Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1901-02-28

The DiII VIII Neither Promote COM
mer"e Nor Provide Fnst Cruisers
Eor Time of War.
The subsidy bill claims to be n bill
to promote the commerce Of the coun-
try and its foreign trade and to profit
ably employ the surplus products Of
the farms Of the United States.
To Justify the expenditure of the
100000 a year proposed by this bill
it ought to be shown that all these
objects are accomplished by this bill
better than they could be by any other
means; for If the other 50 called OBJ
jccts of the bill-tO provide cruisers
and Transports to be considered
by themselves, 1t Is clear that Il cheap
or and surcr way of having efficient
service would be for the government
to build its own ships.
Just how the bill will not promote
the commerce in manner ut all com
mcnsuratc with the enormous CXpcndi-
turc Is easily seen by study of one
outward voyage, taken at random, of
the steamship New York, n vessel be-
longing to the international Nayiga-
ton company, the chief beneficiary of
the bill.
On her first voyage from New York
in 1900 this ship carried cargo to the
value of less than $7O0,O0O and of this
only $4,000 was agricultural prod
ucts. Now, compare the statement of
the president Of this company with
one made by Mr.. Stratton, represent
ing before the house committee in
January. 1899, the board Of undcrwrit-
crs Of New York and the American
bureau Of shipping. Mr.. Griscom has
repeatedly said that the cost of his
four fast steamships was $lO,OOO,00O.
Mr.. Stratton. at the hearing mentioned
above, said when speaking of the re-
latouship existing between vessel
and her cargo, Say ship Is worth
100000 or 81 100000 and that vessel
goes to seattle cargo Is worth on an
average twice what that ship is" and
little later, "If you find II ship Is
worth 100000, you will find the cargo
Is worth $1,lOO,OOO or $l,2OO,OOO."
On this basis Il ship worth $2,OOO,OOO
to %2,5OOOOO ought to have n cargo
worth from $1,000, 600 to %5,OOO,OOO, i'll
stead of one worth less than three
quarters of million Of dollars.
Surely this ship. which under the
proposed bill would receive n subsidy
Of quarter of million dollars or
more ycur-that is, about onc-cighth
o. IL, p,,1,gilN 10 hn noil AlIpp-
lean steamships already built before
Feb. |, 1S00-canuUt be said TO pro-
mote commerce or foreign trade or
provide profitable employment for the
products Of the farm to any upprcCia-
bic extent.
Whatever else she does she cannot
in any way be said to help in any of
the commercial objects of tho bill UNI
less the promoters and supporters of
the bill can show that Mr., Stratton Is
MS Ignorant" rs they claim every one
not agreeing with them must be.
The defenders of the bill are con
stantly setting forth before those who
in their ignorance" are opposing it
that the British and German govern.
mcuts and other nations are subSidiz-
ing their fast steamships for war pur-
poses in case Of need and we must do
MS much Then they appeal to the
work done by the two ships of the In.
tcrnational Navigation company in the
late rracas with Spain as an instance
of what might happen again. But the
hill us now amended gives no subsidy
for speed beyond Is knots, while the
fast ships of the English and German
merchant marine attain speed of %
! knots or better. In the event, then, OF
! n war with these countries the New
| York. which can make Mt most n
knots, her owners say, could neither go
| i'm pursuit of the CnCmy's fast ships
nor run away from them. But by the
| bill no new fast ships are To be called
/ into existence. so that the So called oh.
| icCt of providing fast cruisers is not
fulfilled by the bill 1t fails as lament
ably as It does to promote commerce
and foreign trade,
lnaSmuch as the government In 1890
! employed rs temporary transports for
her soldiers to and from Manila (Sce
| report Of commissioner of navigation
pages 2O3 and 2Oll certain ships which
would under this bill have been sub.
| Sidy winners had the bill been in force
we can judge the kind OF ships that
would he used were this bill now in
| operation There were eight Of these
! vessels one was II years old, one II,
one Is ana the other six from u to 40
! years old
This is the kiud Of ships the compa.
! mics would turn over TO the govern.
! mcnt to carry her soldiers II they were
called on for transports. II is not