Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-10-16
"a PLAIN CASE OF BUSINESS"
Ship Subsidy Proposition Discussed
From Standpoint of Common

News and Courier, Friday.
THE YoRKvILLE ENQUIRER rises with
several questions of current interest.
1t says:
do we want a merchant marine Of
our own, or do we prefer to continue
paying freight bills to foreigners? II
we want q merchant marine Of our
own, can we reasonably expect to build
up such an enterprise In competition
with the subsidized foreign concerns
without paying subsidies ourselves? If
the foreigners find 1t to their advan-
tage to subsidize their ships In order to
put them in q position to carry our
freights, would 1t not pay us to give
equal or greater subsidies and carry
our freights ourselves. There may be,
as some Of our contemporaries claim,
a Republican steal In the shipsubsidy
idea; but to our view 1t looks more
like a plain case Of business, in which
we are allowing the foreigners to get
the better Of u.s."
Putting aside the stealing aspect Of
the matter, let us consider 1t in the
other one. The plain business" view
will do for the present.
In a general way Of speaking, then.
we suggest to THE ENQUIRER. in the
first place, that there Is no harm done
to any business community, or inter-
est, or concern, when another one,
which is better prepared for such work,
does its hauling, freight carrying,
whether on land or water, for 1t cheap
er than 1t can do such service for it.
self. For instance does The ENou1-
RER think that the Yorkville mer-
chants and manufacturers. would
be hurt in pocket, by hauling their
goods to and from Charlotte, or
Atlanta, say, rather than having them
hauled by the railroads for lower rates?
Would 1t pay" the people Of York.
willie, as a plain case of business, to
build and subsidize railroads Of their
own to those points and carry their
freights "themselves?" Is 1t not bet
ter business" and more profitable bus
iness for them to give their hauling to
the railroads which can haul cheaper
than they can? And If it is, what rea-
son Is there for the larger business
community Of the country to build up
"a merchant marine Of our own,' and
subsidize it heavily, simply to enable
us Ito carry our freights ourselves" at
a higher cost than the foreigners carry
1t for us? Would 1t not be very bad
business, to take plain business view
Of It?
And, not to extend the discussion
over too much ground, how could we
possibly be profited by subsidizing our
own ships to carry our freight? How
would the proceeding "pay" US In the
circumstances? We mean by us the
business" interests and people gener-
ally of the country-not the recipients
Of the subsidies. who would be greatly
proflted, Of course. The contention is
that our freight ships cannot compete
with the foreign freight ships. be-
cause Of the very low rates Of
freight charged by the latter. and
must be operated at a loss II ope-
rated at all and, therefore, they
must have a subsidy to enable
them to compete. It follows. Of course.
that If they were operated by means Of
a subsidy, they would still be operated
at a loss in fact. but that the subsidy
would recoup their owners for such un-
profitable business. Can THE EN-
ou1RER say, or see, how this proceed
ing would "pay" in any way the far
mers and other people Of South Caro-
lima, and Of other states, who would
have to furnish the money for the sub
sides?
It is asserted. indeed. that the sub
sides would enable our freight ships
to carry our freight cheaper than 1t Is
carried by the foreign ships. But 1t
may be asked as plain business ques-
ton, If our ships really need money
from the public pocket to enable them
to run at all in competition with these
foreiSn ships, how can they possibly
carry freights cheaper than their COM
petitors?
Are we to understand in view Of
these plain business considerations,
that the $9,0O0,OO0 year subsidy that
Is asked for our ocean freight ships,
Is not just enough to enable them to
carry our freight as cheap as 1t can
be carried by their competitors; but
Is intended rather to afford them
profit on their service besides? The
question Is, then, finally, how can IL
possibly "pay" the people Of this coun-
try. in any way, to support a merchant
marine on such terms-the terms OF
having it more money for its service
than we now pay foreign ships for the
same service, and then giving 1t more
millions Of dollars annually in unearn-
ed money as a free gift, to make 1T pro-
fitable to the few men who own 1t and
operate it?
It may be and ought to be good "bus-
mess" for the men and concerns who
will build the ships and run them and
draw the subsidies. 1t Is very poor bus
mess for the business men and the peo-
ple who will furnish the money for the
subsidies. And we take it, that busi-
ness men and the people do not want
a merchant marine" on such condi-
tions, and will prefer to continue pay
ing freight bills to foreigners" who rem
der a full equivalent in service tor such
bills" and this. we think, Is the plain
business view Of it.
RESENTED BY RoosEvELT.-Shortly
after Mr.. Roosevelt had been called to
Washington by President Harrison as
the head of the civil service commits