Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1903-09-21
SHIP SUBSIDY SCHEME.
Certain Proof That the Whole
Thing Is Jobbery.
SENATOR FRYE'S LITTLE JOKER

a Trick to Slip Foreign built ShiDs
Honestly Legislate Money Out Of
the Treasury Into Private Pockets.
Senator Frye's revised and amended
ship subsidy scheme still fails to con.
vince those best Informed regarding
the interests of American commerce
that it is intended in good faith to en-
courage American shipbuilding, says
the New York Times.
The committee Of the Merchants as
ISOLATION of this city appointed to con.
slider the matter has called the after
ton Of the senator to a clause in his
bill under which foreign built ships
bought, as entire lines have been
bought very recently and as it Is re-
ported still more extensive lines are
about to be bought, could be admitted
to the subsidy plan supposed to be foi
the benefit solely Of American bull,
ships. This clause occurs in section 6
title ., Of the bill as reported. 1t re-
lates to the general subsidy" as dis
tinguished from the mail subsidy. This
subsidy Is cent per gross registered
ton for each 100 nautical miles sailed
on each Of not more than sixteen en-
tries per year. Under the section re
ferred to this would be paid to 1.-THE
owner or owners Of any vessel Of the
United States duly registered by citi
zen or citizens of the United States Qn
Guiding as such citizens any corpora.
ton created under the laws Of the
United States or of any Of the states
thereof" 1t Is urged by the commit
tee of the Merchants association that
this language would include all foreign
built ships purchased by American cit
liens and corporations as soon as they
were admitted to register, which could
be done by simple act Of congress-
with or without conditions.
The objection is, from the point OF
view of the association. a valid and
strong one. The association is not op.
posed 20 subsidies that will promote
American shipbuilding, but it is utterly
opposed 10 giving subsidies at any time
cnI ca any terms to ships built abroad
1t asks. and very properly, that the
NcnGin::, bill shall be changed SO as tC
make tbs impossible without direct
LEGISLATION by congress on the granting
Of the subsidy. The answer Of the ad.
vcca .es of the bill is that under the law
as it stands foreign built ships cannO.
obtain an American register and there
fore cannot obtain the subsidy. But II
is not denied that they could get the
subsidy If they We're by act Of congress
admitted to American register and that
they could not get it at all If the sub.
sidy were in terms confined to Ameri.
can built ships. If Mr.. Frye wishes the
subsidies to go to American built ships
alone, ii is the easiest thing in the
world to say so in the bill. If he wishes
q wide opening in his bill by which
subsidies can be made easier for for
eign built ships, he has provided 1t. II
he refuses to close the opening, he
must be content with the differences
that will be drawn as to his motives.
He cannot afford to be too naughty in
the matter, because it Is too we'll
known that his bill Of last year did di-
rectly provide for subsidies to foreign
built vessels and was SO violently and
justly opposed that he has been forced
to abandon that part of his plan.
For ourselves. we are entirely op-
posed to subsidies either for carrying
the mail or for encouraging shipbuild-
ing. It is practically impossible to leg
islate money out of the treasury into
the pockets Of private individuals hon.
estly and fairly. The attempt has al
ways involved jobbery and always
will, and the history of our politics
contains no blacker or more disgusting
chapters than those recounting the
true story of such jobbery. This very
clause is case in point.
A committee of dsinterested mer.
chants points out to congress the exist
ence Of possible and probable job in
this subsidy bill, and apparently it has
its labor for its pains. The whole
business is going on in an atmosphere
which either beclouds the brains of
legislators who would prefer to be hon
est or stimulates the greed and craft
of those who have no desire in that
direction. 1t is miserable state of
things, and it would be better for the
good name Of the American people and
Of their servants in congress II it could
be done away with entirely.