The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1902-04-25
THE STORY IS VERY OLD.
senator Frye Sings the same Sad Sub
sidy Song sung by the ship
builders OF Nore.

Senator Frye. in his speech before
the senate, said:
"Of all the steamships in the world OF
rs knots and upwards. ~ per cent. are sub
sidized by the countries whose flags they
>arry: OF those OF 16 knots and upward,
all but six are heavily subsidized by the
countries whose flags they carry
This statement is not quite accu-
rate The report of the commissioner
OF navigation for 1901 gives list of
154 merchant ocean steamships with a
speed of about l6 knots. Of this num-
Der 81. or about one-fourth. receive alb
solutely no payments from govern
ment. and only IS, or about 80 per Mt,
receive anything more than payment
for carrying the mails. except the in
significant admiralty subventions paid
by the British government to certain
steamers. or the 3s5 ocean going
steel screw steamships above IA knots
speed ia or 40 per cent. receive no
government payments of any kind. and
less than half receive anything more
than mail pay.
Mr.. FRYE SAYS Great Britain paid So
600 900 in subsidies last year. In fact
during the last fiscal year Great Brit
ain paid s3.764.0j5 under contract for
the carriage OF 3.O.5. 500 pounds Of let
tiers and 2O.910.3Oo pounds Of prints.
or at the rate of Is cents pound. Dur
ing the same wear the United States
paid out under contract$9l3. 555 for the
carriage Of 172.so2 pounds Of letters
and sos, 800 pounds Of prints, or at
the rate of 81 cents a pound This
shows that the United States Is now
paving on mail contracts more than
three times as much rs Great Britain,
per unit of weight. On mileage basis
the showing is even more overwheim-
ingly against US. Yet Mr.. Frye pro-
poses to multiply the rate OF pay for
mail contracts by two. and attempts to
Justify this by pointing 10 the subsi-
dies paid by other countries.
Trade cannot precede the mail. The
mail must precede the trade-ard they
1.-THE other countriesl paid over ssa."cc,ev
last year for postal subsidies for one SIN
gle purpose, and that was 10 put them
selves in a position 10 dispose OF tneir
surplus products IN the markets. Vi 'h'
world
BY implication he says that our mer
chant marine has declined because We
have not granted subsidies The facts
show that we are paying large bonus
or real subsidy for ma ii carriage. while
the countries he accuses Of paying sub
sides for the most part pay only com
petitive rates for their mails. MOI
| 4 the payment Of mail subsidies new
departure for rs. As far back a. ls5'
the United States government granted
n subsidy TO the Collins line from New
York TO Southampt In 1866 sub
sidy was given to the Garrison line z
Brazil. The next year the Pacific Mai
Steamship company was voted SUB
| sidy for carrying the mails to Chin'
and Japan. Every one Of the attempt
to foster the mercha nj ma rine at gov
eminent expense was preceded D!
brilliant bursts Of oratory predicting
untold blessings. st increase of tn,
merchant marine, and enormous ex
mansion Of trade. Every one prove'
a disastrous failure. financially ant
commercially. In the case Of the +.
s. company. the failure involved
| morals as wei a. Hioht.' anu w ~
tract was evoked when II was discoy
cred that the company had used
million dollars to induce congressme'
70 see the needs OF the American stean
merchant marine in the light Of prog
ress and patriotism
In view OF the fact that we have triet
subsidies to encourage shipping foh
distinct times and have developed
nothing but dishonesty and corrup
zion. would IL not he wise to go a III
lie slow on Senator Frye's proposition
20 rehabilitate the American mer
chant marine?
ROYAL MEEKER.