New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-15
FAVOR SHIP SUBSIDY.
Commission to Study the Subject
AdUOcated to House Committee.

Washington. jan 1.-THE House COMMITTEES on
Merchant Marine and Fisheries to-day heard a
number OF advocates OF the proposition for the
appointment OF committee to investigate and re-
port Congress the ship subsidy question and
then decided TO take final action the proposition
on next Tuesday.
Representative Gardner. OF Massachusetts, in ad-
vocacy Of the plan. said that in the last hundred
years shipping had increased only 50 per cent
while commerce thirteen times greater. A
hundred years ago carried SIS per cent Of our
commerce. while now carrying only per
cent In the Spanish war. he said. bought
something like fifty ships from foreign nations II
a struggle should occur between Germany and
Great Britain. the two nations which carry the
great bulk OF our commerce untold misery would
result in this country The various attempts to
restore the American merchant marine by legisIa-
tlon In the last few years, Mr.. Gardner said, had
developed the fact that there were three classes
OF men in Congress this question: First, those
who believed that other lines OF industry prove
more lucrative than shipping; second those favor
ing the repeal OF the navigation laws, to permit
the admission OF foreign shipping under the Ameri
flag; and third. those who believed in some
constructive legislation He believed the only way
to get proper foundation which to work was to
create a commission to study and report not only
on the feasibility OF ship subsidy. but to con-
slider the many legislative proposition, which had
been advanced Mr. Gardner compared thu fnan-
cial advances which British shipping had over
American. both in construction. operation and taxa
OF $4,000 year to American shipping on an in
vestment Of 100000. enough to wipe out all profit
to the prospective American investor.
Winthrop L. Marvin OF Boston spoke of the
value OF commission for the purpose Of inquiry
into the suppressed condition OF the ocean trade
and In order that Congress might keep the one un-
kept pledge OF the government
Asked what ne meant by an unkept pledge Mr.
Marvin replied that he meant promises by both
political parties through the introduction OF rene
dial legislation The boom in shipbuiidfng which
followed immediate cessation OF the Spanish war
he said. had absolutely died out. There had not
been a Keel laid for a steel ship In the United
States since fse1. We have less tonnage now than
in 1893. In Congress. he said. the difficulty was
not unwtllinsness, but disagreement, particularly
between the two houses. He said the three Cabi-
net officers directly interested in the questionable
Secretary or the Navy. Secretary Of Commences
and Labor and Postmaster General-indorsed the
commission idea
Alfred Windsor, president OF the Boston Steam
ship Cou1pOhy. said his company had operate on
the Pacific in direct competition with the Canadian
Pacific steamship Company getting annual
subsidy of s3O0,0to and the Japanese Steamship
company. with annual subsidy OF $3.50 OO0
c. b. Orcutt. president of the Newport News
Shipbuilding Company; Former Rear Admiral
Bowles president OF the Fore River Ship
building Company; c. s. Cramp. OF the Cran1p
Shipbuilding Company; a. R. Smith of the New
York Maritime Association; o. s. SewaI OF the
Sewan shpb1ildins Company. Of Bath. Ne. and
creation of a ship subsidy commission