The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-03-06
(By Hon. John Dewitt warner.)

country should profit by experiences and
refuse to create a shipping trust by
shipping subsidy.
The pending ship subsidy bills provide
that the United States treasury shall
contract to subsidize owners of certain
shipping, for from 20 to 30 years, up to
100000 a year. The subsidy varies
from one cent to 38 cents per ton of
registered tonnage per 100 miles sailed
and will average about IN cents for
sail vessels and those making less than
Ia knots an hour. and about 3h cents
for swift passenger steamers. Minor
features of the bill are Incidentally dis
cussed.
I. CHARACTERISTICS
1. The philanthropy and patriotism
with which the title and preamble fairly
drip.
"a bill to promote the commerce and
increase the foreign trade of the United
States and to provide auxiliary cruisers,
transports, and seamen for government
use when necessary.
Whereas, the profitable employment
of the surplus productive power Of the
farms, factories, mines, forests, and
fisheries of he United States impera-
lively demands the increase of its
foreign commerce, and
whereas, the merchant vessels,
officers, engineers, machinists, electri-
clans, and seamen necessary to the in
crease of the commerce of the United
States are also essential as auxiliary to
the forces of the United tates in Slime
of war. and otherwise. and to the bet
ter security of the nation and the pro-
lection of it's passengers; and,
Whereas, it is deemed especially ex-
pedient to make immediate provision to
these ends"
2. The extent to which, in the body Of
the bill, provision is made exclusively
for government bounty to shipowners
without material relation to our export
trade, American labor or the navy.
8. The provision in favor Of foreign
built shipping, of which American citi-
zens at present own a majority interest;
this, is dependent upon such American
owner or owners Of such majority in
terest" obtaining the remaining in
terest-thus excluding other American
citizens.
d. The contrast between it's provisions
the required 100 per cent immediate
American capital and the suggested 25
per cent American labor-with such an
no American sailor will ever be hired
unless otherwise profitable to hire him,
since shipowners get their sailors any
where, and no wage standard is sug-
gested.
= S. The contrast in deep sea fishing
between the 50 per gross ton yearly for
full registered tonnage though employed
only three months in the year, with but
one third American crew, and the
bounty to each American member of the
crew of 81 per month during his time
necessarily employed" Without mini
mum wage, this 81 bounty to sailors
simply enables the shipmaster to get
sailors at a dollar less a month-the
government paying the difference.
6. The proViso that "if" required, a
subsidized vessel shall carry lone
American boy for each one thousand
tons gross tonnage" who shall be kept
at work at seamanship or engineering
to be paid what he earns-the boy being
given no guarantee of after employ
ment.
III. PROMOTION OF SWIFT MAIL
OR TRANSPORT CRUISERS
A SHAM.
Swift passenger steamers are so ex'
pensive to run that they have no ex'
istence except in trade-(mainly trans
Atlantic)-in which they are already the
most profitable. For this trade, there
fore, they have built and would be bull
without subsidy. They will not be bull
for any other trade even with subsidy
This is admitted at page "a of the Hous,
hearings of January 10. Mr.. Clyde, ship
builder speaking on behalf of the bill
says:
1--WE know from the inquiries we hav
made as to what ships will be built l
this bill is passed, that all the vessel
contemplated will be vessels of moder
ate speed-none of them exceeding l
knots"
III. THE ACTUAL OBJECT OF THIS
BILL.
It Is not hard to find the real object o
this bill. At House hearings, PIP. "a, 2E
Mr.. Griscom explained:
"I should say off hand that the l
knot ship of the largest possible size
that would carry about 10000 tons
would be the ship that under tina
Subsidy" bill, would get the best com
pensation. A great many are buildin
in Great Britain now which will carr
1000 tons of cargo, and not measur
10000 (registered tonnage.)"
OR Sucn SnlpS lnere are coHlpdfdtlNei
few in the world. They have only re
Gently been built at all. In 1898, tn
greatest year for shipbuilding in tn
worlds history, but six in all were turn
ed out-four in Great Britain and tw
in Germany. But on September 3
1899, there were then building Of sue
vessels 16 in Great Britain and severe
in Germany-largely for our subsid
beggars.
In short the object of this subsidy bi
is not to encourage the building {
ships which would not otherwise /
built; but further to line the pockets {
prosperous gentlemen, who, withol
subsidy, have already built or cor
tracted for the very ships to subsidia
which this bill is framed.
w. SHAM PATRIOTISM.
The proposed guaranteed contracts IL