Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1904-06-14


these Of the future of this means of
providing shipping.
The French ship subsidy system
dates from the Year 1881 and was re-
arranged in 1893 The payments in the
year 1896 (the latest date contained In
the United States consular reports,
We're:
Francs.
Rounties to navigation. 95l1. 720
EoUnties to construction ............ l06 34S
Postal subsidies. .2s lS@, ooc
fota' subsidies. 39 9S64 o6S
Thus the yearly payment from the
French treasury for the encourage
ment OF shipping reached in 1896, an
average year. the great sum Of nearly
4o,otmoO0 francs ($a,0o0.Ooo). Now, let
us see the result According to the re
port of the United States consul at
Havre of Sept. 6, 1899. the total in-
crease of French mercantile tonnage
in the five years from 1893, the year Of
the enactment of the new law. until
1888 was GG,oGl tons, 'the increase be-
ing limited to vessels which receive no
w
while the steam tonnage engaged in
meeting competition actually showed a
decrease"
.sfter eighteen years Of bounty pay
ments a committee of the French par
lament in 1898 reported as follows:
1--WE do not hesitate to say without
fear of contradiction that our mer-
~, ri, y, to nr H.
cadence that there Is reason to be un
easy about cur naval feet"
This is taken from the report Of the
United State, consul al Havrc to the
state department of Sept 0, 1899. which
continues as follows:
Many other extracts may be quoted
from the reports of various chambers
Of commerce, from the speeches made
III the two houses of parliament and
from lectures delivered Ivy experts III
economies, al l&mcnting the depressed
state of the merchant navy of France. "
AS appears from the figures given
above. the French government pays
postal subsidies. premiums on the con
struction of French ships and premiums
tii ' tN N$tS iiiUttt I'N lNINiI >itiJS. ht
effect of this policy is thus described by
the United States consul nj Marseiles
in his report to the state department OF
July 20, 1850
THE shipowncrs found the shipbuld-
ers constantly increasing their prices
until the point was reached where the
builders were accused Of calculating
~,
ton would command and adding that
amount to their own cost price. thus
absorbing the premium for naviga ton
and the one for construction.
This consul concludes that the mer
chant marine of France is in an unsat-
isfactory condition..
The italian government pays navtga
ton subsidies and construction boun-
ties, but the United States consul gen
eral at Rome in his report to the state
department Of July 25, 1899. makes the
following comment:
''Iu view Of the efforts Of the Italian
government to encourage Italian ship
ping, the lon. seaboard and the noces
sty of shipping to the economical life
0f the country. lue results are SeltaiHiN
far from satisfactory.
II remains for the American people
to decide whether to adopt the artificial
eNpedient of the subsidy system, which
must be continued indefinitely at ever
increa sing cost, or whether to approve
the more logical principle announced hy
Mr.. !. j. BID in the New York Iourna,
of Commerce OF Nov. 10. who pins hi'
faith TO the natural advantages OF me
country and the wideaNake enterprise
of its people and not the pHternal care
and codtlling of the government, which
can help one interest only al the eX.
pensc OF others Nh that really live
business men ask Of the government is
that il SHAFT not put difficulties and Oh
structlonS in their Way and shah aiforu
such protection OF III" laws as will give
them fair field for tliei energies.
W hat they cannot tllen succeed in they
are willing to leave To Others.