The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-08-07

government during the spanish -Amcrl-
can war when sold to American pur-
chasers but not otherwise. All other
candidates for subsidy must he home
built. All vessels enjoying subsidy are
to carry the mails free. Subsidized
vessels are also subject 70 acquisition
by the United States government IN
time of war.
The sherman Antitrust law is
made applicable 20 all contracts for
subsidy. The men behind the hill
understand that while there is plenty
Of room at sea for all ships, there are
none too many points whore freight
can he taken on. The great trans.
continental railroad lines are bound
To he feeders of the great merchant
marine. These railways now operate
big steamship lines. and with the en-
actment of a subsidy hill they would
ships, multiply docks, warehouses and
elevators and monopoize the shipping
trade. They might then give the ship
per an easy rate from Chicago to New
York, Baltimore or Newport News,
and at those points charge him for re-
handling an amount that would make
it cheaper for him to ship on their ves-
sells rather than on his own. There is
also a danger in combinations being
formed by ship owners and shipyards
to make 1t too expensive to build
American ships, the idea being that
the fewer ships there are the greater
the enjoyment of the subsidy. so long
as the greater part of the subsidy
should he received by those who con-
troll terminal points there would he
little incentive to those outside the
favored few to build and run shins in
the foreign trade. The result of this
would he that the subsidy would result
in putting money into the hands of
the few and keep foreign ships profit
ably employed in carrying American
products, except so far as the great
railway corporations should carry
freight in their own steamers after
having hauled it to the seaboard or
across tho continent.
The argument offered for making
cargo in place Of speed the basis of
subsidy is attractive. Subsidy for
speed must he paid in proportion to
the knots made per hour in order to
be equitable to all vessels drawing the
subsidy, and the subsidy must he in
creased as the rate of speed increases.
This, however in practice, is impracti-
cable. The Hanna Payne bill provides
for subsidy for ships making eleven to
twenty-one knots per hour. the speed
to he determined by a four hours run
over a measured course. With select
ed coal, clean CRATES and flues, and
expert firemen, any boat can be pushed
from one to two knots above her nor
NAL speed. Yet in actual service they
would never in all probability attain
this speed, though for twenty years it
was proposed under the Hanna Payne
bill, that the government should pay
subsidy for possible rather than actual
speed. The cargo theory of subsidy, it
is claimed, comes more nearly to a fair
basis. a cargo steamer of twelve
| knots can be taken To Liverpool with
| a daily consumption Of forty-five tons
| of coal and force of twelve or fifteen
| fremen. The twenty-One knot boat
burns 500 tons daily in sailing the
same distance and carries 127 firemen.
The freight boat is carrying American
| products to a foreign market to bring
money home. The speed boat is TAX
| ing American passengers abroad to
| 4, ;p
| proposed to give the freight boat the
| big end Of the deal.
The new bill carries the freight
| theory of subsidy 50 far as to include
| sailing ships. To build and operate a
! sailing ship the cost is about one
third of that of steamship of the
same tonnage. The bill. therefore,, pro-
poses paying sailing ships 33 1-3 per
! cent. of the amount of subsidy pro-
posed for steamers. The new bill cuts
the subsidy period down from twenty
to ten years, and the whole annual
payment from nine million TO five mil
Ion dollars. The period during which
contracts may he made under the
| proposed bill expires July I, 1902. NJ
ship over twenty years old can be
! eligible for subsidy. There are vessels
registered for subsidy under this
Hanna Payne hill that are forty years
old and which would he sixty years old
al the end of the subsidy period. The
| proposed bill. it is claimed, is therefore
better calculated to increase the mum,
| her of new modern American ships
The theory is to make the subsidy
payments throughout the period of ter
years build a new ship in place of the
old one. The ship that has earned It's
own cost in ten years certainly ough
to be able to get along without q
subsidy after that. The payment pro
posed are at the rate of one and one,
half cents per gross ton for each lCt
nauCtcal miles, not exceeding 1900 go
ing and coming, and one cent pei
gross ton for each 100 additional miles
above 1900, This would make the sub
sidy for a first class Atlantic
liner plying between New York anC
Southampton about $14o 900 a year and
between san Francisco and Hons
Kong, about $4,000 a year.
Whatever the ultimate decision al
to details, the main thing is TO saw,
what we can of the $780, 600 nov
paid by Americans 10 foreigners eacl
year for ocean carriage of America
foreign commerce. such dependence
upon foreign capital and enterpris,
does not sit well in the Independent
| ~ .I..,. L i
!
Tho anpCal for aid 10 meet the ex