions
Another objection is ~ that provision
| which limits the subsidy TO ships built
| with FIVE years after the passage of the
| act. The stimslant gives out at the end
| of FIVE years. bur the ships built within
] that period enjoy the stimulant for
| twenty years Thus the time would come
| when no American could afford 20 build
| new ship to compete with those en-
| joying the subsidy for years to come.
Discussing the decadenee OF American
| shipping, Mr.. Clay said ii began when
! steam took the place OF sails. and iron was
: substituted for wood IN the construction
Of ships. At that time the iron industry
of the United States had not been develop
ed and England obtained the advantage in
the building and operating of ships. Wise
craftsmanship demanded thai We ought
under the conditions to have aFaiied our
| selves OF the results Of British skill in the
construction of steamships until the iron
industry Of oHT country had been properly
developed But American citizens we're
absolutely prohibited from buying vessels,
from England, and not being able to buiIS
the here. our merchant marine has stead
| ily declined from that time.
| Under our navigation laws, we permit
| ted other nations 10 90 into the best and
cheapest markets and buy ships and en-
gage in carrying our foreign commerce.
| while we denied the same privilege to our
own citizens But he continued things
are now changed. We can build ships
now more cheaply than any country in
/ the world, We own vast resources of raw
material etc. Special fayors. in the way
of exemption from taxation of articles fnr
the construction of ships, have been e1-
! tended by Congress 10 shipoWners. 2nd
it is neither just nor right that they
should continue to clamor for additional
assistance at the expense Of the public
treasury.
After describing the great progress
made in recent years in the building of
ships in this country, both for the navy
land for the merchant marine, Mr.. Clay
continued by attacking the subsidy as
| vicious in principle aud repugnant to the
spirit Of olir free institutions. # a bounty
can be paid 10 the shigowner from the
public treasury, for every mile they sail