The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-01-18
FAVORABLE REPORT ON SHIP SUB
SIDIES AGREED TO BY A
PARTY VOTE
DEMOCRATS WILL OPPOSE IT
NIaine Mans Report Paints In Glow
ing COIOrs the Possibility of
Maritime Supremacy for
the United States.
WOODEN SHIPS ARE TAKEN IN

WASHINGTON Jan. II. - The senate
committee on commerce today authorized il
a favorable report on Senator Frye's ship
subsidy bill.
The Democratic members of the COM
1nittee voted against reporting the bill.
They also voted solidly for a motion Of
fered by Senator Mallory to strike out
the general subsidy provision of the bill.
The commit ttee made several amendments
to the bill. The most important were:
All owing mail carrying vessels under
the bill to be either iron o~ steel, in
stead of steel ouly, as originally provided,
and another reducing to 1000 gross regis
tered tons the vessels receiving & bounty
under the bill.
The report prepared by Senator Frye
says the purpose Of the bill is to estab-
lish the maritime supremacy of the Unit
ed States in trade with Asia and in the
Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean; to es-
tablish thoroughly trade between the
United States and South American re-
publics, and to give the United States
respectable representation on the North
Atlantic. The claim is made that all
these results will be accomplished within
ten years. The report also asserts that
the bill will SO extend ship building as to
transfer in time from abroad to the
United States the center of that indus
Try, and also that it will give to the
United States a measure of maritime in
dependence corresponding to our indus
trial and agricultural independence.
Senator Frye's Figures.
The cost of the American service by
American mail steamers will be $4,700,00J,
the cost Of the British and colonial serv-
ice by British mail steamers is zoo, 600.
Receipts from ocean ports by the United
States are now estimated at $3,O0O,0 ,0O0
The annual deficit under the new Ameri-
can system proposed, including minor
service will be about s., 600 900.
The annual deficit under the British col
onial system is 50, 1875, ,O00
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 CCntemplates on the Pacific weekly
mail service to Hawaii, the Philippines,
Japan, China and Hongkong, and a fort
nightly service to Pago PagO, New Zea-
land and Australia The maximum cost
would be 81, ,335, ,0OO
On the Atlantic the bill contemplates
semi-weekly mail service to Jamaica,
Havana and Europe, weekly to Mexico,
once in ten days to Venezuela, and fort
$2,365 900.
1t will give the United States forty-two
auxiliary merchant cruisers, compared
with Great Britain's fifty
EquaIizing of Expense Claimed.
If an American ship owner will build
his vessel in the United States, employing
home labor, employing American officers
and crews, performing certain service for
the American government and using the
vessels to promote American commerce,
he will be paid subsidy sufficient to put
him on an equality with the foreign ship
owner employing foreign labor and serv-
ing foreign government.
The average cost of building ocean
steamers, mainly for cargo, is $102 per ton
in the United States. and SIC in Grea
Britain. Average monthly wages on
ocean steamers. mainly cargo, are: amer
lean, $36; British, $26; German and Scan
dinavian, 81,
The general subsidies proposed equaIize
American and foreign costs on these
bases. The bill will promote the building
OF new vessels of large carrying capacity
which promote export trade at low
freight rates. Combined with our geo
graphical position, it gives special ad-
vantage to the American vessels in tho
Pacific trade.
Based on actual navigation of Ameri-
can vessels in foreign trade in 1900. the
subsidies would amount to 81. .072 900. FulI
compliance with all the provisions of the
bill would fix the initial expenditures a T
between $S00000 and 5000. .GOO
The president of the United States Ia as
general supervision of regulations to en-
force the act.