Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-04
TA[M[RcHANT MARINE
Report Of the Joint Com
mission.
DRAFT OF A BILL
PROPOSED NAVAL VOLUNTEERS
SERVICE.
Bounties to Be Paid for the Encourage
ment of American Shipping-Re
concentrations in Detail.

The joint merchant and marine
commission today submitted its re-
port to Congress, with several rec
concentrations in the form of bill
for the upbuilding of the American
merchant marine. This bill pro-
vides for subventions of S. per gross
ton annually; subsidies tor the
carrying of mails from Atlantic
coast and gull of Mexico ports TO
South and Central America and
Cuba, and from Pacific coast ports
to Japan, China, the Philippines,
Mexico, Central America and the
Isthmus of Panama; tonnage tax
on foreign vessels entering United
States ports; the creation of naval
volunteer service, and the encour-
agement OF apprentices on ships in
foreign trade.
The commission. composed of five sena-
tors and five representatives, was created
in the last session of Congress in response
to a recommendation by President Roose-
welt In his annuel message December Z,
1903. An exhaustive investigation was
made by the commission of the conditions
of the American merchant marine ana
American commerce with view to ascer-
tanning the most feasible means for their
development. Hearings were conducted
during the year at nearly all the important
shippings and commercial centers in the
United States. The report of the commits
sion contains more than $4,000 words and
is made up of references to the important
testimony taken. estimates Of the annual
cost of the methods proposed to restore the
merchant marine and an urgent appeal for
the passage by the present Congress of the
bill presented with the report.
Immediate Action Necessary.
Leading up to the new legislation pro-
posed for the development of the merchant
marine the commission has reviewed ex-
tensvely the character of its investigation.
Its deduction is that immediate action by
Congress is necessary to prevent COM
plete paralysis of American shipping inter-
ests. An adequate American ocean fleet,
the commission says, would mean the saw
ing to this country of $100, 000, 900 year
which now goes to build up the commercial
power and naval strength of Europe and
Asia. Attention is called to the fact that
we have deepened our harbors at an ex-
pense of many millions of dollars, almost
exclusively for the benefit of foreign steam
ships.
The report deals at length with the han
dicap upon American shipping created by
the subsidies and bounties bestowed upon
most of the merchant fleets of foreign gov
ernments. which is placed in the van of the
lower first cost of foreign ships and the
lower cost of maintenance of these ships
due. in both cases. primarily, to lower
wages. table is given showing that near
ly all of the foreign powers grant shipping
subsidies France pays more than $S,000-
600 each year for the encouragement of its
merchant marine.
Naval Volunteer Force.
AS the first essential step in the rehabili-
tation of merchant shipping the commits
sion proposes to create force Of naval
volunteers composed of the best officers
and men of American merchant ships and
deep-sea fishing vessels. Necessarily small
at first, means for a healthy and sure ex-
pansion of the force is provided by the
payment of substantial retainers as an in
ducement to enroll. 1t Is understood that
officers and men shall receive their sea-
mems pay, besides this retainer during
their period of actual naval instruction.
The Navy Department has asked for re-
serve of 10000 men in the bills it has pre-
scented TO Congress. The report quotes
the commissioner of navigation to show
that not more than 10000 American citizens
included in the enrolment of employees
on all the American vessels on salt water
which go out of sight of land for any time
during the year
Not Absolute Gratuities.
1t is strongly emphasized by the COM
mission that the naval subventions Of
fered in the proposed bill are not boun-
ties outright or mere commercial subsi-
dies. but are distinctly based on impor-
tant public services to be given by the
ships and ship owners that receive them.
AS to the constitutionality and expedi-
ency of such guarded subventions, it is
said there can be no question whatever
in the light of the example of the fisher
les subventions given to both vessels and
men for prospective naval service by the
fathers of the republic and continued by
their immediate successors.
In the proposed bill not one dollar is
added to the expenditures for any one of
the five established contract ocean mail
lines
AS to the cost of the proposed legisla-
ton. the commission says the average of
the annual retainers for officers and sea-
men OF the naval volunteers would be
close to $50 each. and that it is probable
that in the first year no more than 5000
naval volunteers could be enrolled and
qualified AS to the subventions for the
ships themselves, the total registered
gross tonnage of the United States, steam
and sail, on June 80, 1904, was SSS, 628
tons The report Classics the vessels
which would be eligible to receive sub
vention and summarizes the cost of the
proposed legislation, exclusive of mail
subvention. from July 1, 1905, to June 80,
1906 as follows:
Cost of the Proposed Legislation.
Annual retainers to naval volunteers
(3,0o0), $4,000. Subventions to A register
ed steamships of 2t3,S71 tons at twelve
months rate of IS per ton, s1,019,355; SUBJ
ventions to 100000 tons of square-rigged
sailing vessels at nine months rate of "a
per ton 100000; subventions to 100000
tons of square-rigged sailing vessels at six
months rate of $50 per ton, $3.50, 600; SUBJ
veEtions to 10000 gross tons of registered
scheoners at six months rate of $3.50 per
ton, $4,000; subventions to $4,000 tons of
deep-sea fishing vessels at nine months
rate of 81 per ton, $500, 600. Total, 81 394-
355
The maximum subventions required for
the complete service on the ten new ocean
mail routes authorized amount to 81, 665 COO
Assuming that the few steamships that
could be adapted to this mail service will be
diverted from their present use, the COM.
mission estimates that not more than one
fourth of the maximum of $2.665, CO., or
$500 20, could. in all probability, be ex-