The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1906-12-14

Thprxprctaut Ship-subSidy enc
ticiaiirS are maintaining a bureau
a. Washington To bring influence
on Congress to pass the pending
bill which provides for subsidy,
which VIII in the event of its pas.
sage principally inure to the bene-
tit of th- steamship trust. The
latest fort of this bureau to
mould public opinion is pathetic
appeal to the pride of American
women To help in overcoming the
"SupWe>Sing of the Stars and
Stripes upon the sea-" This Judi
rect way of urging Congress to
pass the Snip subsidy bill 10y a
tatuou~ appeal to the patriotism
OF Amer lean women. is at once
seen to he but covert plea for
the trust to be subsidized, from
the statement made. that. there
is feminine comfort in the thought
that the very moment it (the billy
is enacted. orders will be placed
with American shipbuilderS for
seventy five new American steam
ships, to cost at least $40, 600. 900
OH he Atlantic coast alone.
That let's the cat out of the bag.
for these ships will he entitled
under the bill to subsidy OF So
per gross ton a year, or So 30 If
engaged in the Philippine trade.
AS enc of these large ocean steam
ships would have a gross tonnage
OF say 10 900 tons, her owners
would he paid $50 900 a year sub
Sidy and at the same average the
seventy five ships would he en-
titled To a subsidy OF So. 600. 600 a
year and leaving those to re built
on the Pacific Ocean entirely out
of the calculation. But that is
not the total Of the proposed sub
sides to he paid under tie hill for
the new mail lines proposed to be
established will cost about 81 600.
600 a year in extra subsidies or
50, 600, 600 in all.
As the ship subsidy hunters are
appealing to he women tn cham
pion their cause, it may he we'll to
remind those of our wives and
mot hers thai have bcc"ue later
eSted, that this large Subsidy To
the magnatrS of the steam IMP
trust will have to be paid bN tax
alton. 1t is hardly necessary TO
remind the housewives 0i the
country that the tariff aud ut her
taxes are now so high, that in con
sequence of the protection the
trusts enjoy under this Repu"lrc IN
System of taxing the many tor he
benefit of the few, the cost Of liv.
ing is now nearly 30 per cent
higher than it was before the
present tauff subsidy bill was
passed and the proposed ship
subsidy blllwilI add to the huI den
What benefit will American
women gain by helping to pay the
ship subsidy. any more than they
gain by paying the trusts the
enormous Subsidies the tariff law
gives those corporations? The
appeal for subsidy has always
been accompanied by an appeal TO
patriotism, for the fervent and
avariclOus subsidy hunter is al
ways for: ''The old flag and an
appropriations" SO don't he led
off by false appeals to help Uncle
Sam, or for the Star and Stripes,
which these trust agnate -
through their hired writers make
to you. These rich men who pro-
pose to invest $40, 900, 600 in ships,
OH which they are to receive an
annual subsidy of $4,000 600 or
even So, 600, 900 can get along very
well without the subsidy and you
will he that much better off for
not having it to pay.
If the tariff was revised, so that
the cost of living would BIZ reas-
enable, and he old and obsolete
navigation laws were repealed
which have hampered aud re
tarded the growth of our merchant
marine and those anxious to own
and sail ships could buy their yes
sells in the markets Of the world
from whoever would sell them the
cheapest, the American flag would
soon be seen on every sea. for with
free ships and free men the United
States can beat the world on the
ocean, as she did in former times
before these Republican reStric-
lions defeated her natural supre.
macy.