The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1901-08-03
THE SUBSIDY WILL COME UP.
Certainty Of the Return Of hSNShip-
ping bill ut the Next
sessi0n.

One of the subjects that is certain
to receive early attention when con-
, gress meets again is that of subsidy
system for American ships. The meas
ure under consideration during the last
session failed for various reasons.
Among them cannot be included
strong public hostility, for as far as
the American people generally are con-
cerned they have shown no decided
antagonism toward such a project.
There may have been indifference in
certain quarters, but this was due
to lack of thorough understanding
of the matter, and because of incom-
plete knowledge as to how closely as
ISOLATED with the common welfare is
the interposition of this form of en-
enlargement to our mercantile ma
rine.
In some directions, to be sure, there
has been active and very energetic
opposition. Naturally the foreign
transportation companies which are
drawing annually from American
pockets scores of millions of dollars
to pay for passengers and freight car
ried into and out of American ports
object to any change that will lessen
their profits. AS most of them get
big subsidies and subventions in one
form or another from their govern
ments, the money which Americans
pay them goes to swell very fat divi-
dends, and it is not surprising that
they do not wish any interference
with this pleasant little arrangement.
They have spared no pains to abandon
the subsidy idea, and there are not
wanting indications of their cunning
work even in Washington, where their
agents have skillfully used whatever
members of congress to their way OF
thinking.
And of course our free trade friends
are against shipping subsidies to the
bitter end. They always have been
against everything in the shape of pro-
lection to American industries, and
notwithstanding the amazing develop
ment of our foreign trade under the
much-abused Dingley tariff, they are as
uncompromisingly for the abolition Of
the protective tariff system as ever.
And as subsidies for ships come under
the head of protection to an important
American interest they are dead set"
in their opposition. They hold up Eng
land as an object lesson in free trade.
but they deliberately ignore the fact
that of all countries in the world Eng
land does more, in the way of favoring
its ocean marine through subsidies of
various kinds and in the enforcement
of rules and regulations which give it
a better chance for profitable employ
ment, than is done for the ships of any
of the competing commercial nations.
The American people are coming to
be familiar with all these points and
to comprehend the motives that lie
behind the hostility to shipping sub
sidy measures. The new congress,
when it assemblies, will have clearer
comprehension of the matter than any
which has preceded it, and it viii be
backed up by public sentiment which
couraging our shipping if we are to
reapall the advantages naturally accru-
Ing to us as result of our expanding
foreign trade. There is no doubt that a
shipping subsidy bill will be promptly
introduced. And when it comes up for
discussion its friends will have strong
or arguments in its behalf than any
they have previously urged. bill pro-
viding adequate protection for Amer
lean shipping should be law before
this time next year.-Troy Times.