The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1901-02-14
SHIP SUBSIDIES.
THE DIVISION OF TAG sPoILs.



VIE VIII Get thu subsidy Unasr the
Pending Bills
When proposition to loot the pub
lie treasury. like that Of the Hanna
Frye-Payne ship subsidy bill, Is
brought forward, 1t II always loudly
heralded as a benefcent system OF
prizes for which all citizens so disposed
can engage in stimulating competition.
There il usually "nigger in the wood
pile" with such assertions, as we all
know. but 1t is not often that he is so
easily discovered as In the case of this
impudent measure. Accepting on their
face the figures put forth by the friends
Of the BILL some of which are most pal
pably falsifed, the facts are that about
nine-tenths Of all full subsidies upon
existing steamships of Ia knots speed
or over would be gobbled up by just
four concerns, which 1t Is well known
are those from whom the bill has ema-
mated. These are the International
Navigation company, owned by the
Pennsylvania railroad and the Stand
ard Oil circle, which would get over
81, 1O0,0 900, or with the Paris on her full
service again about $1,000, 900; the Pa
cific Mail, $157 900; the Ward line to
Cuba and Mexico. $4,000, and the
American Mail company, owned by the
principal stockholders in the Ward
line. whose share would be $102, 900,
bringing up the interest of that clique
to from one-half to one-third that OF
the Standard Oil crowd.
Outside of these companies, receiving
in all about 100000, there are nine
more whose vessels would be eligible to
a shave In full subsidy, but who must be
content with meager 100000 divided
up among them. More than half even
of this sum goes to one concern, the Pa
ciflc Coast company, which has already
enjoyed an exceptional amount Of gov
ernmental favors In connection with
transfer service to the Philippines.
OF foreign built ships which are to
receive only one-half subsidy the Inter
national Navigation company is esti-
mated to claim only modest $350,OOO,
| added to the subsidy on its express
steamers as noted above, but the Stand
ard Oil interest in Its ownership hak
| quite a little feet of vessels Of its own
! which, unless excluded by the tank oil
amendment introduced in the senste,
will probably come In for an additional
$3.50. 900, while the Atlantic Transport
company, whose affiliations have been
growing closer through Pennsylvania
railroad shareholdings, is set down for
a 1884. 900 plum in the pie. Still anoth-
er railroad interest, the Chesapeake
and Ohio, will have right to demand
100000 on it's boats, but search out
side of this little family party does not
reveal enough American owners to en-
Joy as much all told as the smallest Of
The interests just enumerated.
That there may be changes in the fu-
1 ture cannot Of course be disputed, but
these must come slowly for outside In
terests that had not been laying their
plans In advance as had the group
which have prepared and are backing
the bill. That these latter gentlemen
have not been anxious to pose as fool
isb virgins may be discovered on look
|
sells now under construction In the va
rious shipyards. On the Pacific waters
the leading interest next to the Pacific
Mail and Pacific Coast companies hasal-
ways been that of the Spreckels sug-
ar monopolists. Like the Pacific Coast
companies, they have been engorging a
particularly large meal of government
pap In transport service, and this may
J have rendered them little sluggish at
getting into the pool but they are just
) putting some new boats into operation,
from which they expect to draw $212,-
J 600 subsidy annually, about fifth of
their something, at least to keep
the wolf from the door.
r In the way Of looking to the future,
q however, no one can accuse the Inter
national Navigation company with be-
ing improyident, and we accordingly
find among the owners of vessels under
construction entitled to subsidy they
again lead the list with about $468, 900
t prospective benefits to their credit,
8 while the Pacific Mail are close on
their heels here, as they look for $433.-
: 900 additional when they get their new
boats. Curiously enough, the Ward
people have only $185, 1000 subsidy ca.
pacity under way, the smallest Of any
of the leading conspirators, although
for requirements Of trade proper we
might expect them to be at the head
! as a number of their vessels are grow.
K ing old. and theirs Is notably the most
prosperous Of all our transportation
companies, with the exception of the
e Mallory line. who are honorably dis
tinguished, by the way, in practical
absence from the list Of subsidy bene.
ficiaries.
Still another classification under this
inquiry Is that Of vessels building
abroad. and here we ind that the ubiq
j, uitous International company with
q $397. 900 In sight and the Atlantic
|. Transport with $4,000 are the only
ones that seem to have improved the
shining hour, but as those two will
have nine times as much coming to