The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-21
SHIP SUBSIDIES.

To the Editor of The Times
l. Can one create family of children
by paying extra high prices for bah,
clothes and paregoric?
2. In The Times OF the 18th is an article
THE American Merchant Marine: How tC
Build 1t Up"
3. 1t is temperate and admirable, but
does not tell precisely how our ocean
commerce may be enlarged, though fairly
proving that it cannot be done by subsi-
dies.
4. The Fish Commission does not under
take to restock our waters with fish by
buying or making fishhooks.
5. 1t propagates and plants fish.
6. When there are fish the people pro-
dgce hooks.
I. The farmer cannot fill his rieks and
barns with hay by purchasing hayracks
and moving machines.
s. He must cultivate grasses.
8. Delivery wagons-eyen subsidized and
swift delivery wagons-do not create gro
Gerry stores.
10. Delivery wagons are procured and
used by those who have something to de-
liver-thngs to fetch and carry.
II. Ocean ships are a nations delivery
wagons.
H. Suppose the city of Washington were
to hold noisy meetings, adopt resolutions.
and send lobbyists to demand that Con-
gress substitute delivery wagons so the
people mighl have groceries?
10. The world would laugh.
IL The greatest ninny in town knows
that willis = would be good thing for
the builders and owners Of delivery wag-
ons. the people who foot the bills would
receive nothing from such a subsidy.
Is We shall have more ships when we
have a greater fixed volume OF commerce
to give them employment and profit.
1G a great producing nation, with d.
versifed climate products. people. oceu-
pations, and wants. will have compare
lively little ocean commerce.
IL its principal exchanges will be with
in its own borders-cotton. rice. tobacco,
ard fruits from South to North; meat.
bread. and milk products from North to
South: ores. minerals. timber. fuel, and
finished products in all directions. and the
people moving freely from place to place
to buy to sell, to trade, to visit
IS Only the SURPRISES of such coun-
try will go abroad.
10. Those SURPRISES will be conveyed
more cheaply. in ell probability, in snip
belonging to the purchaser than in ship
belonging to the United States.
20. Why? Because the nation that is
most in want always makes the greatest
sacrifices to supply that want.
81 There is more capital and genius in
the United States to go into ship building
and ship sailing than in any other coun-
try OF the world.
% Why do they not engage more largely
in those lines?
90 Because other investments bring
better returns.
"a. England's great fleet of ships was
created by her wants, her necessities.
She needs meat. wheat, corn, rice, sugar.
tobacco. hides. furs. cotton, wool, silk.
copper, gold, silver, etc. to sustain both
her people and her factories.
%. Therefore. since she herself does not
produce them, she must go out and fetch
them. and also must carry to sell in other
coa n.ries any surplus articles she may
haysfnished from the materials thus Sc
cured abroad.
&c. So she builds and sails ships.
q. Her ships are her delivery wagons
mere auxiliaries to and parts of the vast
machinery which makes national exist
ence possible, and are run at low rates
of profit Tor without profit and at low
rates of interest and wages. Any other
plan would be suicidal.
2S. England and America exist in ex-
actly opposite conditions.
90 Hence. the one has few ships be-
cause there is no necessity for or profit
in more: the other has many ships be-
cause she cannot live without them.
80. Yet American shipping may be slim
ulated: Grant differential tariffs IN favor
of goods brought in American bottoms q,
81. But. the subsidy man urges that
would violate the favored nation clause
of many of our treaties.
80 So it would; glad of it.
% 7 of Congress instruct the Admins
tration to negotiate treaties which will
not permit our internal affairs to be die
tated. or directed. or blocked by foreign
nations fer foreign benefit
"a Let Americans control America for
the benefit of Americans-with the least
possible harm, nevertheless. to other ma
lions.
30. II they do not like treaties which
will permit us to do that, let them go
without any treaties We can stand it.
FRANK ABIAL FLOWER.