New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-02-19
THE SHIP SUBSIDY BILL.
MR.. SEARCH'S VIEWS ON THE NEED OF
SUCH A MEASURE

Washington Feb Is (SpeciaD Tomorrow morn
ing the Republican members of the House Com
mittee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries will meet
to discuss certain suggested amendments to the
Ship Subsidy bill that have been offered by Messrs
Stevens and Fordney The next day the full COM
mittee will meet and 1t is expected that the bill
will be ordered favorably reported to the House.
There is also a probability that the Senate Com
merce Committee at its meeting on Thursday will
order a favorable report this bill. Under these
circumstances 1t is likely that it will to
vote in each branch of Congress before the close of
the present session
Theodore C. Search OF Philadelphia president CT
the National Association of Manufacturers,
organization of great and growing strength and
which has large National influence has been in
Washington for a few days matters of public
Importance. He is enthusiastic advocate of an
American merchant marine, having appeared be-
fore each of the committees of Congress having the
hill in charge and presented data and argument In
favor of CONGRESSES action that gave added weight
TO the almost universal demand for prompt and
effective legislation.
Mr.. Search's attention was called certain state
ments going the rounds of the of the country
in opposition to the pending bill. He said:
There is one statement which have frequently
sion ana desgne e t to an appa people with resard to
the scope of the bill | refer to what | would call
poses to a H1eHep sso % During twenty
% nS ons YEAR ta pay w
all who have made even superficial study Of the
the maximum sum of So 100000 will be absorbed by
built SUPPOSE the expenses Of the Experiment for
period Of twenty years to come should be Jumped
o Ppb 6 in the a "d and he @ as
expert fnanciers of the country.
TO CUT DOWN EXPENSES.
Or if it be proper the of $50 O0OO 900 for
the purpose Of then in fairne9 9d lbs is
saved should be lumped in the same way We are
passenger rates to foreign ships. Jumped Tor q
period Of twenty years we have the enormous sum
$50 designed large part 70 retain in the
build and own ships needed for foreign carrying
trade. But these great figures are beyond the un-
duced to the proposed expenditure of to exceed
$4,000 in one year the object being to erect me
500 900 we are now annually sending abroad in
A9ain % estimates place the sum
paid to foreign ships by the American people Dur
it is believed that the expenditure of. say, Sl5OOo0-
1 IN r 9ug & Shs o 10 no baT Ver reTd
in keeping the larger part if not all of that vast
wealth
It should be understood that none of these
payments be made unless cargoes are carried
under the American flag or ships are built in the
United States, and the expenditure Of SO 100000
trbution to general defence of the country and
the g M Of Its e. both Of which fs are
United States which our commerce requires. and
run them under our own flag,
DEVELOPMENT IN BUILDING SHIPS.
1t is entirely consistent with the past progress
of the United States in all lines of manufacturing
enterprise to believe that under the spur of this
bill during period of twenty years methods in
accuracy and high efficiency as to give this coun-
this branch of trade as TO give us the building of
the ships needed not only for our own trade. but
for that OF other nations besides.
The National Association of Manufacturers of
which Mr.. Search is president is composed of
twelve hundred of the largest manufacturing
in the country and is especially interested
in the development of foreign markets. and
has established and is maintaining at its own ex-
pense a warehouse in Venezuela for the last
three years where American goods exhibited
At this moment they are establishing another
warehouse in Shanghai. China. not only for the
exhibition of. but for the sale of American goods
This is only earnest OF what the association
proposes to do" said Mr. Search, in other quarters
of the globe" He added
ships manned by foreigners and owned by foreign
ers, not dollar that is paid them stays in the
ship is built in the United States, and is owned
and manned by Americans then everything she
earns remains in the United States, employing our
own people over and over again.
Another point in connection with this bill too
often overlooked and Of great importance. is the
provision that when me number OF ships under the
compensation allowed in any one year, then the
ducing the compensation paid to all the others. IN
order that the last conner shall share equally with
parent, is TO increase the number of ships as their
cost price is reduced, while Diminishing their in
dividuaI but not the aggregate, payments. In
time under this sliding scale of reduced compensa-
ton and increased shipping the final withdrawal
of the bounty will not work such a hardship
would be the case were the maximum rates of com
pensation summary discontinued.
Last of all this particular feature of the bill
absolutely destroys the possibility of any monopoly
of any route character of trade. There are no
favored lines ships under this bill; But all re-
ceve the same compensation size and speed being
equal and none restricted to any particular
route, while all routes are equally open to each
ship line
bill as scientific and as equitable this, in my
judgment, has never before been introduced in any
legislative body in the world, and it's complete
adaptation to existing and pressing American needs
is one Of the strongest reasons why 1t should be