Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1901-12-14

Washington. Dee. Friends ana
opponents of the subsidy project are be-
ginning To recognize as somewhat en-
traordinary the situation presented by
the bill just introduced by Mr.. Frye.
If II becomes II law, its purpose SO far
as its promoters 20. will be To furnish
Il basis subsequently for the Legislation
which they really seek. but do not :iow
find it eXpedient to ask for. Mr. Frye
has made no secret of his dislike. rcla-
lively speaking. of his present bill, or Of
the fact that his aim in drafting ii was
to secure something which would quiet
the opposition of western Republicans
in house and senate, and 50 make II
start upon Il course of subsidy lcgiSla-
tion. This bill would not be worth
lighting much for unless its passage
We're to furnish effective leverage for
more satisfactory measures later. 'hiS.
ii is believed. il will do.
The present bill excludes /: II fCrc'gn
built vessels from the benefits of the
subsidy instead of admitting certain
number on the duplication of ticir
tonnage in American yards, the foreign
vessels to receive half rates in the sub
sidy disbursements.
Now this strict limitation of the sub
Sidy to American ships means that our
foreign trade can grow no faster thhn
the output Of American shipynrdS per-
mits These are already ovcrcrowdrh
with business due to the rapid growth of
coastwiSe and lake traffic and to gov
ernment orders. 1t is Il matter of years
and not of days to construct ship
Yards and build ships. ANY development
under this provision would be exceed
ingly slow. and especially SO since the
subsidy ON the freight carriers, based
on miles and tonnage, Is small.
1t is privately argued, however, by
friends Of the measure, that if it passed,
and contracts under it, though few in
number. are made, it will be possible
to go before congress in a few years.
show the inadequacy of the present
measure. insist that, we must make II
success of the subsidy theory since we
are committed to it, and thus got
amendments. These would of course
be in the direction of the Frye bill of the
last congress. and along the lines which
could not secure Il majority vote as Il
direct proposition. This is the strategy
of the present bill. Its advocates are
like the boy who asked permission to go
to see the circus procession in the be-
lief that If once downtown he can man
age to edge into the circus itself.
Another peculiarly of the new bill is
that it is to n large extent an "Xempli-
fcatiOn of the postal subsidy act of
1891, which the devOteeS of the Fry" bill
have generally regarded as n failure.
They point out that the act did not re-
suit in the addition to this country of Il
single steamship line TO cross either
ocean. Their American line. which re-"
ceives the postal subsidy on the At
lantic, was not established ns a result
of it. BY special act, the American own
ers of the foreign built City of Paris and
City of New York We're allowed an
American registry on these vessels on
condition of constructing two similar
ones in American yards. This they did.
The new Frye bill, by increasing the
postal subsidy rates, may be more ef-
fective.
The interesting feature Of the present
legislative situation is to watch how
rapidly the western dissenters Of the
last congress warm up toward a bill
which comedies so much to them as to
make the real friends Of the idea half
hearted, did they not see in its present
application some entering wedge pos
Sbilitles.