Devils Lake inter-ocean and Devils Lake free press. (Devils Lake, Ramsey County, N.D.) 1905-1909, 1906-05-04

aelapse 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
II Speaker Cannon will permit the bill
to come before the house it will be re-
ported and passed. u At least two and
possibly three of the four republican
members Of the committee who have
been represented as opposed to- the
Dill Will vote for it IL it is to come
before the house and in that body it
will command a large majority.
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
s1stently attack the principle of asub-
sides Is not clear. There is scarcely
"a newspaper or periodical published
IN this country that is not 'subsidized''
and that most heavily by the general
government. The Subsidy lis in the
form OF reduced postage for although
1T 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 publica-
ton are less than five cents a pound.
In addition, certain publications are
circulated through the mails within
the county published absolutely free.
3 Yet some OF these publications the
y! subsidy when applied to ship
ping Pin instead of newspapers, has the
same erect as red rag waved before
al bull. q; 83l
There has been deal Of nonsense
about the ship-subsidy bill For
heaVen's sake, said a well known
and witty Indiana congressman to- a
member OF the merchant marine COM
mlttee, for heavens sake call it
something else beside ship subsidy
4 want to vote for the blanked bill,
but those Indiana farmers have had
Q subsidy dinned in their ears until it
would be as much as my seat is worth.
Call it something else and I am with
you. And It is remark able that the
word subsidy" has an ugly sound only
when applied to shipping Anything
else can be subsidized without criti-
,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 di ffer while sub
sides come from the general treas
ur.y, it is we'll to call to mind a few
.of the subsidi lies, granted by the gen
3eral government. Nearly ali the trans
con influential railroads were built under
COVER nment s,lbsidi les, of land and
money. mon Every great exposition that
has been held In this country from the
Centennial Expo sition to date has been
more or less heavily subsidized BY
grants of money ana by loans. IN the
Philip ines the government lis to guar
;antee the interest and principal Of
the bonds for constructing the neces-
sary railro ads. Even the, Cuban plant,
ers are asnbs ID lied = by being given q
reduction in the tariff on their sugar
and tobacco which is, In effect merely
passing several million dollars year
from the United States treasury to the
pockets of the Cubans. Not only are
fast mail trains directly subsidized,
but, Ia the popular opinion the rail-
roads are heavily subsidized Indirectly
by the payment Of many millions &c
dollars more for the service given than
would be the case under 4 fair rate of
4. ton But It gives us fast