The Farmington times. [volume] (Farmington, Mo.) 1874-1902, 1902-03-06
THE POLICY OF SUBSIDY.
ne wsrRca for Private
Interests.

To show how the mind Of the sub
sidy seeker works. 1t Is worth white
10 consider somc statements made by
Alex. Il. Smith. subsidy promoter, en-
ployed ~ lobbyist by the shipping
interests. Mr.. Smith has edited what
he calls n Synopsis Of Report on
Steamship Subsidies, Submitted by
Select Committee of the British Par
lament, August I, lpni," aud MIR.
Frye has had Il printed at govern
mrnt expense.
Mr.. Smith quotes from the testi-
mony taken by She parliamentary
committee, such extracts ns seem 10
him most telling In favor Of subsi-
dies. lie dwsila fondly upon the pol
ley Of subsidy carried ont by the
French government. Referring to u
statement so the effert that France
pays the profits ON capital invested In
French shipping. he comments:
The sentcnee u une that may well
staRgcr the British, while disclosing
che serious determination Of the
French government In its maritime
policy. The capital being guaranteed
by the insurance and tho profits by
the navigation bountics.' What will
prevent French maritime succesz, so
fortihed2"
The fact France hes not succeeded
IN creating a merchant marine, by
her enormous bounties, leads one TO
suspect that there are some causes
operating 20 prevent -French mari
time success"
MIR. Smith gloats over the icsti'
mony. showing that the French gov
eminent pays from II Ga 50 per cent.
Of the gross earnings of French ycs-
sells engaged In oyerzea commerce,
and that, without the subsidies, ships
would he run Mt loss Of from 5 to
10 per cent. per annum.
The French policy + the kind cn-
Enthusiastically approved by she sub
sidy grtbbers, and indeed By protec-
tionisis generally. They thlnk IT is
only necessary TO show that an in
duEtry " Improbable in order ~
have a lien against the government
for bounty. They come row as hum
bir bcggnrs. praying for mornel--
a paltry Ss.o0o. .0o0--from Uncle Sans
abundance. II requires no gift of
divine prophecy 90 picture the his
tory ~ shipping subsidies, once the
policy Is inaugurated. The expert
ep"e ~ France and Italy 80 frequent
IS held up by MIR. Smith and his
friends as shining examples 81 the
| bcnciiccnre uf the bounty system,
furnishes us with abundant material
with which 10 construct forecast Of
the future. Depending upon govern
ment aid. ship owners will engage in
improbable ventures and then COM
plain that they are being ruined by
the competition of French ships.
They will rant about the pcnurious-
ness ~ our government In refusing
90 make good the losses Of patriotic
citizens who unselAshly engage IN
! trading ventures that any idiot
knows viii yield nothing bn. a hig
deficit. They viii demand that the
United States he not less liberal than
other nations In giving aid aud com
fort tn these unseifish patriots. who
lose money IN carrying our flag on
the seas, Ia the expectation that the
government win pay them 81 per
cent. dividends; and they will cad
with n solemn warning that unless
the United States wishes tu take n
back seat among the great nations,
unless we wish to hire other people
/ lat half the cnssi 80 carry our prod.
ucts, we must pay ms big subsidies rs
/ the French.-ROYAL MEERER