Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1902-03-26
WALHALLA, $. Q. |.
urAnom 90, rsos.
Provisions OF ship Subsidy Measure.


Washington, March H.--After
prolonged debate the Senate to-day
passed the ship subsidy bill, the final
vote upon the measure being az to
81. Senators Allison and Dolliver,
Of Iowa; Spooner and sQuarles, of
Wisconsin, and Proctor and Dilling.
ham, of Vermont, Republicans, voted
against final passage OF the bill, and
Senator McLaurin, of South Caro-
lima, voted for it.
The title of the bill passed by the
Senate is as follows:
''To provide for ocean mail service
between the United States and
foreign ports, and the common de-
fense; to promote commerce and to
encourage the deep sea fisheries"
Title of the measure passed deals
with ocean mail steamships and their
! subsidies. The postal subsidy act of
1891 is SO amended as to direct the
Postmaster General to enter into
contracts for not less than five, nor
more than fifteen years, with Ameri-
can citizens, for the carrying of mails
on American steamships to such for
eign points as will best promote the
postal, commercial and maritime
interests of the United States the
mail service on such lines to be
equitably distributed among At
lantic, Mexican gulf and Pacific
ports, and the contracts to be made
with the lowest responsible bidder.
The vessels employed in the mail
service shall be American built, and
owned and officered by American
citizens. During the first two years
one-fourth of the crew must be
American citizens; during the next
three years one third must be Ameri-
can citizens, and during the remain
ing life of the contract at least one
half must be American citizens. The
ships must be screw ships of iron or
steel and divided into the following
classes, according to speed
First, 20 knots or over second,
10 knots third, is knots; fourth,
II knots; fifth, 16 knots sixth, Is
knots seventh, Id knots.
All steamships of the first four
classes shall be constructed with par.
ticular reference to prompt CONVEX
sion into auxiliary naval cruisers and
shall be of the highest rating known
to maritime commerce.
The rate of compensation for ocean
mail service, to be paid per gross
registered ton, for each 100 nautical
miles sailed from the port of clear
ance in the United States to the port
to entry in the United States, ac-
cording to the route required by the
postoffice department., shall not
exceed the following:
Steamships Of the first class, 81
cents; second, 2.5 cents; third, 2.3
cents; fourth, 81 cents; fifth, 10
cents; sixth, IT cents seventh, 1.5
cents. The rates Of compensation
to any vessel carrying nails to for
eign port in North America shall not
exceed 70 per cent of the maximum
rates established.
Mail steamships are required to
carry as apprentices one American
born boy for each 1000 tons gross
register. He shall be educated in
seamanship and engineering, and
rank as petty officer.
Title 2 of the bill provides tor the
general subsidy to be paid. 1t di-
rects the Secretary of the Treasury to
pay to the owners of any vessel in
the United States duly registered
and engaged in the foreign trade of
the United States compensation
amounting to one cent per gross
registered ton for each 100 nautical
miles sailed, not exceeding sixteen
entries in any one year; and on each
entry, not exceeding sixteen in any
one year, for period of five years
from the date of registration of a
vessel of 1000 gross tons, which
shall be completed after the passage
of this bill, one-fourth of one cent
per gross ton each 100 nautical miles
sailed, in addition to the above men
toned compensation. The bill speci-
fies certain vessels which shall not
receive compensation under its pro.
visions, among them being vessels
engaged in the coastwise trade ex-
clusively.
Each subsidized vessel is required
to carry as member of its company
/ American boy for each 1000 gross
tons, who shall be taught seamanship
and engineering. The owners of the
vessel must agree before receiving
compensation that the ship in emer-
gency may be used by the United