The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-02-04
PUBLIC

PUBLIC FUNDS TOR PRIVATE USE.
 | A convincing argument against ship subsidies in general and the Grosven- or-llttauer bill in particular is put forth in the minority report of the House Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, signed by the Demo- cratic members. Three Republicans dissent from the conclusions of the majority, but they do not sign this report, although they propose to fight | the bill on the floor of the House. The points made are familiar, but they will bear repeating Repeal the navigation laws and ''divorce ship owing from the | legislative union with shipbuilding;" do not hire men to do a losing business l by taxing others to make good the deficit; let trade follow natural laws and do not attempt to direct it by special legislation. These are all sound principles; no advocate of subsidies has ever succeeded in impugnng their
 
 that side is the plea of expediency- that same great national end is to be gained by policy economically inde- feasible. Otherwise all substituting becomes simply the diversion of public funds for private use.
 This in truth is what the present bin proposes. Neither the President nor MT. Root has offered any convinc- ing argument to the contrary. It has been pointed out in these columns that the sums authorized will go, in the case of the Pacific routes to existing lines, which already meet the eondi- tions named and which in consequence need not build a single ship in order to get the money. This fact is re- cognized in the minority report, and it is also suggested that subsiding. South American lines from New York will take away trade from the Gulf ports. Here is the fatal objection to most legislation of the kind. It is bound to be discriminating. The foreigner is not the only sufferer; one American interest is preferred to another That is the inevitable consequence of divert ing public funds to individual pockets there must be favoritism or the funds would not hold out. Admitting the necessity of subsidies, then these should be bestowed impartially. If the shipping industry is to be stimulated in this way, let Congress vote tonnage bounties applicable to all alike. Let every man who builds or buys a ship have his share of the plunder.
 The fallacy that trade follows the flag surely needs no refutation. Any American merchant who has goods to sell to foreigners will find plenty of ships to carry them. The President says that "to fail to establish adequate lines on the Pacific is equivalent to proc!aiming to the world that we have neither the ability nor the disposition to contend for our rightful share of of the commerce of the Orient nor vet to protect our interests in the Philip pnes." But the way Ito contend for our rightful share in the commerce of the Orient" is not to pay millions into the pockets of Mr. Hartman and Mir. Hill but to throw down our self-erect- Su Op9tdCleS lo lTduei ana avoid such treatment of the Oriental nations as will lead to a repetition of the Chinese boycott of American goods; and the way to protect our interests in the Philippines" is to restore to the islands the market we have taken away from them and no longer permit the tobacco and best sugar interests to dictate the retention of the Dingley tariff. There will be no lack of ships when there are godso to be carried, and there will be no lack of American ships when Ameri- can ships when Americans are per mitted to enter into competition with foreigners unhamppered by antiquat- ed navigation laws. No amount of public funds put in private pockets