The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-12-12
The SHIP SUBSIDYDBBATE
The llama Frye Bill Vigorously
Attacked by Senator Clay.
He Declares That the Measure, If
Passed, WGuId Tend TO Build In "A
s,oney AristOcracy - The PROPOSE
'icn of Bountiex kepuEnant to the
Spirit OF Our Free Institutions.

| The Senate yesterday resumed the de-
bate On the Snip subsidy bill at the close
OF morning business. AT 2:i0 o'clock Mr
Clay opened the fight on the bill with a
speech which lasted until 4:25 Much in
terest was manifested in the argument
The senators on both sides retaining their
seats throughout the address. Many good
points were made by the Senator from
Georgia and he pointed out the weak por-
| tions of the bill.
| AT the outset. Mr. Clay declared that a
| clear analysis OF the bill would demon
strate to an unprejudicvd mind that the
results claimed for the measure-to pro-
] mole commerce. increase the foreign trade
| Of the United States. and provide auxiliary
cruisers and seamen for the Government
use when necessary-could not possibly
follow. On one point. however. everybody
was agreed-that when 1t became a law it
would take from the public treasury s9.-
00O.0O0 year for twenty years, making in
all $3.50. .000,0 000 and would donate this vast
sum to the owners of ships engaged in
1 carrying foreign trade to aid them in max
ing their private business profitable. He
desired it to be understood that the ma
jority members Of the Commerce Commit
tee had not only voted against reporting
the bill favorably. but would vote against
its passage.
Mr.. Clay then proceeded to analyze the
various features Of the bill. He present
ed figures to show that the subsidy to be
given the slower vessels up to twelve
knots speed, which. he said, are really
our great freight carriers. is only 1-2
cents per ton, while that given to the fast
ships which only carry passengers and
fine manufactured. goods. for instance a
twenty-one-knot vessel, is 1910 cents
per ton. swift passenger steamer like
the st. Paul, Paris. New York, or ST.
Louis, of the American line, would draw
under this bill s304.29O annually, while
ten-knot ship, which would carry twelve
times more farm products and heavy
freight than the fast steamers. would
draw only S4S 300 a year, less than one
sixth as much.
To show this injustice and inequality
he compared the manifests of the st. Paul
and of the Manhattan, the latter 14-knot
freighter of the Atlantic Transportation
Company whose subsidy would be S12S,-
426, or third of the amount to be re-
ceived by the former. These documents
showed that the Manhattan was loaded
down with farm products, while the st.
Paul carried practically none except FIVE
or six tons of dressed and canned meats.
Mr. Clay declared that it passed his CON-
prehension how these favorins the bill,
which donates more than 100000 year
TO the St. Paul, could make out t.lat the
farmers and producers of the country
were the principal beneficiaries under its
provisions. rcf'
The real and only beneflciaries were the
shIpowners, 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
ma nifests of the St. Louis, whose subsidy
would be 1904 ,2sO. and OF the Georgia OF
the White Star Line. which showed that
the latter, whose subsidy would be only
$50, ,l5O, carried twenty times as many
farm products and northumberland ar
ticles as the former. These acts. he ar
gued, showed that the subsidy rates Of
the bill were especially planned, not to
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 first-class
cabin accommodations. In proportion to
American exports carried the fast passen-
ger steamer would receive more than elev-
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 10
build vessels of equal tonnage instead OF
only twenty-five per cent, as is provided
to those receiving the benefits of the sub
sidy, was a serious objection to the bill.
Such provision would have resulted
largely in building up the merchant ma
rine and given a great stimulus to Ship
building in the TINTED States.
But the shipowners who have been so
zealously urging this Ill are only inter-
ested In increasing the profits of their
present business. not in tie future of the
merchant marine. Even the provision re-
garding the admission TO American registry
of foreign built vessels owned by hmer-
can capital would not. in his opinion, re-
suit in any large increase in our merchant
navy For. 10 secure the benefit of the
subsidy to such vessels. the owners must
not only 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. 1t would |
be impossible for them to compete under |
these conditions.
Another objection is in that provision !
which limits the subsidy TO ships built |
with five years after the passage of the |
act The stimulant gives out at the end |
of five years, but the ships built within |
that period enjoy the stlmulant for |
twenty years Thus the time would cume |
when no American could afford to build
a new ship to compete with these en-
joying the subsidy for years to come.
Discussing the decadence of American
shipping. Mr. Clay said it 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 |
1f the United States had not been develop
ID. and England obtained the advantage in
Inc building and operating of ships. Wise
demanded that We ought,
under the conditions. to have availed cur
selves of the results of British skill in the
of steamships until the iron
industry of our country had been properly
developed. But American citizens were
absolutely prohibited from buying vessels
rom England and not being able TO build
hem here our merchant marine has stead
ly declined from that time
Under our navigation laws, we permit
ed other nations to 20 into the best and
.heapest markets and buy ships and en-
yage in carrying our foreign commerce,
while we denied the same privilege TO our
,wn citizens. But, he continued. things
ire now changed. We can build ships
row more cheaply than any country in
he world We own vast resources Of raw
material, etc. Special fayors. in the way
# exemption from taxation of articles for
he construction of ships have been ox-
ended by Congress to shipowners, and
t is neither just nor right that they
hould continue to clamor for additional
assistance at the expense OF the public
reasury.
After describing the great progress
made in recent years in the building of
hips in this country. both for the navy
nd for the merchant marine, Mr. Clay
ontinued by attacking the subsidy as
icious IN principle and repugnant to the
pirit OF our free institutions. If bounty
an be paid to the shipowner from the
ublic treasury. for every mile they sail