The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-05-17
NAILS IN SHIP SUBSIDY COFFIN
A Republican Paper Rejoices Over
the Schemes Failure.

AND" AOtA IiGSS tfNcpt
1t must be source of extreme graft
fication to that small but courageous band
or Senators who registered their earnest
protest against the ship subsidy scheme
their patriotic judgment verified 50 con-
clusively by the subsequent course of sig
nilicant events. Competent authorities
are piling up in controvertible eviden &c of
their wisdom. The passionate and unin-
formed attacks on British shipowner s that
ragged In England for n time gradually
gives way, too, as the facts come to be
understood about the Reorganization of
the Atlantic steamship lines. Those on
the American side who .ciamored for ship
who acclaimed against the merger are
silenced now with the same facts and ar
guments which are epitomized with SO
much force by Andrew Carnegie: There
Is no question of patriotism in trade. 1t
does not care fig for the flag. 1t is
dividends that count
The Rt. Hon. w. ]. Pirrie, Mr.. Nor
gan's ally in the shipping merger. gives
In one breath the reasons against the sub
sidy scheme and destroys the British OBJ
jections to the combination of steamship
lines. Mr. Pirrie. who Is reported by The
London Times as protesting little sym
PATTY with a patriotism that shuts its
eyes to facts and grabs at the shadow
while FORGETTING the substance explains
In detail to the satisfaction of The Times
wherein the British have made gains by
the arrangement WIFI MT. MoTBdHL i mem
Mr.. Pirrie makes this disclosure: The
efforts to get the ship subsidy bill passed
in the United States had no direct bear
ing on the steamship combination scheme.
though thew may have caused slight
delay in the negotiations. The fate of
that bill had not the slightest effect on
Mr.. Morgan"
Here is the whole story just as the
Senators from Vermont. Iowa and Wis
consin suspected and as everybody had
half Uhn tried without success
to find out what the ship subsidy bill was
designed to accomplish. It made no diff
ference to Mr.. Morgan. While there was
chance for its passags, there was "a
the wise men Of the Republican party
call halt on the subsidy scheme with
its mysterious clauses and its sugges-
lions Of private graft than the steam
concrete fact. The fate OF the bill had
not the slightest effect on Mr.. Morgan.
That Is, If there we've any provisions so
skillfullv worded-nobody can tell even
now Just what the bill Is designed to &C
homplish-that the British shipowners
could get a bouty, for instance, from the
United States government merely ny
transferring their vessels to the Ameri-
would be glad to make the change and
take the bounty So also would the Brit
ish steamship owners, Mr.. Pirrie includ-
ed have been glad to enter into such an
arrangement FOR nolnlIR IS tiucI IMAM
Mr.. Carnegies estimate of the selfishness
of trade. that cit does not care fig for
the flag"
The chip subsidy hill was held up, but
the Atlantic shipping combination was
not wrecked 1t already had been formed,
and the failure of Senator Hanna to get
his hill through the House as he jammed
1t through the Senate had not the slight
est effect on Mr.. Morgan" The efforts to
PASS the bill may have DELAYED the ne
gotiations." so that announcement OF
their completion would not injure tho
chances of success which then looked so
bright for the subsidy bill But failure
of Mr.. Haana's bill was not fatal to the
steamship deal.
And so it will be with the plans of Mr..
Griscom or Mr.. Cramp or Mr.. Scott or
any other shipbuilder. Any vessel they
might have had on the stocks would not
be allowed to rot simply because MT
Hanna's benevolent scheme. under which
perhaps they were to receive largesse
from the Treasury. had failed to make
in the House the same smooth progress
as over the Senate WAYS so we'll luhricat-
ed bv the subsidy lobby. All shipbuild-
ers have so arranged their affairs, we
hope and trust. that there will he dtvi-
dends from every ship they launch
whether or not it's bottom Is creased with
a subsidy. at is dividends" as Mr.. Car
nooio saya "that count.