The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1901-11-01
THE SHIP
SUBSIDY
SCHEME
Modest Little Enterprise tC
Help Some Trust
Senator Mitchell of Oregon
Better Jump the Right Way
On this Graft.

Fkom the American Review OF Reviews for Nov
The general subsidy proposal hal
amounted in effect 10 this: That in
stead Of employing the worlds ocean
tonnage at the most favorable possible
rates TO do our treiRhting for us, We
should tax ourselves in order to pay
American ship owners the bigher prices
that they would demand before being
willing to 20 extensively into the bust.
ness. Our foreign trade has been grow.
ing by leaps and by bounds--more rap.
idly, indeed, than any country's foreign
trade has ever grown belore-during
this very period in which the advocates
Of subsidy has been lamentiug over our
disadvantages in the matter OF for.
eign commerce as due TO the
lack of American owned merchant ships.
The best way to promote American for
eign commerce is to make some tariff re-
laxations, to increase the navy steadily,
and to build the trans.Isthmian canal aa
quickly as possible. Then II American
trade seems to depend upon the estab-
lishment Of steamship lines, 10 may be
found feasible to grant small Subsidies,
prescribed for very brief period OF
years, to encourage the establishment Of
frequent and efficient steamship service
between specified South American
and North American ports. We
have reached the time when
the growth of American trade, the
vast increase in the volume of American
capital. and the revolution in the meth
DDS of doing business are completely
changing ell the conditions. American
industrial aud commercial life has
changed so much in the few years since
senator Frye began to oadvocate his steam.
ship subsidy measure that arguments
which might have had much weight al
that time are relatively obsolete now.
Within another five years an American
trust may have decided TO buy up the
principal steamship lines of the world and
operate them under the American
flag. In other words, any possible
advantages that could be expected under
a modest little steamship subsidy
measure could not begin to compare
as a change producing motive force in
the economic world, with the stupendouS
change-producing forces that are already
at work. This being the case-and
American industry and commerce beinG
at present the largest benefciaries oI
the new economic methods and forces
why not be patient for year or two
and see what further growth the Amer
lean merchant marine may have with.
out gift from the national Treasury?
The wiser course is to lessen trade
shackles, enormously improve our con.
sular system, and give the American
merchant every kind of reason
able and intelligent aid in de-
veloping new market. The Ameri.
can Fruit Company has provided a great
fleet for its West Indian trade. The
transcontinental railway interests, like
those under the direction OF Mr.. j. j.
Hill, are capable Of providing
ocean tonnage for our expanding ORR
entail trade. The country would not be
much surprised TO find the American
Sugar Refining Company running a
West Indian line OF it's own, or some
great American combination, endeavor-
ing to supply the demand of the United
States for coffee, buying Brazilian plan
tations and providing its own direct
steamship service.