Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1901-02-15
SHIP SUBSIDIES.
THE DIVISION OF THE spoILs.
Who VIII Get the Subsidy Under the
Pending Bill.

penu1nE Bill.
When o proposition to loot the pub
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 "nigger in the wood
pile" with such assertions, as we all
know, but it is not often that he 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 falsitied, the facts are that about
existing steamships of 10 knots speed
or over would be gobbled up by just
four concerns. which it 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 full
service again about 81, 100000; the Pa
cific Mail, &157,000; the Ward line to
Cuba and Mexico. S442, 000 and the
American Mail company, owned by the
principal stockholders in the Ward
| line whose share would be 100000
bringing up the interest of that clique
to from one-half to one-third that OF
the Standard Oil crowd.
Outside of these companies, receiving
| in all about $2,000,o00. there are nine
more whose vessels would be eligible to
share in full subsidy, but who must be
content with meager 100000 divided
up among them. More than half even
Of this sum goes to one concern, the Pa
cific Coast company, which has already
enjoyed an exceptional amount of gov
ornamental favors in connection with
transfer service to the Philippines.
OF foreign built ships which are to
receive only ope-half subsidy the Inter
national Navigation company is esti'
mated tosciafn only modest $3.50, 900,
added to the subsidy on its express
fsteamers as noted above, but the Stand
|
quite little fleet Of vessels of its own
which, unless excluded by the tank oil
amendment introduced in the senate,
will probably come in for All additional
S250,O00, while the Atlantic Transport
company, whose affiliations have been
growing closer through Pennsylvania
railroad shareholdlngs, is set down fol-
1884, 600 plum in the pie. Still anoth-
er railroad interest, the Chesapeake
and Ohio, will have right to demand
| S102, 900 on its boats, but search out
side Of this little family party does not
reveal enough American owners to en-
joy as much all told as the smallest OF
che interests just enumerated.
That there may be changes in the fu-
ture cannot of course be disputed, bu.
these must come slowly for outside In
terests that had not been laying their
plans in advance as had the group
which have prepared and are backing
the bill That these latter gentleme,
have not been anxious to pose as fool
isb virgins may be discovered on look
ing up the position of affairs as to YES
sells now under construction in the va
rious shipyards. On the Pacific waters
| the leading interest next to the Pacific
Mail and Pacific Coast companies hasal-
| ways been that Of the Spreckels sug-
ar monopolists. Like the Pacific Coast
companies they have been engorging a
particularly large meal Of government
pap in transport service, and this may
have rendered them little sluggish at
getting into the pool, but they are just
putting some new boats into operation,
from which they expect to draw S212,-
600 subsidy annually, about fifth of
their value-something, at least, to keep
the wolf from the door.
In the way Of looking to the future,
however, no one can accuse the Inter-
national Navigation company with be-
ing improvident, and we accordingly
find among the owners of vessels under
j construction entitled to subsidy they
again lead the list with about $46e, 900
prospective benefits to their credit,
, while the Pacific Mail are close on
, their heels here, as they look TOR $685.
900 additional when they get their new
boats. Curiously enough, the Ward
people have only S1s5,0O0 subsidy ca.
pacity under way, the smallest Of any
Of the leading conspirators, although
! for requirements of trade proper we
might expect them to be at the head
as 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 honorably dis.
: tinguished, by the way, in a practical
S absence from the list OF subsidy bene
a ficiaries.
J. Still another classification under this
9 inquiry is that of vessels building
= abroad, and here we find that the ubiq
uitous International company will
1897, 900 in sight and the Atlantic
Transport with $4,000 are the only
y ones that seem % have improved the
: shining hour, but as those two vii
5 have nine times as much coming tc
! them from this source as all outside
2 interests they are readily seen to have
nobly kept up the average.
Summarizing the situation, 1t would
appear that of subsidy benefits that
can now be calculated upon the Inter
national company would have about
S2,500,00O annually; the Ward inter
ests, $4,000; Atlantic Transport
: Ss44, 600; Pacific Mail, $4,000; Stand
= ard OIL $250,0OO; Spreckels, $212, 900
Pacific Coast, $4,000; Chesapeake
D and Ohio, 100000, or, say, $5,35O,O0(