The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1901-01-18
CAREFULLY
DRAWN BILL
Some Strong Arguments in
favor Of the
Ship Subsidy Measure. Bene-
fits to be Derived by
American Producers
ADVANCEMENT OF TRADE
Who the Opponents of the
Bill are and
Some Significant fact for the
People of the United
States to Consider
ADVANCEMENT Of TRADE
Who, the Opponents of the
Bill are and


The American people have been favored
(O with vast amount Of argument, SEEM
ingly directed against the shipping bill now
pending in congress, but really aimed at the
effort that is now being so strenuously
made to revive and build up our shipping
in the foreign trade. No mdssatement has
been too wild, no untruth TOO ridiculous,
no innuendo too base, no assertion of venal.
ity too absurd to fail Of use in the hands OF
these malignant opponents of American IN
terests When the shipping bill first came
before congress, the suggestion was made
that swift ocean steamships were what were
most needed, mail carriers vessels avail
able as auxiliary cruisers-ocean gray
hounds, in short; and it was alleged that
the slow cargo carriers could take care OF
themselves, that they needed no assistance,
they were profitable under present condi'
tions, and similar arguments.
When it was pointed out that there was
reason for government aid for slow ships,
carrying only cargoes, because they were
at a disadvantage in cost of construction, II
American built, and at a further disadvan-
tage in cost of operation, if run by American
officers and seamen and fircmen, and this
truth became known, then the enemy
turned rlght-about.face and declared that
the ships that are needed to build up the
American merchant marine are the cargo
carriers, the vessels that take away our
farm products, and not the swift passen-
ger steamships. The enemies OF the shipping
bill have blown hot and blown cold, all IN
the same breath, and the pity is that the
American people are so utterly uniformed
regarding the real facts concerning AMER
lean shipping concerning any shopping
that they have been easily duped into be-
lieving the most eXtravlgant things that
mind could concoct in order to fight and de-
feat the passage Of the shipping bill.
As a matter of fact the shipping bill IS
carefully drawn, on the most scientific
lines. drawn so as to barely enable Amer
lean built and American manned ships to
compete with foreign ships on terms of
equality, and this is true OF fast ships and
Of SLOW ships, of steamships and OF sailing
ships-of any kind of American ships en-
gazing in the foreign carrying trade of the
United Sthates. The disadvantages they
labor under. because OF higher cost in con-
struction, and because OF higher cost OF OPP
| Grafton and because OF the subsidies and
| bounties given by foreign governments to
! their merchant ships nave Deen carefully
reduced to dollars and cents, and the
amount of compensation provided in the
| bill lust offsets these Disadvantages. With
out discussing the details OF payments
this truth may be relied upon no matter
what stories the enemy circu.ates in oppo-
sition.
And now. who are these enemiesE Surely
| they must be those whose interests WIZ
suffer, or whose theories will be dis
proved, if bill !, passed sufficiently effect
i've to encourag &c the construction OF Amer
ican-built ships. These interests aud these
theorists are the foreign shpowncrS, th@r
agents in this country, and the free trad
ers. Foreign ships now monopolize the car
Tying of 81 per cent OF our imports and eN'
ports, and they take away from this coun
try fully Sl5O,O0O,00O in gold or its equiv
alent each wear lust for their freight
charges. If American ships are built and
put on the ocean, they will compete with
these foreign ships, they will reduce the
cost of carrying our farm products and oul
manufactures abroad, they will force a
freight rate war upon the ocean that will be
fierce and prolonged and during which there
will be ever expanding opportunities iol
our people to increase then exports and Sc
cure and hold new foreign markets for theil
surplus products Naturally these foreign
shipping interest, will fight the shipping bill
to the death, and they are known to he do
| ing it in every way IN their power.
The other enemies, equally as active, anc
supported by those first mentioned, are thu
free traders American ships upon the sei
have been unprotected in operation for Al
years, and their tonnage has decreased 10y
two-thirds, while our commerce has in
creased fourfold Only by protecting GU
ships, as our land industries have been pro
tected against foreign competition, can the!
make head against foreign ships. The fret
traders fear another triumph Of the Amer
lean protective policy. Taking advantage
of this element of opposition, the foreigI
shipping interests are supplying the Reform
club of New York with money in unlimited
quantities to circulate its free-trade Liter
ature in opposition to the shipping bill. Ant
this tells the whole story of the sources o
opposition to the shipping bin
DThe American people are not so partic
ular whether this or that particular bill j
passed to build up American shipping, q
| they are that some effective measure b
put upon our statutes at once, that will ac
complish this very desirable result. Tn
people feel that it is the duty of con
gress to enact such a measure without fur
Their delay.
Undoubtedly there is a majority o
the senate in favor Of the bill, says the New
York Times, in an editorial urging demo
cratic senator's to resort to every possibl
device to prevent vote being taken oil
the bill. When the enemy is compelled t.
thwart the majority will, they are subvert
ing the government to their own ends-t
the desires OF the minority,
p1The great bulk of the people canno
be expected to know whether the detail
OF this or that bill are best adapted TO pu
American ships upon the seas in nfhcien
number to do American carrying. The