Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1907-03-01
SHIP SUBSIDY OMITTED.
SECRETARY SHAW POINTS OUT
THINGS UNCLE SAM DID FOR
OTHER INDUSTRIES.
AMERICA MUST ACT.
Treasury Chief Pleads for Boosting the
Merchant Marine in Address at Mad
ison University Celebration.
MADISON. Wis. Feb. 22.-[spcciaLl

MADISON, Wis, Feb. % Special
The second observance Of University
day was held at the University Of Wis
c0nsin today. \ convOcation Of the fac
uIty and students at the gymnasium was
addressed by Secretary Of the Treas
ury Leslie NJ. Shaw, who spoke on
Some Achievements in lf-Govcrnment
in the United States Since the Civil
War
The speaker said there has been
marked progress toward centralized gov
crnmcnt and that the tendency IS now
stronger than ever. He pleaded Tor sub
si4izing the merchant marine.
On Evenings Programme
Tonight a banquet with 1900 covers
will be served and Secretary Shaw is to
DO one Of the speakers. over 5000 pcO-
pie heard Mr.. Shaw this morning. lie
SAID in part:
Immediately at the close Of the Civil war
we embarked upon great policy OF ma
tiOnal Improvement. The government dealt
literally with the promoter. We now hay"
the largest railway system In the world.
rendering better service than any, and Tor
the least pay, while factories turn out
finished products equal to the combined
output of any other three countries on the
map.
The trend has been toward a stronger
national supervision The national bank
ing act, antitrust Legislation and railway
supervision are well marked instances.
Have we reached the limit 1t would seem
not. The demand for federal supervision OF
corporations and for insurance control, in
dictate 4 negative answer, and add to the
traliZed government. The people Of the
United States are becoming Hamiltonianccs
very rapidly.
For Ship Subsidy
Secretary Shaw next referred to the
interference in Cuba the Intervention i'll
China. and the construction of the 18th
milan canal, as illustrations of the tend
cncy. He added:
The United States has encouraged every
industry except shipping. Forty years ago
we had only one-fOurth as many tons of in
ternatiOnal freight to carry as we have
now, but we actually carried in American
ships three times as many tons forty years
ago as we carry now. The American mcr-
chant marine is a thing Of the past, but let
us hope also a thing of the future.
1t Is not my province to discuss means,
but | am convinced that in some way, and
that quite speedily, provision will be made
for the restoration of this important arm
of commerce. We occupy the most impor-
tant position on the map. The international
commerce of the world aggregates $4,000
100000, one-sevcnth of which originates
with US, and One-ntnth finds way to our
shores for ultimate consumption. But while
the eighty commercial countries of the
world are selling to each other $1O,000,0OO-
900 we sell to each other two and half
times that inconceiydble sum.
Shows Need for Merchant Marine
We put this matchlcss product upon our
railroads and transport it to the sea at less
than what the same service costs else
where. We then load it into better faster
and more convenient coaStWiSc ships than
can be found in other seas, and carry it
from port to port at cheaper rates than
any. These facilities, plus the Hawaiian
islands, which are ours, plus the Philip
pines, which are ours, plus the isthnian
canal, which we are pledged to complete,
plus n merchant marine, which is our
boundcn duty to provide, will give to Amer
lean enterprise its propOrtionatc share OF
the carrying trade of the world Our
Inatchl2ss products will be taken across all
seas, under all skies, into all ports, and the
United States will become the actual, as
She is the natural mistress Of the largest of
all seas Her benign influence for peace
and christian civilization will be extended
to the rcmOtCst bounds of earth.