The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-12-09
KANSAS AI CAPITAL.
What SunfiOWeriteS Are Doing
in Washington.
THAT SHIP SUBSIDY BILL
And Some of the Facts Re-
garding It,

| Special Correspondence Of The Eagle.
Washington, Dec. S.-One Of the mos
important measures which the presen
session Of congress viii deal with is tn
shipping subsidy bill This bill propose.
to make it possible that more than PEI
cent Of the commerce of the United
States shall be transported on American
| bottoms
It is a deplorable fact that our mer
| chant marine is in its present condition
! Every country in the world that is o.
any consequence, and many countries fal
| inferior to ours, has better shipping IA
! cillties than the United States. Less Of
| our goods to foreign countries is trans
ported on ships flying the American flag
than ever before This should be ar
humiuating fact to every American, but
unfortunately it does not seem to be, for
! strangely enough, there appears to be
| violent opposition in some quarters to
the shipping subsidy bill
Out in Kansas, where all the people are
! interested in the commercial development
Of the country; where products are raised
to ship to other COUNTRYSIDE feed the
world; where there is more real Ameri-
canism and patriotism than elsewhere in
the country, it would seem incredible for
there to be opposition to this great meas
ure, or the correction at least Of the evil
that exists. Yet even in Kansas there IS
opposition. It comes about, probably, in
this way: For ten years the teachings
of Popuusm have been common, and the
people to greater or less extent have
been inoculated with the disease. This
has cropped out in the particular malady
common among Kansas people when the
word subsidy is breathed. For ten
years the PopuIists Of Kansas have
talked Of Subsidies; Of Subsidized"
press; of Subsidized" government; of
subsidized" legislatures and congresses;
Of subsidized" pulpit and subsidized"
everything; until, without stopping 10
think, many sensible people have violent
attacks when the word is mentioned
This. then, is the real source and reason
for the opposition that exists in Kansas
to the shipping subsidy bill
Last year, of all the enormous exports
and imports of the United States only 8
per cent was carried on American bot
toms. Last year the United States paid
to foreign nations-principally Great
Britain and Germany-$500,G0 a day for
doing carrying trade work for this coun-
try.
In making his forcible speech in the
senate in defense Of the shipping bill,
Senator Frye Of Maine said:
1.-THE world has entered upon a fierce
commercial war, and it is to be a long
and strenuous conflict. Each nation is
seeking the advantage Of its rivals in
this conflict and is pressing forward to
gain that advantage. Most of the for
eign nations are looking for commercial
advantage in the east. Russia, France.
Great Britain, Italy and Germany are
paying an aggregate of five millions per
year in subsidies for the carry ships OF
the eastern trade"
The bill now being considered in the
senate is not exactly similar to that of
the house, but there is strong Repub-
hcan sentiment for legislation on this
subject at this session, and every effort
will be brought to bear to correct the
wrong which now exists.