BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1901-12-21
New Ship Subsidy Bill.
introduced BY Senator Frye.
Its Principal P Provisions-Scven Dis
tinct Classes and Rates for Ocean
Steamers-MaI Contract Term
Extended to Fifteen Years-A
Uniform General Subsidy-Al-
lowance to Promote Building oi
New Vessels.

Washington, December IL. - Senator
Frye Rep, Me. to day introduced the
new Ship Subsidy Bill. 1t differs in form
from the Subsidy Bill of the last two ses.
siors. 1t is divided into four titles, ahd
fifteen sections.
The sections under the title "Ocean Mail
Steamships," are devoted to amendments
to the Ocean Mail Act of 1891. The Post.
master. General is required to consider the
national defence, and the maritime interests
Of the United States, a. well as postal inter.
ests in providing for the transportation Of
American ocean mails.
Tke present limit Of ocean mail contracts,
ten years, 10 increased to fifteen years. The
Frye Bill provides seven distinct classes,
with y rate Of @6 to twenty knot steamers,
increasing from 5000 to 10000 toos the
minimum sise; o. for sixteen knot steamers
provided the size is decreased from 5000
tons, the present minimum, to 5000 tons.
The proposed maximum mail rates per gross
s.ssn per hundred nautical miles are:
Ovar 10000 tons-Twenty knots, 2.7
cents; nineteen knots, 2 cents.
Over 5000 tons Eighteen knots, 23
cents; seventeen knots, 81 cents; sixteen
knots, 9 cents; fifteen knots, cents.
Over 2,OCO tons-Fourteen knots, 1.5
cents.
Rates for mail steamers to the West
Indies, Central America, and Mexico can.
not exceed 20 per cent of the maximum
rates.
The second title, "General Subsidy" con.
tains the general subsidy for all vessels,
steam or sail, which are not under mail
contracts. This general subsidy is uniform,
one cent per gross ton per 100 nautical
miles for mot exceeding sixteen entries in
one year.
To promote the building Of new ocean
vessels an additional allowance of one
fourth Of cent per gross ton is made for
five years. Any vessel to receive the gen.
eral subsidy must carry mails, if required,
and must train in seamanship or engineer.
ing one American youth for each 1000
tons, the vessel to be at the service of the
Government If required for defence. Any
vessel to receive subsidy must be class AL
and at least one fourth OF the crew must be
Americans.
The bill provides an annual bounty of 80
ton foz deep sea fishing vessels and of S1
montb for American citizens when engag-
cd in deep sea fisheries that vessel shall
receive only one form Of subsidy, and that
vessel which has received subsidy shalt
not be sold to foreigner except by consent
Of the Secretary Of the Treasury.
The bill does not provide American re.
gistry fol foreign ships osoned by Americans.
Especial Dispatch to The Evening Post)
Washington, December IL The important
question regarding Senator Frye's new sub
sidy bill is whether its compromises snffi-
ciently meet the Western Republican oppo- /
sition Of last winter to give promise Of sue. |
cess. Mr.. Frye stated some weeks ago, |
when he made known the terms Of the new
bill that personally he did not like it 90 veil
as the old one, but was trying in it to satisfy !
the wishes Of all friends Of the subsidy pro-
ject.l
In the House the opposition was led last |
years by four members Of the Merchant |
Marine Committee Stevens, Minor, Ford |
ney, and Jones. The opinions of this group |
now, therefore, becomes Of the utmost int
rest. Since the fight over the bill will be
In the House, Representative Stevens Of
Minnesota said tkis afternoon to your cor.
after reading the Frye bill: ats
cargo CLAUSE does mot meet our views.
Senator Frye says specific requirement for
lxport cargo ID not required. Senator
Davis thought differently, and stand with
him. He did not believe such . require
ment would violate any Of our treaties.
We also thought that tank steamers such a.
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