The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-01-24
THE SHIP SUBSIDY BILL
FAVORABLE REPORT ON IT ORDERED BY
SENATE COMMITTEE.
SOLID DEMOCRATIC OPPOSITION
The Minority Of the Committee Vote
A~ainst Supporting the Bill and for
a Motion to Strike out the Genera
Subsidy PrOvfsion-Severa1 Com
mittee ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Frye
Furnishes a Summary of the Re-
port to Accompany the Bill.

Washington, January 17.-The Senat'.
committee on commerce today authoriz-
ed a favorable report upon Senator
Frye's ship subsidy bill. The report viii
be made by Senator Frye.
The democratic members Of the COM
mittee voted against supporting the bill.
They also voted solidly for a motion Of
fered by Senator Malloy to strike u
the general subsidy provision OF the bill.
The committee made several amend
ments to the bill The most important
were:
Allowing mail carrying vessels under
the bill to be either iron or steel in
stead of steel only, as originally pro-
vided. and another reducing 10 one
thousand gross registered tons the yes
sells receiving a bounty under the bill.
Senator Frye furnishes the follow
ing summary of the report:
THE establishment of this complete
American ocean mail service, involving
much ship building. will quiz several
years. 1t will render the United States
as independent OF foreign powers for
its ocean mail service as is Great Brit
ain. The cost OF the American service
by American mail will be S4.-
zee. 0O0: the cost of the British and coI0-
NAL service by British mail steamers
is 81. 200. 900. Receipts from ocean post
age bv the United States are now esti-
mated at $1,000 00. The annua "
felt under the new American system
proposed, including minor services. will
be about S2.0 600. 900. The annual dei:i;
under the British colonial system is S.
1884, coo.
1.-The postal subsidy provisions enable
the postmaster general to establish
American ocean mail system superior
to the systems of Great Britain. Franc
and German
1.-The American ocean mail system
outlined ~contemplates on the Pacific
weekly mail services to Hawaii, the
Philippines, Japan. China and Hons
Kong and a fortnightly service to Pa go
Page. New Zealand and Australia. The
maximum cost would be 50. 1885. 600.
ION the Atlantic the bill contemplaTes
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
Sc. 365. 000-
cit will give the United States forty
two auxiliary merchant cruisers COM
pared with Great Britain's fifty.
1.-THE second part of the report deals
with the general subsidy to all Ameri-
can vessels. steam and sail. except mail
steamers. 1t quotes President RoOSP-
veIt's message showing that the cost
Of building American ships is greater
than abroad. that American wages on
ship board are higher and that the gov
eminent should remedy these ineuudii-
ties. Discriminating duties, export
bounties and subsidies based on eXDoft
are in violation of u INTERIM
tional obligations. so direct subsidies
are the only practical method. The
subsidy proposed is not a naked boun-
ty. for it is based on public services TO
be rendered in return
Americans have absolute free trade
in foreign going ships and no ship build
ers' trust is possible under the h!n
~Shipbuilders can import now free
OF duty materials for ships for foreign
trade; so no combination to raise prices
of materials is practicable.
1.-The average cost of building ocean
steamers, mainly for cargo. is S1O2 per
ton in the United States and $40 in
Great Britain. Average monthly wages
on ocean steamers. mainly for cargo,
are: American $50. British SIG. German
and Scandinavian ST.. The general
subsidies proposed eoualiZe American
and foreign costs On these bases.
BASED on actual navigation of Amer
lear vessels in foreign trade in 1900. the
subsidies proposed would amount to 81,
O73. 900 divided as follows: Steam lex