The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-04-30

point to the passage of the ship sub
sidy bill before this session of con-
gress ends. The committee will prob
ably give an additional hearing at
which an expert will testify as to the
cost of steel plates here and abroad.
The testimony Of the ship-builders and
of e. II. Gary, chairman of the board
of directors of the U. S. Steel company,
was clear and convincing on this
point. but to clinch it the committee
will hear an expert who is neither a
steel plate producer or consumer. 1t
is understood the bill will then be
taken mp and later be reported and
passed. Only IL short interval will
elapse between the reporting and the
passage of the bill as it it will not
be reported until those in charge are
certain it will be given consideration.
There is not the slightest doubt that
if Speaker Cannon will permit the bill
to come before the house it will be re-
ported and passed. At least two and
possibly three of the four republican
members of the committee who have
been represented as opposed to the
bill will vote for it if it is to come
before the house and in that body il
u
While men honestly differ as to The
merits of subsidies. discriminating
duties and other formulas for restor-
ing our merchant marine, how any
newspaper or other periodical can con-
sisten1ly attack the principle of sub
sides" is not clear. There is scarcely
a newspaper or periodical published
in this country that is not "subsidizcd"
and that hnnri1
government. The Subsidy" is in the
form OF reduced postage for although
ii costs the government about six
cents a pound to handle mail matter.
newspapers and periodicals pay but
one cent per pound. Doubtless in
many cases net profits of the puhlica-
ton are less than five cents a pound.
In addition. certain publications are
circulated through the mails within
the county published absolutely free.
Yet TO some OF these publications the
word subsidy when applied to ship
ping instead of newspapers. has the
same effect as a red rag waved before
a bull
There has been deal of nonsense
about the ship-subsidy bill For
heavens sake" said a well known
"hh "il'N 'uhiilist CouSItSSlllHn 10 Il
member of the merchant marine COM
mittee. for heavens sake call il
something else beside ship subsidy
want to vote for the BANKED bill.
but those Indiana farmers have had
subsidy dinned in their ears until il
would be as much as my seat is worth
Call it something else and | am with
YOU And it is remarkable that the
word subsidy" has an ugly sound onlv
when applied to shipping. Anything
else can be subsidized without criri-
cism. Aside from the fact that pro-
lection is merely a subsidy where the
money comes from the consumers or
the producers-one can take their
choice for experts differ-while sub
sides come from the general treas
ury. it is we'll to call to mind few
of the subsidies" granted by the gem
eral government. Nearly all the trans
continental railroads were built under
government subsidies. of land and
money Every great exposition that
has been held in this country from the
Centennial Exposition to date has been
more or less heavily subsidized by
grants of money and by loans. In the
Philippines the government is to guar
antee the interest and PRINCIPAL of
the bonds for constructing the neces-
sary railroads. Even the Cuban plant