The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-01-18
,AME ERICAN OCEAN
MAIL SYSTEM
To Give U. S. Forty-tw
Auxiliary Cruisers.
SUCH is SHIP SUBSIDY
Senate Committee on Commerc
Authorize Favorable eport.
A COMPLETE MAIL SYSTEM
A Comparison With the English haii Service
IN FAVOR OF This Country rs to Cost.
No Shipbuilders' irus, Possible
Ualer the Bill = Viii
Restore American
Shipping.
A COMPLETE MAIL SYSTEM
fBy A,sociated Press.)

(By Associated Press.)
WASHINGTON, ID. c., Jan. 1.-THE
Senate Committee on Commerce to-day
authorized a Favorable report upon Sen
ator Fryes ship subsidy bill. The report
will be made by Senator Frye.
The Democratic members Of the COM
mittee voted against reporting the bill.
They also voted solidly for d motion
offered by Senator Mallory to strike out
the general SUBSIDY provision of the bill.
Tho committee made several amendments
to tho BILL The most important were:
Allowing mail carrying vessels under tbs
bill to be either iron or steel, instead OF
steel only, as originally provided, and
another reducing to one thousand gross
registered tons the vessels receiving
bounty unoer the bill.
SUMMARY Or REPORT.
Senator Frye furnishes the following
summary Of the report:
THE establishment of This complete
American ocean mail service, Involving
much shipbuilding, will require several
years; it will render the United States as
independent Of foreign powers for its
ocean mail service as is Great Britain
The cost of the American service by
American mail steamers will be ST, 100000;
the cost of the British and colonial Ser
vice 10y British mail steamers is $i,700,GtS
Receipts from ocean postage by the United
States arc now estimated at 5000, COO
The annual deficit under the new Amer
lean system proposed, including minor
services, win be about S, 100000 The an
nuau deficit under the British colonial
system is So, ,1Ss, Geo.
AMERICAN OCEAN MAIL.
.'The postal subsidy provisions enable
the Postmaster-General to establish an
American ocean mail system superior to
the systems Of Great Britain, France and
Germany.
The American ocean mail system out
lined contemplatesson the Pacific weekly
mail services Co Hawaii. the Philippines.
Japan, China, Hong Kong and a fort
nightly service TO rdgo-rugo, new yea
land Australia. The maximum cost woulo
be s., 33335 600.
"On the Atlantic the bill contemplates
serli-weekly mail services to Jamaica
Havana and Europe, weekly to Mexico
once IL ten days to Venezuela and fort.
nightly to Brazil at a maximum cost oil
2,SG5:0oO.
IT will give the United States ~
auxiliary merchant cruisers, compared
with Great Britains 50.''
The second part of the report deals witt
the general subsidy to all American YES
sc.s. steam and sail, except mall steam
crss It quotes President Roosevelt's mes
sage showing that the cost Of building
Amercan ships is greater than abroad;
that American wages on ship board are
higher, and that the Government shouio
remedy these inequalities. Discriminating
duties, export bounties and subsidie'
based in export cargoes, are in violation
If our International obligations. SO dl
rect subsidies is the only practicai
method.
NOT A NAKED BOUNTY.
The subsidy proposed is not a naked
bounty, Tor it is based OF public services
TO be rendered in return.
Amaricans have absolute free trade ir
foriSn-Soing ships. and no shipbuiluers
trust is possible under the bill. Ship
builders can import now. free of duty
material for ships for foreign trade s,
no combination to raise prices of mate
rials is practicable.
THE average cost of building ocear
steamers, mainly for cargo. is s1o2 pc,
ton in the United States and SIC in Grea
Britain Average monthly wages or
ocean steamers. mainly for cargo, Aneri
can, sS6; British, SIG; German and Scan
dinavian. SIT. The general subsidies pro,
posed equalize american and foreig!
costs on these.
ACTUAL NAVIGATION.
BIASED on actual navigation of Ameri
can vessels in foreign trade in 1900, tn
subsidies proposed would amount to 81
O72oOo, divided as follows: Steam icy
Guiding mail vessels). s559Ooo: sail, s51s
900. Geogra phically: Atlantic Ocean. S444
900; Pacific Ocean, S467,G00; square-riggef
ships on both oceans. S161 600.
sFul compliance with all requirement
for the bill would fix the initial expendi
lures at between 100000 and $500 600
"UnGer the general subsidy increase ir
expenditure depends on increase in ship
building. The completion OIL 100000 tom
| OF ocean steamers for foreign trade fo
me year involving SLIGO 0G0 in subsidies
| will place the United States in advance
| of Germany as "a shipbuildins nation.''