The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1901-02-21
The Ship Subsidy Bill.

late American ship-building. The
proposition to grant subsidies is not
new one to this government. A sub
sidy was paid in the ffties to the Col
Inns line of steamships. A subsidy
was also formerly paid to the PACING
Mail Steamship Company. Since be-
fore the civil war our merchant marine
has declined for one cause or another,
and now Senators Frye and Hanna,
who are the leading advocates of the
pending bill, propose to revive our
shipping interests on the ocean by pay
ing bounties, or subsidies.
The bill provides that these sub
sides shall be paid for twenty years.
An amendment has been offered short
ching the time to fifteen years. The
gross sum paid out in any one year is
not to exceed So, 900, 600. Every vessel,
steam or sailing, is to receive what
one may call the basic subsidy-that
is, one and one-half' cents per gross
ton for every mile sailed up to 1900
miles, and one cent for every addition
al 400 miles. This is to be paid on
both outward and homeward voyages,
but not more than sixteen voyages are
TO be paid for in a single year.
Steamers of more than 1900 tons ca
pacity are to receive an extra bounty.
Bnder the bill the aggregate subsidy
to such steamers for a round trip of
64e0 miles 1920 miles each way would
be as follows:
Ships of 81 knots or more, 81 Is per gross ton.
Ships of 20 knots or more, 2 OF per gross ton.
Ships of 10 knots or more, 81 per gross ton
ships of Is knots or more, 1 81 per gross ton
Ships of II knots or more, l IS per gross ton
Ships of Is knots or more, 1 Sc per gross ton.
Ships of Is knots or more, 1 40 per gross ton
Ships of IA knots or more, 1 43 per gross ton.
Ships OF IL knots or more, ii per gross ton.
The ships thus to be subsidized must
be A1ncrican-built ships, except that
nalf-subsidies are to be paid on for
eign-bui1t ships which were built or
contracted for prior to February 1,
1899, and either completed or in course
OF construction on January 1, 1900. If
a foreign corporation seeks the sub
sidy, it must show that majority of
it's stock is held by American citizens,
who must eventually obtain complete
ownership. The subsidy on foreign
built ships is to be retained until their
owners construct, in this country, an
equal amount Of tonnage. Ten years
is allowed for the accomplishment of
this. The owners of American-built
ships are also to build one-fourth of
their existing subsidized tonnage.
Provision is also made in the bill for
increasing the number of American
seamen. One-fourth of the crew of
each subsidized vessel must be COM
posed of American citizens. If, how
ever, a sufficient number of American
citizens cannot be obtained in for
eign port, the American consul, or
port officer, may so certify, and the re-
quirement will be waived. One Amer
ican apprentice-boy is also to be car
ried for each 1000 tons. A bounty is
to be paid also for vessels and TO men
engaged in deep-sea fishing. This is
a historic policy of our government,
the fisheries being supposed to train
the best seamen for our navy. Sub
sidized vessels are to carry the mails
free.
A good many objections have beer
made to the measure, which we will
state without comment, and for the en-
ightenment of those who desire to
understand a measure concerning
which there has been so much contro-
versy. In the first place, there is the
general objection which applies to all
grants of subsidies, to wit: that Con-
press has no power under the Constitu-
tion to expend the public moneys in
aid of private enterprises. This ques-
ton was argued before the Supreme
Court in what are known as the Sugar
Bounty cases, arising under the old
Mckinley law, but the Court avoided
said that this particular bill is not
framed, as it processes to be, in the in
terest of freight-carriers with view
Of providing American bottoms for the
transportation of American products
to foreign countries. 1t is said that an
suduly large part of the aggregate
subsidy will go to American grey
bounds, which do not carry freight. 1t
is sought to meet this objection by an
amendment providing that no higher
Bounty shall be paid than that given
to 18-knot ships. Another amendment
which has been adopted by the COM
eaittee, provides that no subsidy shall
oe paid unless one-half the carrying
capacity of the ship be filled with
cargo or actually engaged. 1t is an
swered to this that half the carrying
~a0acifv of a greyhound is very small,