The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1906-02-17
THE SUBSIDY SHIPPING BILL

After years Of effort the ship subsidy
bill has passed the senate by a sub
stantial majority. The probability is
that il will be raised by the house,
as the indications are that the major
ity party has finally decided 10 pass
IL For a year or more agents for some
interest. what interest we are not pre-
pared to say. have been canvassing the
country in the interest Of the BILL
| When il was introduced into Congress
there was pretty strong sentiment
against IL The very general belief
was that the shipbuilding interest was
behind il, and was putting up the mon
ey TO create sentiment in favor Of it
The agitation in its favor has been so
persistent that the people have become
tired Of fighting il. In fact. they have
about been convinced that il is useless
to oppose il further. and hence those
who are behind the bill are having
their own way in regard to it.
The amount Of the bill Will take out
Of the treasury the first year or two
isn't very large but it will be quickly
discovered, when the lines which are
to receive the subsidy are in operation,
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large enough, and then Congress will
be called upon TO increase it. 1t will
be said that il would be a great mis-
take after building the ships and es-
tablishing the steamship lines TO per-
nit them TO fail 10 accomplish the OBJ
ject for which they were built for the
want Of a little money. And so, year
after year. the subsidy will be increas-
ed until the government will be pay
ing out a vast amount annually to sup
port a few steamship lines that cannot
compete with similar lines carrying
the flags Of other countries.
1t is expected that the subsidies will
put new life into our shiDyards. We
have no doubt il will for while. but
what will the shipyards do when the
ships for the subsidized lines are COM
pleted? Of course the yards do not
intend TO close their gates. This pur-
pose no doubt is to get subsidies for
other lines.
When an interest succeeds in get
ting protection it expects to have that
protection continued. 1t will be recall
ed that when protection was extended
to our infant industries it was said,
by the advocates of protection, that
they would grow strong rapidly, and
soon wouldn't need protection. They
may not need protection. but they have
it and they are more insistent upon
having it than when they were weak
and struggling. And they are so much
stronger now than they were then that
they now demand what they once beg
ged for And so it will be with the
shipbuilding industry. 1t is begging
now for a little help. If it is given,
the time will not be distant when it
will insist upon greater protection, and
it will be strong enough to demand
what it wants Thus it is the people
are taxed to support one industry af
ter another. The real reason why la
Dor for shipbuilding purposes cannot
be obtained in this country s cheaply
as it can in EnglaTd and Germany is
that our protective tariff system makes
the cost of living high And it also
makes the prices Of many shipbUilding
materials high. Cut away the whole
system and we should have steamship
lines without giving subsidies.-Sa-
vannah News.