The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-10-27
FORUM OF THE PEOPLE
OPEN TO ALL.
THE SHIP SUBSIDY
Necessary to Suppress Greedy Brit
ish Monopoly.


ish Monopoly.
To the Editor of the Palladium:
The United States presents the an
omoly of being the largest manufac-
| turing and producing country in the
world and at the same time almost en-
tirely without facilities for carrying
| its productions to foreign markets, but
| is dependent, almost solely, upon 9TH
er countries to do this carrying and
for which we pay them enormous rates.
The extent of this great branch of in
dustry, Of which the English have Al
most entire monopoly mean our
ocean carrying trade-is Of such i'm
| mense proportions as to astonish those
who have not kept watch of it. Sen
ator Frye, of Maine, than whom no bet
ter authority, on this subject, exists,
said in the senate a short time ago:
We carry under our flag each year,
to and from Europe, only two and q
half per cent of our exports and i'm
ports; to and from the world a frac-
ton over nine per cent. We paid for
eign nations last year, principally
Great Britain and Germany, 100000
day in gold for transporting our COM
MERGE"
Is this not shameful record for
country like ours? Ought We on pure
ly business grounds, leaving sentiment
entirely out of the matter, permit it
to continue one day longer than is pos
sible to bring about change? The
gross tonnage of the United States for
over ocean transportation, including
exports and imports, is in round num-
bers 100000 tons per year. Eng
land has the monopoly Of the greater
portion of this transportation and tax
es us in return with heavy charges,
running from five to six dollars per
ton. Other countries adopt and
charge English rates. Then if we take
the lowest rate, or five dollars per ton,
we find 4OOOO,0OO tons cost this coun-
try. for ocean transportation, the SUM
of $500, 100000 each year to have our
productions carried to market And
all this vast sum goes yearly from the
people of this country to the peoples OF
otner countries 1t is admitted that
any live competition in the interest of
this country would reduce these rates
at least twenty-five per cent. This
would be a saving of $5O,OOOO0O per
year to our own peOple-farmers, mer-
chants, manufacturers. Is this, sim
ply in business sense, worth striving
for, and would it not be cheaply pur-
chased at the price proposed-nine mil
lions per year?
But why, it is asked cannot American
ship owners, enter into competition
with British ship owners without as
sistance? The answer is, for precise
ly the same reason that the American
manufacturer could not cope with the
British manufacturer until assisted by
protective tariff. The British man
ufacturer has the advantage of cheaper
labor: the British ship owner has this.
and also many other advantages be-
side large subsidy from his govern
ment The American ship owner asks
only to be placed on an equality with
his British competitor. Give him
equality and he will soon recover from
the British and other nations the
y
manufacturer, when assisted to start,
has driven British goods from our mar
ket
The great strength of the British mo-
nopoly is that the government stands
behind it with every possible assist
ance; our country has done nothing to
secure this great carrying trade to our
A nj do
a few years ago by some enterprising
citizens to start an American line of
Ocean steamers. 1t was known as the
Collins line and was in direct competi-
ton with the Cunard line of British
steamers. The British government at
once doubled the subsidy for it's own
line, which enabled the Cunards to cut
their rates to such an extent that the
Collins vessels were compelled to with
draw. q,
No American line can be started by
individual enterprise, strong enough to
successfully contend with the British
government. and unless our own gov
eminent will lend assistance no Amer
lean line can live. and the British ship
owners, protected by their govern
ment, will continue to fatten on the
more than 100000 they are receiving
every day for doing the carrying OF
American goods to a foreign market.
1t is disgrace to the British govern
ment that it supports such mon
strous monopoly and a shame to the
American people that they submit 20
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