Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1905-12-07
THE SUBSIDY HUNTERS
They Find a Supporter In an
Unexpected Quarter.
A BISHOP DISCUSSES SHIPPING.

A BISHOP DISCUSSES SHIPPING.
The Protective Tariff Our
Ships From Getting Cargocs-Stand
Pat Policy In the Way of Building
American Vessels to Compete With
Foreign Craft.
When preachers, even bishops, at
Tempt to advise on business or politics
they are apt to get into deep water, but
on the two combined they are pretty
sure to make a mistake if not a worse
mess Of it. Bishop Nicely, who has
had charge Of the Methodist Episcopal
church in South America, is not an eX-
ception to the above rule. When in at
tendance on the c%onvocation of bishops
Of that faith in Washington the other
day he declared for ship subsidy and
would so inform the president.
1.-The commercial relations of the
United States with South America are
not close enough" said Bishop I. B..
Nicely. "We should have closer rela-
tionship with the United States, and
the only way to do that is to get a bet
ter steamship service. The ships would
carry the needs of South America to
her ports and in return could bring
back coffee, wheat and minerals, for
which South America is becoming uni
versally popular in producing"
Bishop Nicely has evidently never ex-
amined the tariff on importations from
foreign countries, which a Republican
congress enacted to prevent just the
trade he mentions. For instance, Ar
gentina wheat would have to pay a
duty Of 25 cents a bushel when it was
landed in New York, and as our farm
ers are trying to dispose Of their sur
plus stock of wheat in the markets Of
the world there is no demand for for
eign wheat at 25 cents a bushel pre-
MUM. Hides and wool, two Of the
principal products of Argentina, are
met by a similar tariff wall, and as to
duced there. Under these conditions an
extension Of steamship lines or the es-
tablishment Of new m would be USE
less to increase trade between the
countries until the tariff is revised. A
subsidy if large enough might tempt
vessel owners to try their luck for
awhile Of picking up enough cargo to
pay interest and running expenses, but
u trade with South America will
new increase to any extent until the
tariff wall raised against it is lowered.
There is no tariff tax on coffee. We
have free trade with Brazil Oh that sta
pie, and the result is the enormous
trade Of nearly $76,OOO,OOO. All the
ships necessary to carry the coffee to
New York are always on hand without
any subsidy.
The much greater cost here of build
ing ships and running them in conse-
quence Of the tariff, although the raw
material is on the free list, the tariff is
responsible for, as it has fostered
trusts, which combinations have ad-
vanced the price Of their products. The
high cost of living has had to be met
with high wages so that the artificers
can make both ends meet, and our ship
builders cannot compete with low tariff
foreign ships.
Bishop Nicely and other ship subsidy
hunters should read History of Ship
ping Subsidies" by Royal Meeker, Phi.
D., American Economic association,
third series, volume 6, No. 3, published
by Macmillan & Co., New York, and
they would see how worthless a sub
sidy is to provide a steamship line
where there are obstacles like the tariff
unless the taxpayers Of the United
States are prepared to pay a large
enough subsidy to keep the line run
ming.
When the tariff is reduced to a rea-
sonable basis, so that the trust combi-
nations will be forced to reduce prices,
h the cost Of living will be less, and
the workingman can afford to receive
lower wages and live as we'll and save
more money than he does now. That is
the first step toward building III own
ships. Then with the obsolete naviga-
ton laws amended there would be a
gradual increase Of the number Of
American ships in foreign lands, but to
force the taxpayers to pay the freight
on goods and on top Of that a subsidy
that q foreign vessel is willing to do
without is such a notably unfair propo-
sition that it Is difficult to understand
how an honest man like the bishop can
father it.
Gfoto nioHrto