The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1900-11-23
CONCERNING SHIP SUBSIDIES.

found that finds itself forced to ac
knowledge that the republican polio,
of a protective tariff is causidical O
the result claimed for it by it's advo
cates-better wages for the men com
PEELED to toll for their living. The
paper making the enforced acknowl
edgment is the Anaconda Standard,
In a recent issue that publication con.
tanned an editorial entitled "Ou1
Merchant Marine" in which it treated
the subject of the nations decline as
a maratime power and sought to give
reasons therefore. One of the cause
it advanced was the existence of an
industrial system built up by the pro-
tective tariff under which the Ameri-
can wage worker could command very
much higher compensation OH land
than could be paid by the shipowner
Oh sea who comes in competition with
the cheapest sea labor of the other
commercial countries.
While still democratic enough to re-
fuse to admit that the protective tariff
has done as much in the way of con
tr1buing to the tremendous internal de-
velopment of the country as is
claimed for it by it's supporters, the
Standard admits that 'the relative
decadence of our merchant marine, is
as matters now stand, largely owing
to the fact that that both the capita
lists and wage earners can do better in
other fields of enterprise"
Having admitted that the upbuilding
Of a strong merchant marine is es-
sential to the welfare of the nation,
the Standard also admits that. system
of bounties or subsidies would be more
or less effective in bringing about such
a result, but this in a half hearted
way it opposes and argues against it
that it would result in creating ocean
monopolies. Recognizing the imper-
ative necessity of an effective mer-
chant marine to act as an adjunct to
the continued and increasing prosper
ity of the whole nation and as a
means Of keeping at home the millions
now paid annually into the ex-
chequers of foreign navigation COM
the Standard yet opposes a
subsidy system on the specious ground
that it would create monopolies of the
carrying trade. We're the Standard
inclined to be fair it could not but see
that such a monopoly is impossible so
long as foreign companies are per-
mitted to compete for the carrying
trade of the country. Competition is
the death of monopolies, and even SO
strong an anti-monopoly newspaper as
the Standard must admit that the
creation Of a monopoly or trust of the
ocean carrying trade would be a tax
on the most successful organizer of
that ever gave play to the
creative forces of his mind.
Taking the Standards own admis-
sion of the effects of the protective
as applied to the merchant
Of the country, and the neces-
sity of some form Of government as
sistance is apparent at once. England
and other foreign countries not operat-
ing on a policy of protection are giving
aid to their shipping
interests, as they realize the vast ben
hts that accrue to nations possessing
powerful and effective merchant mar
ines. In his report the commissioner
Of navigation points out that the ex-
port trade of the United States rel
luires 20 per cent of the worlds sea
going tonnage in the foreign trade, in
Guiding the largest, fastest and most
expensive steam ships built. This
paragraph alone is suggestive of the
immense industry that would be built
up it the nation possessed a merchant
marine equal to the demands of this
Eceat commerce.
4 s6ssegal ysars would necessarily pass
N1Iko8ne aOernment would be required
n ts!ea1uu hmount Of the subsidies
MM n114 after it reached the
&S4ere would be an annual
edA w. aenwhile the industry of
hin - A1lt41E Would t1emend-
JUS le0f3oxs11na and give employment
o vaat annOqnte of labor and capital.
n lti4qa tl1eg e2O, 600, 900 now paid
early n sN39e44h ship owners would
n vlZE0 "A 4@M&A24S 1~.,, 81 l. Y.L