The age-herald., 1902-01-18
Democrats on Committee Voted So|id|y Against Senator
 Frye's Measure
WANTED PROVISION FOR
 GENERAL SUBSIDY OMITTED
Frye Prepares Statement In Which He Says It Is Necessary for the
 United States to Be as lnde-
 pendent on Sea as Britain.

Washington, January 17.-The Senate commmittee on commerce today author ized favorable report on Senator Frye's ship subsidy bill.
 The Democratic members voted against reporting the bill. They also voted solid ly for a motion offered by Senator Mall lory to strike out the general subsidy pro- vision. The committee made an amend ment to the bill allowing mail-carrying vessels to be either iron or steel. instead of steel only, as originally provided. and another reducing to 1000 gross registered tons the vessels receiving bounty
 The report prepared by Senator Frye says that the purpose of the bil; is to establish the maritime supremacy of tha United States with Asia and in the Gulf of Mexico and the Carribean; to establish thoroughly trade between the United States and South American Republics. and to give the United States a respee- table representation on the North At- lantic The claim Is made that all the re- suits will be accomplished with ten years The report also asserts that the bill will so extend, ship building as to transfer In time from abroad to the United Stasea the center of that industry as the centers of other industries recently have been transferred; and also that 1t will give to the United States a measure of maritime independence corresponding to our indus trial and agricultural independence.
 Senator Frye furnished the press the following summary of the report:
 Will Require Several Years.
 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 pow, IS for it's ocean mail service as is Great Britain The cost of the American service by American mail steamers will be s4, 100000; the cost of the British and colonial serv- ice by British mail steamers is $4, 100000
 "1he postal subsidy provisions enable the Postmaster General to establish an American ocean system superior to the systems of Great Britain. France and Germany.
 The American ocean mail system out lined contemplates on the Pacific weekly mail services to Hawaii, the PhiIlipines, Japan. China and Hongkong and a fort nightly service to Pago Page New Zea- land and Australia The maximum cost would be $2,335.0Oo
 On the Atlantic the bill conten1platcs semi-weekly mail services to Jamaica, Havana and Europe, weekly to Mexico once in ten days to Venezuela and fort nightly to Brazil, at a maximum cost of g. 265. .OOo
 Tt will give the United States forty- two auxiliary merchant cruisers com pared with Great Britain's fifty
  all American vessels, steam and sail. ex- cept mall steamers. the report says that If an American ship owner will build his vessel In the United States employing home labor, employing American officers and crews. performing certain services for the American government and using the vessel to promote American com merce. he will be paid subsidy sufficient to put him on an equality with the for eign ship owner.
 Cost of Ocean Steamers.
 '"rhe average cost of building ocean steamers. mainly for cargo. is $102 per ton in the United States and S76 in Great Britain. Average monthly wages on ocean steamers, mainly for cargo, are American. $86; British $26; Germany and Scandinavian, $17.
 "The general subsidies proposed equal- ize American and foreign costs on these bases.
 r. Based on actual navigation of Amerf- can vessels in foreign trade in 1900 the subsidies proposed would amount to Sl,- 072000. Full compliance with all require ments of the bill would fix the initial ex- penditures at between sSO0.00O and s900. GOO
 Under the general subsidy increase in expenditure depends on the increase in ship building. The completion of 100000 tons of ocean steamers for foreign trade in one year involving $1.300.900 in subsid- les will place the United tSates in ad- vance of Germany as a ship building na- tion. N
 The deep sea fisheries bounty Is to en- courage an industrywhich from the bat tie of Lexington to the battle of Santiago, has furnished more men proportionately for the national defense than any other American industry. The annual expendi- ture is estimated at s175.0 GOO. This amount offsets $160,000 paid to promote fisheries by Canada which uses for the purpose the | annual interest of s5500,000 paid by the United States to Canada under the Hali- fax reward in 1S7S For seventy years the United States paid bounties to deep sea fishermen"
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