The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-01-18
u7AsH1NGToN. Jan. 1.-THE senate

w committee on commerce today
authorized a favorable report On
Senator Frye's ship subsidy bill The
report will be made by Senator Frye.
The Democratic members OF the COM
mittee voted against reporting. the bill.
They also voted solidly for a motion
offered by Senator Mallory to strike
out the general subsidy provision OF
the bill. The committee made several
amendments to the bill.
The report prepared by Senator Frye
was read to the committee. It says
that the purpose Of the bill is to es-
tablish the maritime supremacy Of the
United States in trade with Asia and
in the Gulf Of Mexico and the Carib-
bean; TO establish thoroughly trade be-
tween the United States and South
American republics, and to give the
United States a respectable representa-
ton on the North Atlantic. The claim
is made that all these results viii be
accomplished within ten years. The
report also asserts the bill viii so ex-
tend ship building as TO transfer in
time from abroad 10 the United States
the center Of that industry, as the cen
been transferred. and also that it viii
give TO the United States a measure OF.
maritime independence q corresponding
20 our industrial and agricultural in
dependence.
Summary Of the Report.
Senator Frye furnished to the press
the following summary Of the report:
The establishment Of this complete
American ocean mail service. involving
much ship building. will require sew
eraI years. It VIII render the United
States as Independent Of foreign powers
for its ocean mail service as is Great
Britain. The cost Of the American
service by American mail steamers will
be $4,10O,000; the cost of British and
colonial service by British steamers is
S4,l0O,O00. Receipts from ocean postage
by the United States are now estimated
at 100000; the annual deficit under
the American system proposed, includ-
ing minor services, viii be about $1,000
GOO. The annual deficit under the Brit
ish colonial system is S2.1SS.000.
The postal subsidy provisions en-
able the postmaster general to estab-
hsh an American ocean mail system
superior to the systems Of Great Brit
ain, France and Germany.
outlined cOntemplates on the Pacific
weekly mail service to Hawaii. to the
Philippine islands, Japan. China, Hong
kong, and fortnightly service TO Page
PagO, New Zealand and Australia. The
maximum cost would be s., S35, 000
Improves Oceanic Mail Service.
"On the Atlantic the bill contem-
plates semi-weekly service to Jamaica,
| Havana and Europe, weekly to Mexico,
| once in zen days TO Venezuela and fort
| nightly TO Brazil, ct a maximum cost
Of s.. 3s5, OO0."
| The report compares IN detail the
| American services proposed with Brit
| ISL service. and asserts that the bill
/ Will reVOlutiOniZe in American favor,
! Is against the SueZ route, the world 5
! ocean mail connections with China and
| Japan. and viii effect Australian con-
| nectiOns.
1T viii give the United States forty
| two auxiliary merchant cruisers COM
| pared with Great Britain's fifty"
! The second part of the report deals
| with the general subsidy to all Amer
/ lean vessels. steam and sail. except
| mail steamers It quotes President
! ROOsevelt's message. showing that the
] cost of building American ships IS
I
abroad; that American wages on ship
! board are higher, and that the house
| should remedy these inequalities Dis
| eliminating duties, export bOunties and
! subsidies based on export cargoes are
/ in violation of our international obli-
/ cations SO direct subsidies. it says, IS
the only practical method. The subsidy
! proposed is not a naked bounty. for II
is based on public services to be rem
] dered.
No Danger of a Trust.
Americans have absolute free trade
in foreign-going ships, so no ship
/ builders trust is possible under the bill.
| Ship builders can import now free OF
duty materials for ships Tor foreign
| trade. so no American can raise prices
Of materials.
IF any American ship owner viii
! build his vessel IN the United States,
employing home labor, employing
| American officers and crews, performing
| certain services for the American gov
/ eminent and using the vessel 10 pro-
mote American commerce, he VIII De
paid a subsidy sufficient 10 put him OF
! an equality with the foreign ship Own
ers, employing foreign labor ana SerY-
ing a foreign government.
] Inc average EDCL VI Du4-LA-A6 NN@N--
steamers" SAYS the report, mainly tOi
cargo. is $102 per ton in the United
States and $40 in Great Britain. Aver
age monthly wages on ocean steamers
mainly for cargo, are: American. SO
British, SIG: Germany and Scandlna-
Wan. 81. The general subsidies pro
posed equalize American and torels'
costs on these basis
To Promote Export Trade.
The bill will promote the building o
new vessels Of large carrying capacit!
which promote export trade at loV
freight rates. Combined with our geo
: graphical position it gives special aa
; vantages to American vessels IN IN
: Pacific trade
l Based on actual navigation o
: American vessels in foreign trade !
I 1900. the subsidy proposed woui
: amount to s.. 072, COO, divided as follows
Steam Excluding mail vessels, 500
: COO sails. S513, 600 GeOgTa phicaliy. Al
= Iantic ocean. S444 900; Pacific oceaa
" $40. 600, square rugged ships on Dol
oceans. $161, 0O0.
Full compliance with all require
;, ments Of the bill would fix the lnitla
: expenditure at between SS00,O00 ah
: $500 00O
Under the general subsidy increas
= in expenditure depends on increase 4
= shin building. The completion CT z9o'
: coo tons Of ocean steamers for torres