The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-24


sDAETS.D, MONDAY, DECEMBER -.
Cramps Views on Subsidy.
while Mr.. cramp may be considered as
in some respects an interested witness,
there are some points brought out in his
argument before the Industrial commits
sion in support Of the shipping subsidy
BIZ which are worthy Of serious atten-
ton. a. they 90 far to refute arguments
advanced by the opponents OF that meas
ure. and also to show why the alterna-
tive proposition Of free ships could not
havs the erect anticipated for it.
Mr.. cramp admits. or at least he does
not deny. that American ship-builders
can build vssssls practically ~ cheap as
the ship-Suildsrs Of any other country.
This win be hailed a. a great concession
BY the opponents OF the ship subsidy prop
osition; but It win be seen that the ar
oument to bc adduced from It Is the exact
opposite. II ship-owners can procure
shipe II this country as cheap a. they
can abroad. how does It happen that they
stll decline to have them built for the
assp water trade. and why is It that the
essan carrying trals Of The United States
b steadily declining? The further testi-
asay sf Mr.. Crsnp szplains IN the ilrst
~lann xh> an~k - ~n>,, tsrr - - A-.as-
lean ship Is very much greater. and con-
stitutss the main handicap to American
ship-owners, the FIRST cost Of the ship
icing minor consideration. II Is this
handicap which the subsidy system II ex-
pectsd to overcome. The further fact IL
brought out that capital has not inter-
Gated itself as yet in vessel owning. ana
that business men are 10th to 20 into
nsw enterprises with the details OF which
thsv ars not familiar.
rails 10 the keynots to the situation in
this country. Some stimulus should be
applied 70 turn the attention OF tho peo-
pie locking fer Investments In this al
rsctiea. Ths. ship subsidy bill furnishes
precissay that stimulus Prisr to the inn
position Of . protective tariff on tin plate
there was no such industry In the coun-
try. and no one felt inclined to enter
upon > new and untrisd experiment. with
protection. factories sprans up all over
the country. and they nov produce SUM-
Client for all OF the needs OF the United
states. with surplus for export.
Without doubt the same result would
follow the passage Of the ship subsidy
hill Equally without doubt the investors
in ocean carrying vessels would ma the
business prontabie, moro people would be
educated into confidence. in Investments
Of this class. and the merchant marine
Of the country would be rapidly restored
20 its old position.
There IL little point In Mr. Cramps
testimony. on another subject. which Is
also Of considerable interest. There has
been much talk az 20 the manner In which
the government has been mulcted in the
armor plate contracts According 10 Mr..
Cramps sworn abatement. he was COM
pellcd 10 pay In the neighborhooa OF sis
ton more for the armor plate which he
used 10 building warshlrs for foreign
countries than the navy department was
called upon to pay Tor the armor plate
which Il purchased for use on the vessel.
nov under construction. Mr. Cramp he
lieves that there Is an extraordinary
profit in the manufacture OF armor plate
but that belief has no, apparently war.
reuted him In going 10 the expense Of
putting ta a plant to manufacture u him
self. although, according TO his own state.
ment. II he had such plant he could
defy composition In the building OF war.
ships. Apparently. than. while Mr.. cramE
considers tina, the price which he has
been called upon TO pay Is exorbi,ant. h.
reaiises that there are some factors en-,
tertns iato armor plate manufacturing
sach az irst cost ~ the plant. smannes,
Of the market for the output. and IN,
possibility Of new processes sapersedins
the present one and rendering present
plants obsolete. which induce him to pa,
What he considers an exorhi,ant price fOr
the plate. rather than to at,emp, 10 man
ufaeture 1, Ger his own use.
--f-s-es-s------~-~------.-
~ II.
what startling way tho political conditions
n those states OF the South where tn,
negro has been disfranchised, This ha
been done In Mississippi. Louisiana. Nortl
and South Carolina. The result OF tn
election shows that the vote OF thes