Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1901-02-07
SHIP SUBSIDIES.
THE DIVISION OF THE sPoILs.
who VIII Get the subsidy Under the
Pending DiIIs

lie treasury, like that Of the Hanna
Frye-Payne ship subsidy bill, is
brought forward, it is always loudly
heralded as a beneficent system Of
prizes for which all citizens so disposed
can engage in stimulating competition.
There is usually a Trigger in the wood
pile" with such assertions, as we all
know, but it is not often that ne is so
easily discovered as in the case Of this
impudent measure. Accepting ON their
face the figures put forth by the friends
of the bill, some Of which are most pal
pably falsifed, the facts are that about
nine-tenths Of all full subsidies upon
existing steamships of 10 knots speed
or over would be gobbled up by just
four concerns, which 1t is well known
are those from whom the bill has ema-
mated These are the International
Navigation company, owned by the
Pennsylvania railroad and the Stand
ard Oil circle, which would get over
81, 100000, or with the Paris on her fun
service again about $1,500000; the Pa
cinc Mail, $4,000; the Ward line to
Cuba and Mexico, $4,000, and tie
American Mail company, owned by the
principal stockholders in the Ward
line, whose share would be Si020OO,
bringing up the interest Of that clidue
TO from onc-half to one-third that Of
the Standard OH crowd.
Outside of these companies. receiy ng
in all about $2,000000, there are g
more whose vessels would be eligible .
a share In full subsidy, but who mus q
content with NEE Ger 100000 diyid d
up among them. ore than half Is n
Of this sum goes 70 &c concern, the a.
cihc Coast company which has already
enjoyed an exceptional amount Of gov
ernmental favors 10 connection with
transfer service TO the Philippines.
OF foreign built ships which are TO
receive only one.half subsidy the Inter
national Navigation company Is estI-
mated TO claim only n modest S35o00O,
added to the subsidy on It's express
steamers as noted above, but the stand
ard on interest in its ownership has
quite n little feet Of vessels &c It's own
which. unless excluded by tie tauk oil
amendment introduced IN the senate,
win probably come ia for an additional
$3.50. 900. while The Atlantic Transport
company. whose affiliations have been
growing closer through Pennsylvania
railroad sharcholdncs IL set down Tor
a 1884 600 plum In the pic san anoth-
or railroad interest, the Chesapeake
and Ohio. VIII have a right 10 demand
$lo2, GOO on us boats. hut a search ont
side Of this little family party does not
reveal enough American owners 20 en-
10y MS much all told as the smallest 81
.ho Interests Just enumerated.
That there may bc changes 10 tie M
ture cannot Of course Doe disputed. but
these must come slowly for outside In
forests that had not been laying their
plans IN advance as had the group
which have prepared aud are backing
the bill. That these latter gentlemen
have not been nnXious 10 pose as fool
ish virgins may be discovered On look
ing up the position 81 affairs rs 20 wee
fcls now under construction ln thc va.
rlous shipyaTds on the Pacific waters
the leading Interest next 10 the i'acllc
Mail and Pacific Coast companies basal.
ways been that of the SprcctelR Fur-
mr. monopolsts Like the PacIic Coast
companies they have been cns8re.ng n
particularly large meal ~ government
pap IN transport service. and this may
. ia flf
getting into the pool. but they arc just
putting some new boats into operation,
from which they expect 60 draw S2l2.-
600 subsidy annually about a 9Th Of
their value something. nj least to keep
the wolf from the door
In the way Of looking 20 tho future,
however. no one can accuse the Inter.
national Navigation company with be-
ing improyidcut, and we accordingly
find among the owners Of vessels under
construction entitled 10 subsidy they
again lead the list with about SiGSy0oO
prospective benefits to their credit,
while the Pacific Mail are close 90
their heels here, as they look for Si33,-
600 additional when they get their new
boats. Curiously enough. the Ward
people have only Sis5.0OO subsidy ca
pacity under way, the smallest n my
of the leading conspratOrs although
for requirements Of trade proper we
might expect them TO be M the head,
as q number of their vessels are grow
ing old, and theirs Is notably the most
prosperous Of all our transportation
companies. with the exception Of the
Mallory line. who are honornhly dis
tinguished, 10y the way. In a practical
absence from the list OF subsidy bcne-
fciaries.
Sill another classification under this
inquiry Is that of vessels building
abroad. and here we End that the ubiq-
uit0us International company with
$4,000 IN sight and the Atlantic
Transport with $4,000 ARE the only
ones that seem to have improved the
shining hour. but rs those two will
have nine times as much coming to
them from this source as all outside
interests they are readily seen to have
nobly kept up the average
Summarizing the situation, it would
appear that of subsidy benefits that
can now be calculated upon the Inter
national company would have about
S2j00,000 annually; the Ward inter
ests S729.0O0 Atlantic Transport,
SSl4000; Pacific Mail $5J0,000; Stand