Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1904-04-10
THE SUBSIDY GRAFTERS
They Are Planning a Legalized
Raid on Our Treasury.

Raid on Our Treasury.
COMMISSION NAMED TO DRAFT Law
Failure OF Subsidies In Other Coun-
tries to Revive shipping interests.
Experience of France and IfaAy'
Shipbuil,icrs In France Raised
Price of ships.
The fact that the old ship subsidy
gang of grafters has again made its
appearance in Washington and is max
ing more determined effort than ever
before to break into Uncle Sans treas
TRY and that a commission will be APP
pointed to draft Il plan for this con
eress to pass at its short session which
Will legalize the raid upon the treasury
calls attention to the results OF ship
subsidy experiments in other coun-
tries. No countries in proportion to
Their population have paid greater
subsidies to the shipping interests than
have rance and Italy. Md 10 coun-
tries afford better examples than do
these IF the failure OF thi., means of
proviain- shipping.
The French ship Subsidy system
dates from the yer 1881 and was re-
arr2iH ed in 1873 The payments in the
year 1896 (the latest date contained in
the United States consular reporiS1
We're:
Francs.
Bauntfo3 to navigation. 9,5t7. 720
Hountios TO construction. ........... 4, lG6,Sis
Total subsidies s..................G39 80 Sj4 O6S
Thus th" yearly payment from the
French treasury for the encourage
meHt OF shipping reached in 1896, an
average year the great sum Of nearly
40,o00,C@O francs CSS S,O00OOO>. Now, let
us see the result. According to the re
port OF the United States consul at
Havre of Sept. 6, 1890, the total in
crease Of Trench mercantile tonnage
in the five years from 1893, the year of
the enactment Of the new law, until
1898 was G6,o61 TONS "the increase be-
ing limited 10 vessels which receive no
benefit frola the bounty law of 1893.
While the steam tonnage engaged in
meeting competition actually showed a
decrease.
.tftei t:g..:;..ccn years Of bounty pay
meets Il committee OF the French par
lament in 1898 reported as follows:
We 60 n>t hesitate to say without
fear of contradiction: that or mer-
chant marin" Is IN s,lch a state Of de-
cadence that there is reas@n to be un-
easy abG"t or naval feet"
This is taken from TIE report of the
United States cGnsu! ut Hayre to the
state department of Sept. 6, 1899, which
continues as follows
Many other extracts may be quoted
from the reports Of various chambers
of commerce, from the speeches made
in the two houses of parliament and
from lectures delivered by experts in
economics. all lamenting 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 ard premiums
on voyages made by French ships The
effect of this policy is thus described by
the United States consul at Marseilles
in his report to the state department Of
July 20 1899:
THE shipowners found the shipbuild-
ers constantly increasing their prices
until tho poipt yyoS rn,.lod u,bore- tIo
builders We're accused Of calculating
the amount which proposed eonstruc-
ton would command and adding tha
amount to their own cost price, thus
absorbing the premium for navigation
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 naviga-
ton subsidies and construction boun-
ties, but the United States consul gen
eral at Rome in his report to the state
department Of July %, 1899. makes the
following comment:
'In view Of the efforts Of the Italian
government to encourage Italian ship
ping, the long seaboard and the neces
sity Of shipping to the economical life
Of the country. the results are certainly |
far from satisfactory
1t remains for the American people |
10 decide whether to adopt the artificial
aXpedient Of the subsidy system, which |
must be continued indefinitely at ever
Increasing cost, or whether to approve
the moro logical principle announced by |
Mr.. j. j. Hill in the New York journal |
If Commerce of Nov. 10, who pins his |
faith to the natural advantages Of ,np
and the wideawake enterprise
Of its people and not the naternal care
Ind coddling OF the government, which ,
,an help one interest only at the eX-
oenSe of others. All that really live |
business mon ask of the government i;
hat it shall not put difficulties and Oh
structions in their Way and shall affor? |
such protection of the laws as Will give
them Il fair field for their energies.
" hat they cannot then sUrcaod in they