Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1901-02-28
SHIP SUBSIDIES.
Ex-coNGREssMAN JOHN De WITT
WARNER EXPOSES THE DEFECTS
or THE PENDING BILL.


PROGRESSED Aims of the Biil Are
shnms-sIow ships Useless For AUS
Hilary Cruisers or sIniI Carriers.
Futile Provisions For American
seamen The shipBuiIdinn Which
the Bni r. Supposed 10 Encourage
II Already Largely under Construc-
tlon or Ordered.
In the current issue Of The Review
Of Reviews ex-Congressman John De
witt Warner Of New York sets. forth
The following objections 10 the ship
Subsidy bin;
OF course the bill pretends that It's
authors are concerned for tie farms,
factories, mines. forests and fisheries
Of the United States and for the pro-
vision of vessels, officers, engineers,
machinlsts, electricians and seaman"
for United States commerce and de-
tense.
Framed as It Is exclusively by those
who propose to hire themselves Mt
their own price and who did net adnIt
10 their deliberation any representative
either Of agriculture, wage eaners.
seamen or our navy or war depart.
meut. we should expect 10 Gnd just
what we Gud ere-tisat tbs profeSsed
aims Of the bill are shams set up 20
distract attention from The raid plan
ned.
AS TO export trade. "A late amendment
expressly provides that to So full aeh.
sldy a ship need carry out but falf -
cargo load, While sh, t tlt EalG
or speed" subsidy though She do not
carry o pound Of Cargo Furthermore.
The highest subsidies ARE specifically
given TO the classes 81 ships thar net
merely do not, but cannot. carry much
export cargo but which export" tour.
isls aud import" immigrants Use In
leFnatioual's fast passenger steamers,
Tor example, getting II times the sob
aidy Ia proportion 10 cargo that does
standard frelghier.
The vessels now building by our gov.
crDment average about - kuo,s speed.
OF ali ships 10 existence tbat would
draw tEls subsidy there agc hut f0gr
above 20 knots, SAD iis ffltad8 adMi
that na otbers VIII lie built II ig plasa'
how useless would b. Transports aud
cruisers thar could utilber dslt ueg
run and how fatally wouli aa wsr
vessels ~ iupesied by the eap4snf
rl0w ones Furthermore thp 8i1las
thai would ger most subsidies are ei
ready under NAH contract which pul
them ~ tat disposal 81 our goyerumtBt
uader requirements more iieid thaa
proposed by the pending BIZ wAIeh
expressly permits cancellation OF pres.
eBr contracts
IL is iudicFous to estimate TIM,
against the so000GoO per aanum
should be Offset any considerable am
Tor The free mali carriage provided ~
the bjli AS noted. the bill induces 40
construction of new ships ever II
Knots, aud lis inducements FOR speed
SHOP az q knots on test run, THIS is
$50 far behind the practical needs ibgL
though the International company
(whlch would get the grcnlest share Of
speed subsidy received lat year two.
thirds Of the total paid by ihe UnItta
States Tor carrying fOsrisa mails from
New York. the post0i,icc had 20 hire
British and German steamers at hair
the cost TO carry three or f0ur times
the mail Il committed 20 the Inter.
national Nothing could be more
worthless than the right 60 have mails
carried free by ships already TO slow
20 be trusted with them,
AS 20 American sailors, the bin pro.
vides that subsidized ships 90 have
oue-fourth thcir crew eiiIzens or ia'
tended citizens; ca thar Que AmrEicsa
boy be employed for every tGu tens
shipping. and o. that fishermen serving
on ships (subsl4ized for ,hp year ~ ~
per ton. In ease they run three wUrtn1
be given 81 per month while aru.e' y
employed. As to these IN IL nuliiled
by proviso that If tue master cannot
reasonably get one-fourth Americans
he need not: ~ ii made worthless by
pr0ylso that tie American boy need
be paid only what his work Is worth.
aud as 10 81. there being no minimum
wage, our government would simply
pay 81 OF ordinary wages Tor 81 hleh the
American fishermen would still work
Finally. the ships which would Get
most OF this subsidy. are now compelled
under their mall contracts 70 have halr
American crew aud TO employ the same
number OF American boys. bul to treat
them as petty officers; so that The effect
OF the subsidy bill. which releases these
ships from their present contract
would be TO lessen tile number OF
American sailors and American boys
employed.
AS 10 ship owning. the bin leaves In
tact our navigation laws prohibiting
importation OF ships or obscene litefa-
ture, letting In for American registry
only few vessels that the authors Of
the bill and their friends had already
bought. AS to shipbullding, our ship
yards. without subsidy. are already
crowded to their utmost capacity, and
the most advanced types az steamers
larger than any heretofore built
have lately been contracted for here at
prices lower than foreigners would
build them.
Worst ~ oil IN raenart az spn4l1sipa