The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1905-01-13
THE MARINE SUBV[NT|ONS
ARRANGEMENT FOR BUILDING
THE AMERICAN MARINE.
REPORT A BILL TO CONGRESS
Commission is Composed Of Five Sen
ators and Five Representatives.
Created During Last Session on Rec.
ommendatlon Of President.

ommendation Of President.
Washington, Jan. 3.-Subventions of
FIVE dollars per gross ton annually;
subsidies for the carrying of mails
from Atlantic coast and Gulf of Mex
leo ports to South and Central Amer
lea and Cuba, and from Pacific coast
ports to Japan, China, the Philippines,
Mexico, Central America and the 18TH
mus of Panama; a tonnage tax on
foreign vessels entering United States
ports; the creation of naval volun-
teer service, and the encouragement
of apprentices on ships in foreign
upon by the joint merchant and ma
rine commission, which submitted its
report to congress today.
The commission, composed of five
senators and five representatives,
was created during the last session of
congress in response to recommen-
dation by President Roosevelt. An
exhaustive investigation was made
by the commission of the conditions
of the American merchant marine
and American commerce with a view
to ascertaining the most feasible
means for their development. Hear
ings were conducted during the year
at nearly all the important shipping
and commercial centers in the United
States. The report of the commission
contains more than $4,000 words and
is made up of references to the i'm
portant testimony taken, estimates of
the annual cost of the methods pro-
posed to restore the merchant ma
rine, and an urgent appeal for the
passage, by the present congress, of
the bill presented with the report.
The bill 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 of war. 1t provides that
the secretary of the navy and the sec
retary of commerce and labor should
cause to be made an enrolment of Of
ficers and men, now and hereafter en-
ployed 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:
For each master or chief engineer
of vessel of the United States of
one hundred dollars; for each master
or chief engineer of vessel of the
United States of one thousand gross
tons or over but of less than five thou
sand gross tons, eighty-five dollars;
for each master or chief engineer Of
a vessel of the United States under
one thousand gross tons, seventy dol
lars; for each mate or assistant engi-
neer of a vessel of the United States
of five thousand gross tons or over,
seventy dollars; for each mate or as
sistant engineer of a vessel of the
United States of one thousand gross
tons or over but of less than five
thousand gross tons, fifty-five dollars;
for each mate or assistant engineer of
a vessel of the United States under
one thousand gross tons, forty dol
lars; for each seaman, twenty-five dol
lars: for each boy, fifteen dollars"
The second section, prescribing the
conditions under which vessels en-
gagged in the foreign trade shall be
eligible to receive the subventions, is
as follows:
THAT in the interest of the nation
al defense and for the performance of
the public services hereinafter speci-
fed, after July 1, nineteen hundred
and six, the secretary of the treas
ury is hereby authorized and directed
to pay, subject to the provisions of
this act, out of any money in the trea-
sury not otherwise appropriated, to
the owner or owners of any vessel
hereinafter built and registered in the
United States or now duly registered
by citizen or citizens of the United
States (including as such citizens any
the United States or any of the states
thereof, subventions 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 deep-sea fisheries for period
of twelve months, including time nee
essarily consumed in making annual
or extraordinary repairs; CD the sum
of four dollars per gross registered
ton for each vessel which has been
engaged in the foreign trade by sea
or the deep-sea fisheries for period
Of nine months or over, but less than
twelve months, including time nee
essarily consumed in making eytraor-
dlnary repairs; (c) the sum Of two
dollars and City cents per gross reg
istered ton for each vessel which has