The Boise citizen. (Boise, Idaho) 1906-1910, 1907-02-01
SUBSIDIES
PURE GRHFT
In interest OF Present
MOnODOIi6S
NOTHING FOR NEW VESSELS
Hartman, Hill and SpreckIes Would Be
Sole Benefciaries
NOTHING FOR NEW VESSELS

President Roosevelt has never been
able to break entirely with the trusts,
and every now and then casts an
anchor to windward," the latest being
his advocacy Of ship subsidies in the
sole interest Of existing transportation
lines The Lewiston Tribune thus shows
the true inwardness OF the recent presi-
Dental message upon this subject:
President Roosevelt's special mes
4 sage factory has finally turned out a plea
for ship subsidyism that few papers
printed and fewer people read His pre-
vious hints in that direction were not
strong enough to suit the subsidy hunt
ers, who have since been haunting the
White House in the hope Of inducing the
president to come out strong for the old
flag and a big appropriation. 1t has been
generally understood that one OF the
main objects Of the Root tour to South /
America was to discover some argument /
OF excuse for these subsidy hunters /
On his return he delivered, with presi- !
Dental approval, a remarkable speech at |
Kansas City, in which he confessed that /
protectionism had destroyed the Ameri-
can merchant marine, had driven our
ships off the seas Secretary Root after
the trouble and locating the
cause, instead OF favoring the removal
Of the cause as means Of relief, left the
straight line and began to prescribe
more poison for a patient already suf-
fering from poison. The Root plan
which is the Roosevelt plan-is to ex-
tend protection to the very high seas
by compelling the people to put up the
money to subsidize American ships 50
that they can ruin out Of our ports
the cheap ships of other countries, and
thus have their own way as TO both
service and charges ever after, With ,
subsidized ships in the hands OF subsi-
iized monopolists alone in our harbors,
heir control would be absolute over
he transportation Of products, the cor ,
lering Of them, the forcing Of agricul- .
ural prices down because there were
lot ships enough to do the business
5 in the railway congestion situation
nd the most wanton, high-handed and
1erciless monopoly that the mind OF 4
nan ever conceived of-providing sub Il
idizing produced the expected results G
nd drove competitive foreign ships :,
rom our shores.
But the pending bill does not pro- r,
ose to subsidize all American ships T,
nd does not provide for the building Of Al
single new vessel-it simply confers n
grant of money on certain existing h
nes, these lines being owned BY Har- E,
man, Hill and Spreckles. 1t IS the r
ost amazing and bare-faced PROPOSE CT
on ever seriously presented to congress th
the Hartman and Hill ships must III
I'VE treasury grant in order TO make ro
cir operation sufficiently profitable.
hat is to logically become Of the other
merican owners who are not backed IN
the United States government and III
ho do not own the land transporta- of
N routes that furnish the cargoes? IN
IF there are those who are surprised
the presidents advocacy OF this brazen
ieme, they need not be. He stands bo
I upon a policy of inequality, partiality p
d oppression that is based upon tb.
,,,,a s;,,,;T,- aud 5f-;- ~ rf,,r ~ rf,s
Dsidy hunters who simply demand that
" share in the opportunities for pub -.
plumber 50 freely lavished upon other -
the protected pets" ~
This view is held also by Ridgway's II
eekly, which has this comment by its ~
lshington correspondent: AZ
The ship subsidies as they now stand Nc
ore congress look like pure gratis OF Ia