Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-12-13
INDICTMENT OF THE SUBSIDY
BILL

ton 10 persons who are conducting
business for their own profit.
II. The limitation of the amount to
be disbursed to 100000 is a decep-
ton. At the hearing before the House
committee the chairman, General
Grosvenor. said: IL presume that we
may assume that if the $4,000, oC0 is
exhausted and the result has been
! very beneficial. that our successors
will have intelligence enough to in
| crease ndoubtedly." Interrupted
I ex-senator Edmunds. the attorney Tor
! the shipbuilders.
Ill. On the other hand. if it does
! not greatly stimulate shipbuilding
| there Will be agitation for larger
subsidy. just as this measure is urged
! on the ground that The postal subsidy
! of 1891 was not sufficient.
! Nv. Much the greater part of the 3d.
| 100000 will be absorbed by ships in ex-
istence and those under contract;
there can be no considerable increase
/ Of our shipping without running over
the $. 900 or reducing the
rates of subsidy. which are stated to
be now as low as possible to put our
ships on an equality with those OF
England
V. The subsidy assures the country
OF no additional shipping facilities: II
! Is bonus for business. most OF which
! Is now carried on for private profit.
| VI. 1t offers no promise OF lower
I freight rates; it's purpose is TO meet
/ what are alleged TO be additional ex-
penses Therefore IT is OF no import
/ ance TO American shippers.
/ VII. AS shipping is now offered as
/ fast as the need OF it arises the value
OF foreign markets is no excuse for
this measure
VIII. a committee OF the National
Association OF Manufacturers has GER
Il
lea all the shipping we can use is
offered to US now. In other directions
we are generally better supplied than
we are in the direction of South
America.
IN. The International Seamen's
Union, In its recent convention in Bos-
ton said there was nothing in the bill
TO increase the number of Americans
who would so TO sea.
X. There is no protection of the
government If, i'm the event OF war,
It should need steamers; the owners
may demand any price they can Get
the Government at momen, Of ces-
pcrate need To pay.
Nj. The steamers that will be built
under the influence OF this measure
will be OF little or not service to the
United States as armed cruisers. We
know as practical men tiiat the 2l-
knot ship is n bad ship foi the ship
| owner. and we know from the in
! quirics we have made as to what ships
! will be built if this bin IL passed that
| all the vessels contemplated Will be
vessels of moderate speed, none of
| them exceeding Ii knots. Testimony
| at tho Senate hearing.
Nil The greatest share of this sub
sidy. amounting TO three or four hun
! dred thousand dollars per ship per an
! mum. will be paid to a few express
,ill1
| little freight.
| XIII. The highest rate Of compensa-
| ton would he made to the class Of
| steamers OF least value to the govern
ment and the most economical to their
| owners. II should say offhand that the
| 14-knot ship OF the largest possible
| size-that would carry about 10000
| that Subsidy bill would get the best
| compensation. That is II
knots is about the speed that we think
! Is economical speed TO do the bus
| ness."-Testimony at House hearing.
| XIV. There is nothing in this bill
for the government and nothing for
| the producers of our exported mer-
| chandise: the sole benefcaries are the
shipowners and builders. and the ship
| owners of France. which has very
| much such a law as this, complain
| that the shipbuilders have marked up
| their prices and got all the bounty
away from them.
XIV. This bill was confessedly pre-
pared by the men who expect to get
the money and who have employed
counsel. Mr. Edmunds. to persuade
Congress to vote 1t to them.
XVI Commissioner Chamberlain adj
mts that under the Senate bill eight
tankers of the Standard Oil Company
will get over S71 1000 year. but it is
believed that there are thirty-five of
them which can be brought within the
provisions OF the bill and Will get
100000 n year.
XVII Subsidies have been defended
on the ground that they constitute a
logical part OF the protective system.
This is not true. Mr.. Cannon, of lili-
| nois. Republican. defeated the renewal
OF Roach's Brazilian subsidy on tho
ground that it increased our imports
very much more than our exports.
Henry c. Carey expressed the wish
that the Atlantic We're a sea of fire.
so that It could not be crossed Hor-
ace Greeley said: when It takes the
wheat, the flesh. the corn and the cot
ton to q distant manufacturing CEN
tire, n locomotive is an exhauster its
smoke Is black nag, and its whistle
is the scream OF an evil genius" How
much more is the smoke OF n steam
CIR carrying these things out of the
country black flag. Prof. Robert
Ellis Thompson of the University of
Pennsylvania. says it would be better
to hang a man than to make a COM
mon sailor of him. and that John
Fitch's application of steam power to
navigation has rendered no greater
service to mankind than this, of re-
ducing the number of those who are
required to conduct the interchanges
OF commodities between nations"