The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-03-06
NO SUBSIDY NEEDED
STEVE CLAY RIDDLES THE RE-
PUBLICAN CLAIM.
OCEAN MAIL SERVICE AMPLE
rXPORTERs GET BENEFITS OF
PRESENT LOW RATES.

Tbe Claim of Cheaper European
Labor Observation-Disclosures and Ger
many only Subsidize ships Avail.
mile as Auxiliary Cruisers and
Rritain's Expenditures on This
Account Is Only $3OO,0OO.
Washington. March SIT appears
vtaIv now that the Senate will reach
q vote upon the pending shipping bill
ono week from next Monday. When
Mr.. Frye, in charge of the measure,
endeavored to-day to secure an agree
ment for the time of taking a vote,
that date was mentioned as being sat
isfactory to the minority members of
the Commerce Committee. AS they
have the opposition to the bill in
charge no objection is likely to be
raised by other members of the Dem
ocratic size.
Mr.. Clay of Georgia addressed the
Senate to-day in opposition to the bill
and had not concluded when the SEN
ate adjourned He made a forceful
and interesting argument which was
given careful attention by his col
leagues.
Senator Clay began by making 1t
clear that he favors an ocean mail SER
vice fully equal, if not superior, to
the similar service of other nations. 1t
should be obtained, however, he said.
at a just and reasonable price and
should not be connected with any sub
sidy scheme. The feature of the pres
ent bill which carried the largest APP
preparation, was that relative to bet
terment of the ocean mail service by
the establishment of a number of new
lines.
There was proposed an increased an
null expenditure of SO, 900 and yet
there was nothing from the postal au
jn0rities to warrant the assumption
that this was necessary or desired.
The present foreign mail system he
considered ample and sufficient for
present needs. but even if it should
not prove to be fully So the existing
law gave warrant for any necessary
increase. He deprecated policy which
mad for its purpose a subsidy to ship
owners under the guise of mail pay.
Senator clay devoted the main por-
ton Of his argument, however. to an
attack upon the general subsidy fea-
ture Of the bill which is separate from
the ocean mail feature. He said the
low rates given by foreign ships,
against which American ship-owners
complained do not at all work to the
injury Of American exporters who get
the benefit of these low rates. Ocean
freight rates are the cheapest in our
history and the result of these low
Istes is seen in the great increase in
American exports. There were only
three grounds on which the support
ers Of this bill based their advocacy
Of general subsidy. First, that it cost
more to build ships in the United
states than abroad; second, that the
American wage scale is higher and
therefore the cost of operating ships
under the American flag is greater
than under foreign flags; third, that
Io'elsn governments subsidize their
merchant marine.
Mr. Ciny's Strong Argument.
Senator Clay quoted a number of au-
thoTities to prove that with the bet
ter methods prevailing in the shipyards
Oh this country the cost of construc-
non is no greater here than abroad
ne contended that Americans can build
IRON and steel ships as cheaply as they
can be built in any country in the
World With regard to the cost of OPP
GRAFTON, Senator Clay said the Amer
Cdn shlpoWners can and do obtain
thelr labor in any ports at which they
touch. The American shipowners make
use OF the cheapest labor they can OBJ
tam The provision for a certain per-
Ventage of the crew to be American
VIII not necessarily result in any ma
'sIIal increase in the cost of operation,
although an effort is made to have it
80 appear. He argued that to plead
LOT the subsidy on the ground that the
AineIlcan laboring man would be ben
eHted by 1T, was in no sense war
ranted.
With regard to the claim that Amer
Hdh merchant marine must be sub
Siu'zed because subsidies are granted
Wy Wy competing governments, Senator
LAY undertook to show that neither
England nor Germany gives any gen.
T,dl subsidy to it's merchant marine
noth governments pay for ships which
o@H De converted into auxiliary cruis-
iS' out that is all. Great Britain s
pdyments in this line were but $50, 900
year. There was no general subsidy
vi Its merchant marine by either of
eiie TWO governments which are the
States.
senator Clay compared the provisions
W. Ole present bill with that of the last
tTIohgress, which had been defeated by
ne actlVe work of the minority. He
eCaIled the estimate of the commits
f.oller OF navigation upon which that
wi Hler bin was based, that it would
Squlre S90OO,000 a year to offset the
~. dntages enjoyed by the foreign
tLeIchant marine, and compared with
80 estimate the one from the same
a. non VINO now says that a subsidy of
r r.vOy,uOo year will effect the same
sui The enactment of this bill
cr oulu not result in any material in
.tedse IN the number of ships flying
me American flag.
GU on the course of his argument Mr..
~ made the point that the Post
lr 'Ster General had not recommended
~ "N reports amy such changes in
to ,'e ocean mail service as was con-
NJ pitted by the vending bill.
W. Aldrtch interrupted to inquire
~ nsVner the foreign mails were car
IN American vessels.
me Mails Are Getting Through.
NAL, think not replied Mr.. Clay. The
he ,.on was getting through, he said, but
cs. CouId not say how much was being
An,ase9u by foreign and how much by
1Ferlcan steamships.
~ Harris of Kansas inquired if
,ns.Was any provision in the pending
sure looking to competition in the
ocean mails. e -
ts @r, Clay replied that the whole mat
Cas- vas IN the hands of the Pos tmaster
as 1t not a fact" asked Mr.. Hanna,
let 9 a. All mail carrying contracts are
g., IN that way?"
think the senator from Ohio is