The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1901-04-18

For Time of War.
The subsidy bill claims to be bill
TO promote the commerce of the coun
try and its foreign trade and to profit
ably employ the surplus products OF
the farms of the United States.
To justify the expenditure of the
S9,000,000 year proposed by this bill
it ought to be shown that all these
objects are accomplished by this bill
better than they could be by any other
means; for if the other SO called OBJ
jects of the bill-to provide cruisers
and transports-are TO be considered
by themselves, it is clear that a cheap
or and surer way OF having efficient
service would be for the government
to build its own ships.
Just how the bill will not promote
the commerce in a manner at all COM
mensurate with the enormous exDendi-
ture is easily seen by a study of one
outward voyage, taken at random, of
the steamship New York. vessel be-
longing to the International Naviga-
ton company. the chief beneficiary of
the bill.
On her first voyage from New York
in 1900 this ship carried cargo to the
value of less than 100000, and of this
only $4,000 was agricultural prod
ucts. Now, compare the statement of
the president of this company with
one made by Mr.. Stratton, represent
ing before the house committee in
January. 1899, the board of underwrit-
ers of New York and the American
bur- eau of shipping. Mr.. Griscom has
repeatedly said that the cost of his
four fast steamships was $1O,OOO,OOO.
Mr.. Stratton, at the hearing mentioned
above said. when speaking of the re-
lationship existing between a vessel
and her cargo, Say a ship is worth
100000. or $1,000000 and that vessel
goes to seattle cargo is worth on an
average twice what that ship is" and
little later, "If you find ship is
worth S500,000, you will find the cargo
is worth S1.100000 or $1,20O,O0O"
On this basis & ship worth $4,000 1000
to S250O.OO0 ought to have a cargo
worth from $4,000,000 to $5,00OOOO. in
stead of one worth less than three
quarters of million of dollars.
Surely this ship, which under the
proposed bill would receive subsidy
of quarter of a million dollars or
more year-that is, about one-eighth
of the entire subsidy to be paid Amer
lean steamships already built before
Feb. /, 1S99-cannot be said to pro-
mote commerce or foreign trade or
provide profitable employment for the
products Of the farm to any apprecia-
bic extent.
in any way be said to help in any of
the'commercial objects of the bill I'M
less the promoters and supporters of
the bill can show that Mr.. Stratton is
as Ignorant" as they claim every one
not agreeing with them must be.
The defenders of the bill are con-
stantly setting forth before those who
in their Ignorance" are opposing it
that the British and German govern
mentS and other nations are subsidiz-
ing their fast steamships for war pur-
poses in case of need and we must do
as much. Then they appeal to the
work done by the two ships of the In
Navigation company in the
late fracas with Spain as an instance
Of what might happen again. But the
Dill as now amended gives no subsidy
for speed beyond IS knots, while the
fast ships of the English and German
marine attain speed Of %
knots or better. In the event, then. of
a war with these countries the New
York. Which can make at most 81
knots. her owners say, could neither go
In pursuit of the enemy's fast ships
nor run away from them. But by the
bill no new fast ships are to be called
INTO existence, so that the so called OBJ
]ect of providing fast cruisers Is not
fulfilled by the bill. 1t fails as lament
ably as II does to promote commerce
and foreign trade.
lnasmuch as the government In 1899
employed as temporary transports for
1er soldiers to and from Manila (see
'eport Of commissioner of navigation.
,ages 203 and 205) certain ships which
would under this bill have been sub
'idy winners had the bill been in force.
we can Judge the kind of ships that
would be used were this bill now in
operation. There were eight of these
1essels. One was IA years old, one II.
me IS and the other six from 21 to DO |
years old
Ihis Is the kind of ships the COMMA |
hes would turn over to the govern. |
nent to carry her soldiers if they were
allied 81. for transports. 1t is not
worth while to pay $9,O00,OOO a wear
or the sake Of having this sort of
hing. 1t would be far cheaper to build
ome ships. and when there was no
leed or them to give the use of them
o some poor company that could not
make both ends meet without begging
rom the whole country.
In his speech before the senate on
riday, Feb. 10, Senator Perkins of
'alifornia showed that the entire sum
$9ooO,OOO was already taken ND and
nat the bill was actually no helm to tba
uilding of new ships, much less to
ne establishing of new lines. In other
'ords, the bill as now drawn is q bonn.
giver to lines already established