The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-05-20
Rep. Minor of Wisconsin, Member
of the House Committee, Dis
cusses Plans.
Says the Shipping Combine Is Re-
sponsible for Failure to Pass
a Subsidy Law.
He Would Also Provide for Ameri-
can Crews to Man All Ameri-
can Ships.
New York Sun Special Service.


Washington, May 20.-sR the large ship
owners had not been so selfish and had
been willing to accept reasonable propo-
stion, one which would have put large
and small ship owners on the same foot
ing, the subsidy bill would now be on
the statute books" said Representative
Minor, the Wisconsin member Of the house
merchant marine committee. I'VE can
enact a law which will build up the Ameri-
can merchant marine If the shipping COM
bine will agree to an appropriation which
will treat large and small owners alike,
but as soon as it is proposed to give the
benefits of subsidy to the small owners,
the representatives Of the combine oppose
the proposition and assert they care moth
Ing about a subsidy. %.Fg
The combine is in a position to be
more or less independent but l suppose if
we should provide for subsidy they
would accept their share of 1T without
much objection. I am not opposed to
subsidy, provided we can authorize one
which will build up the merchant marine
and which can be honestly administered.
Once our ships sailed on every sea, but
now they have disappeared almost entire
ly as compared with the merchant marine
Of other nations. Therefore something
should be done to rehablitate our COM
mercial fleets. / believe 1t will be done in
the near future.
Tariff Rebate Wouldn't Work.
"Many propositions with this end in
view have been advanced. One which
seems to meet considerable favor proposes
to allow a rebate of the tariff on all
goods imported in American built ships.
This Is all poppycock and would not ac-
complish whae we seek to do, which is, to
build up the merchant marine and create
new markets This scheme would be more
favorable to the shipping trust than any
thing yet advanced They have the con-
troll of practically all the transatlantic
lines, and If rebate should be allowed on
all goods imported in American bottoms,
the trust would undoubtedly derive all the
benefit from the subsidy. This being true,
1t is doubtful if any raw ships would be
built and our market would not be ex-
banded. w.
"One of the best plans to encourage the
building of ships and create new mar
n1ent of q graded subsidy for limited
r. imber of years. FIR the ships corr I
structed to transport American goods into
new markets I would pay a large subsidy, A
while to ships built In American yards
and engaged in the regular trade would
pay a smaller sum. The subsidy should
be limited to term Of ten years on each
new ship. Within that period the subsidy
would pay the cost Of constructing the
vessel. as.
Of we should continue paying a
bonus on a ship for a period longer than
ten years, shipbuildng would stop I
would not wipe out the subsidy entirely
in ten years, but would pay 1t to one ship
for that time. and if the owners continued
to build new vessels they could receive
subsidy for them. This would promote
shipbuilding and induce owners to con-
struct and keep afoat modern fleets.
American Crews Also.
=
our merchant vessels and consequently
those Of the navy" continued Mr.. Minor.
This could be done within three or five
years by adopting law providing that for
the first year a, certain percentage Of the
crews American vessels should be
American and within three or five years
the entire crew should be native or
naturalized citizens. l would not crowd
the ship owners to the wall but would al
low them ample time to meet the require
ments which hope congress will enact
BY providing for the Amercanizing of the
crews of merchant vessels, owners and
masters would, within a short time, be
forced to pay American wages and then
our young men would enter the CONNER
cial fleets which should sail under our
flag. Many young men in the United
States are natural sailors and would fol-
low the sea. thus training men for the
navy. II they could secure fair pay u
Under existing circum stances the fac
tories pay larger wages than the masters
and owners Of vessels. Consequently our
young men seek employment in the fac
tories while foreigners man our ships
Congress has adopted a law which pro
vides that a certain percentage OF the
crews Of American vessels shall be native
or naturalized citizens but this is prac-
tically dead letter because Of the clause
which authorizes masters to ship a for
eign crew If a proper officer of the gov
eminent certifies that he cannot secure
one made up Of Americans. It is un-
doubtedly true that advantage has been
taken Of this provision and the masters
ship foreign crews at lower rates of
wages. That clause should be repealed
and we would soon have commercial
fleets manned by intelligent Americans
who would be prepared to enlist in the
navy during time Of war or other
emergency"