The Washington times., 1901-10-19
The shippinp SUBSIDY scheme.

a Every day IL becomes clearer that a
desperate effort will be made to force a
Shipping Subsidy bill through the next
p Congress Nor can ii be stated with
any certainty at this time that the
scheme will not succeed The friends
and champions of the measure which
was killed in the last Congress have not
relaxed their efforts for moment, and
evidence is not lacking that they will
have the support of some Senators and
Representatives who were nominally,
ct least, opposed to the Hanna Frye
bill. It is worthy OF note that the most
Of the prominent Republicans who have
taken ground against it have not op-
posed the principle of steamship sub
sidies, but have merely objected to some
of the details of this particular one. As
a rule such objections can easily be re-
moved by trifiing changes which in no
way interfere with the main object in
view
Representative Minor of Wisconsin
has been reported as opposing the Han
na-Frye bill in some of its features. He
believes in subsidies, of course, but he
does not think that they should be
based on the consideration of speed.
He would subsidize vessels according to
their tonnage. At the same time he is
reported as favoring the payment of
subsidies to ocean greyhounds," but
he thinks they should be provided for
in a separate bill Manifestly. the prin-
ciple Of paying bounties 10 ocean ship
ping is exactly the same whether the
various provisions are all in one bill or
in two. The effect upon the taxpayers
must likewise be the same. 1t seems
that Mr.. Minor Is willing to go even
further than Messrs. Hanna and Frye
desire to go. He is willing 20 give them
what they want for the fast ships. and
at the same time he insists upon boun-
ties for the heavy but slower freighters
But he thinks that the freighters are
entitled to the first consideration, al
though If he can get all that ht wants
IL is not likely that he will attach much
Importance to the order of precedence
Mr.. Minor is reported as saying that
the American people are more interest
ed in ships that can carry their prod
ucts than they are in the mere question
OF speed That may be so, but thus far
the people have very carefully re-
Trained from demanding a subsidy for
either purpose. What the people who
produce things for export are interested
In mainly is in having their goods car
ried as cheaply as possible. and no sub
sidy scheme yet brought forward has
suggested a reduction of freights. on
the contrary, the whole idea is that we
cannot build ships and navigate them
profitably even at present rates; hence
the necessity for subsidies. Therefore
the bounties will be so much paid to
the steamship companies in addition 10
freights, with the further injustice that
very large proportion of the bonus
thus paid must come from people who
have no personal interest whatever in
abe export trade.
Mr.. Minor would not pay any boun-
ties 10 foreign-built ships, nor would he
take the tariff from the materials which
enter into the construction OF ocean
steamers. On the first proposition he is
right. No bounties should be paid at
all 10 vessels constructed at home or
sbroad On the second he is wrong
palpably so. The advocates of these