Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1907-01-21
Fatuous Appeal to the Patriot
ism of American Women.
THE ENORMOUS STEAL EXPOSED.
How 1t Is Proposed to Tax the Ameri-
can People For the Benefit of the
Steamship Trust-HOusewives of the
Country More Interested In Reduce
ing Expenses Than Adding to Them.

The expectant ship subsidy benef-
Charles are maintaining a bureau at
Washington to bring influence on con-
gress to pass the p.lding bill, which
provides for subsidy, which will in
the event of its passage principally
inure to the benefit Of the steamship
trust. The latest effort Of this bureau
to mold public opinion Is pathetic ap-
peal to the pride of American women
to help III overcoming the "suppressing
of the stars and stripes upon the sea"
| This indirect way of urging congress
to pass the ship subsidy bill by Il fatu-
Gus appeal to the patriotism OF Ameri-
can women Is at once seen to be but a
covert plea for the trust to be subsi-
died, from the statement made that
there is feminine comfort in the
thought that the very moment 1t Cthe
! bilD is enacted orders will be placed
with American shipbullders for sew
enty-fve new American steamships, to
cost at least S4O,0OO,OOO. on the Allan
tic coast alone
hat IctS the Cut Oul VI Tie Jag, IOT
these ships will be entitled under the
bill to a subsidy of s. per gross ton a
year or $3.50 if engaged in the Philip
pine trade. AS one of these large ocean
steamships would have gross ton
mage OF. say 10000 tons her owners
would be paid $4,000 year subsidy.
and at the same average the seventy
two. Chi, MI iA1 70 h
sidy Of $G,00O.OOO year, leaving those
t. be built on the Pacific ocean en-.
tirely out of the calculation. But
that is not the total Of the proposed
subsidies to be paid under the bill, for
the new mail lines proposed to be es-
tablished will cost about $3.O0O,OOO
year in extra subsidies. or $0,OOO,OOO in
all.
AS the ship subsidy hunters are ap-
pealing to the women to champion their
cause, 1t may be well to remind those
of our wives and mothers that have be-
come interested that this large subsidy
to the magnates OF the steamship trust
will have to be paid by taxation. 1t Is
hardly necessary to remind the house
WIVES VI tAC COuutly Tic III
and other taxes are now SO high that in
consequence Of the protection the trusts
enjoy under this Republican system Of
taxing the many for the benefit Of the
few the cost of living is now nearly 80
per cent higher than 1t was before tho
present tariff subsidy bill was passed.
and the proposed ship subsidy bill will
add to the burden.
What benefit will American women
gain by helping to pay the ship sub
sidy any more than they gain by pay
ing the trusts the enormous subsidies
the tariff law gives those corporations?
The appeal for a subsidy has always
been accompanied by an appeal to pa
triotism, for the fervcnt and avaricious
subsidy hunter is always for 1.-The old.
flag and an appropriation" So don't
be led off by false appeals to help I'm.
Gle Sam or for the stars and stripes
which these trust magnates through
their hired writer's make to you These
rich men who propose to invest $4O.-
100000 in ships. on which they are to
receive an annual subsidy Of $9,OOO.-
600 or even $6,OOO,OOO, can get along
very well without the subsidy. and you
will be that much better off for not
having it to pay.
IF the tariff was revised so that the
cost Of living would be reasonable and
the old and obsolete navigation laws
We're repealed which have hampered
and retarded the growth Of our mer-
chant marine and those anxious to own
and sail ships could buy their vessels
in the markets Of the world from who
ever 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 for
mer times before these Republican re-
strlctions defeated her natural suprem-
acy.