The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1905-01-05
Commission Reports a Bill
of Wide Range Intended
to Build Up the Merchant
Marine of the Country
TONNAGE AND NAIL
SUBVENTIONS URGED
Measure Also Provides for
a Tax on Foreign Vessels
Entering Our Ports and
a Naval Volunteer Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 4.-Subventions
! of S. per gross ton annually; subsidies
for the carrying of mails from Allan
tic coast and Gulf of Mexico ports to
South and Central America and Cuba,
and from Pacific Coast ports to Japan.
China, the Philippines. Mexico, Cen
trail America and the Isthmus Of Pan
ANA; a tonnage tax on foreign vessels
entering United States ports; the crea-
ton Of a naval volunteer service, and
the encoura cement of apprentices on
ships in foreign trade are provided for
in bill agreed upon by the joint mer
chant and marine commission, which
submitted its report to Congress to-
day.
The bill agreed upon is divided into
eleven sections. The first makes pro-
vision for creating a force of naval vol
unteers capable of rendering service in
time of war. 1t provides that the Sec
rotary of the Navy and the Secretary
of Commerce and Labor should cause
to be made an enrolment of officers
and men, now and hereafter employed
in the merchant marine and deep sea
/ fisheries of the United States, who shall
receive an annual retainer at the end
Of each year.
TONNAGE SUBVENTION.
The second section provides for a
subsidy after July l, 1906. of (a) the
sum of So per gross registered ton for
F.! each vessel which has been engaged in
/ the foreign trade by sea or the deep
sea fisheries for a period of twelve
months. including time necessarily
consumed In making annual or extraor-
binary repairs; (b )the sum of $4 per
gross registered ton for each vessel
which has been engaged in the foreign
trade by sea or the deep sea fisheries
for a period of nine months or over,
but less than twelve months, including
time necessarily consumed in making
extraordinary repairs; Co the sum of
81 90 per gross registered ton for each
vessel which has been engaged in the
II! foreign trade by sea or the deep sea
fisheries for a period If six months or
over, but less than nine months, includ-
ing time necessarily consumed in max
ing extraordinary repairs.
Provision is made in the third Sec
ton that vessels receiving the sub
vention may be taken by the United
States, at a fair compensation, for
national defense or any public purpose.
1t provides also that when the Post
master General requires the vessels
shall carry mails free of charge; that
one-sixth OF the crews shall be citi-
zens of the United States; and that
when possible repairs be made in the
United States.
The fourth section provides that the
contracts provided for in section three
shall be for period of one year, and
shall be renewed from time to time,
but no vessel shall receive a subvention
under the provisions of this act for a
longer period than ten years.
Sections five and six authorize and
direct the Postmaster General to enter
into contracts, for not less than five
nor more than ten years, for the carry
ing of mails in steamships built and
registered in the United States, be-
tween ports of the United States and
foreign ports.
AS TO MAIL CONTRACTS.
Rates affecting the Pacific Coast are
as follows: Pacific Coast ports, via
Hawaii, to Japan, China and the Phil
ippines, sixteen knots speed, monthly
service, 100000; fortnightly, $500, 900;
Pacific Coast port to Japan, China and
the Philippines, thirteen knots speed,
$420. 900; Pacific Coast port to Mexico.
Central America and the Isthmus of
Panama, twelve knots speed, fort
nightly service, 100000.
The same requirement, as to the en-
rollment of naval volunteers, is made of
steamships obtaining such mail con-
tracts as is exacted of vessels obtaining
subvention.
The tonnage tax on foreign vessels
entered in United States ports is pro-
vided for in section eight, as follows:
That duty of cents per net ton. not to
exceed in the aggregate so cents per net ton
IN any one year., is hereby imposed at each en-
try by sea on ali vessels which shall be entered
in any port Of the United States from any for
eign port place in North America, Central
America, the West India Islands, the Bahama
Islands the Bermuda Islands, the coast OF
South America bordering on the Caribbean Sea.
or Newfoundland; and duty OF 10 cents per
per net ton in any one year, is hereby imposed
at each entry by on all vessels which shall
from any other foreign port or place, not, how
ever, to include the vessels in distress or not
engaged In trade.
APPRENTICE BENEFITS.
Section relates to apprentices and
provides the following:
That on proof 70 the satisfaction Of the Com
missioner of Navigation that vessel Of the
United States has on any foreign voyage car
ried boy or boys, a citizen or citizens Of the
United States. under 81 years of age, suitably
trained during that voyage in seamanship or
engineering in the proportion OF one for such
vessel and in addition one for each thousand
tons OF her net registered tonnage, there shall
be paid to the owner owners of the vessel
out of any money in the Treasury not other
wise appropriated. an allowance equivalent to
respect of the entry in the United States of
that vessel from that voyage. Such payment
shall not be made after July-1 1907, except in
respect Of any boy who is enrolled in the naval
volunteers. or is an apprentice indentured in
accordance with law.
Section 10 repeats all conflicting acts
and section IL fixes July 1, 1905. as the
time fha propOsed lacjsJafiop obol1