The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1905-01-05
CONDITION OF THE
MERCHANT MARINE.
ExHAUeTlvELY INQUIRED INTO
BY MEmeERs OF Commission
WHO CONDUCTED HEARINGS
AT NEARLY ALL IMPORTANT
COMMERCIAL cENTERssEN THE
UNITED~sTNFEs.

W2SUDlSIOU, HEu. f--OuONS1tLlDnS
OF FIVE dollars per gross ton annually;
subsidies for tie carrying OF mails
from Atlantic coast and Gulf Of Mex
leo ports to Sorih and Central Amer
lea and Cuba. and from Paoifc coast
ports.to Japan, China, the Philippines,
Mexico. Central America and the
fsthmus Of Panama; tonnage tax on
foreign vessels entering the United
States ports; the creation of naval
volunteer service. and the encourage
ment of apprentices on ships in for.
eign trade are provided for in a bill
agreed upon by the joint merchants
and marine COMMISSION, which sub
mitted its report to congress to-day.
The commission, composed of five
senators and Eve Representatives. was
created during the last session Of
congress in response to q recommenda-
ton by President Roosevelt in his an
nual message December Z, 1903. An
exhaustive investigation was made by
the commission of the conditions Of
the American merchant marine and,
American commerce with a view tOi
ascert aiming the most feasible means
for their development
Hearings Conducted.
Hearings were conducted during the
year at nearly all the important ship
ping and commercial centers in the
United States.
The report of the commission con-
tains more than $4,000 words and is
made up of references TO the impOr-
tant 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 pre-
scented with the report
The bin agreed upon is divided into
eleven sections The first makes pro-
vision for creating a force of naval
volunteers capable of rendering SER
vice in time war It provides that the
secretary of the navy and the seCre-
tary 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 as follows:
Annual Retainers.
For each master or chief engineer
OF a vessel Of the United States OF
five thousand gross tonnage or over,
one hundred dollars; for each master ,
or chief engineer of a vessel of the
United States of one thousand gross
tons or over but of less than five thou
sand gross tons, eighty-fve dollars;
for each master or chief engineer Of q
vessel of the United States under one
ahousand gross tons, seventy dollars;
for each mate or assistant engineer
of a vessel of the United States OF
FIVE thousand gross tons or over, sew
enty dollars; for each mate or assis-
tant engineer OF a vessel OF the United /,
States of one thousand gross tons or
over but of less than five thousand
gross tons, fifty-fve dollars; for each
mate or assistant engineer OF a vessel
OF the United States under one thou
sand gross tons, forty dollars; for each
seaman, twenty-five dollars: for each :
hoy. fifteen dollars
The second section, prescribing the
conditions under which vessels en- ,
aged in the foreign trade shall be ,
eligible to receive the sqbTentions. II
as follows:
THAT in the interest of the nation
al defense and for the performance OF
the public service hereinafter specf-
fed, after July first, nineteen hundred
and six. the secretary of the treasury
is hereby authorized and directed 70
pay, subject TO the provisions Of this
act, out OF any money in the treasury
Lot otherwise appropriated, to the
owner or owners of any vessel here
after built and registered in the Unit
eG States or now duly registered by .
citizen or citizens of the United States
tncluding as such citizens any cor
poration created under the laws of the
United States or any Of the states
thereof, subyentions as hereinafter
provided; that is to say, (a) the sum
of five dollars per gross registered
ton for each vessel which has been
engaged in the foreign trade by sea
or the deeD-sea fisheries for a period
os twelve months, including time nee
essarily consumed in making annual
or extraordinary repairs; Cb) the sum
Of four dollars per gross registered
ton for each vessel which has been
engaged in 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 re-
pairs; (c) the sum Of two dollars and
fifty cents per gross registered tor
for each vessel which has been en-.
gagged in the foreign trade by sea %
che deep-sea fisheries for a period u
six months or over, but less than nina
including time necessarily