The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-01-24
Subsidy the Proper Thing.

state aid 60 steamship lines is as
much q part Of the commercial system
Of today as state employment Of con-
suls to promote business. Our com
mercial competitors in Europe nay IT,.
the aggregate $25 600 900 a year to their
steamships lines. Japan pays between
three and four millions. BY the pro-
posed legislation the United States viii
pay relatively less than any one of
our competitors. Three years ago the
Trans Mississippi congress formally set
forth as automatic the statement that
every ship is a missionary OF trade
that steamship lines wrolS for their
own countries just as railroad lines
work for their terminal points and that
j. is as absurd for the United States TO
depend upon foreign ships TO distribute
its products as it would be for a de-
partment store 10 depend upon wagons
OF p competing house TO deliver its
goods. This statement is the literal
truth.
Cannot Compete on Equal Terms.
Moreover. IL must be remembered
that American ships do not have to
contend merely against the subsidiza-
ton OF their foreign competitors. The
higher wages and the greater cost of
maintenance and crews make it almost
impossible for our people who do bus
mess on the ocean TO compete on equal
terms with foreign ships unless they
are protected somewhat as their fellow
countrymen who do business on, land
are protected. we cannot as country
afford TO have the wages and the man.
ner Of life of our seamen cut down, and
the only alternative. is we are to have
seamen at all. is 10 effect the expense
Of giving some advantage to the ship
itself ~
THE proposed law which has been
introduced ia congress is ia no sense
experimental II is based on the best
and most sGccessful Trecedents, as. for
instance upon the recent Cunard con-
tract with the British government AS
Tar as South America is concerned. its
aim is 20 provide from the Atlantic and
Facific coasts better American lines To
the great ports OF South America than
the present European lines. The South
american republics now see only our
Warships. Under this. bill our trade
friendship viii be made evident to
Them. The bill proposes to build large
sized steamers Of sixteen knot speed
There are nearly 200 such steamships
already in the world foreign trade. and
over three-fourths 81 them now draw
fuosidies--Dostal and admiral-or both.
VIII Encourage shIpysrds.
The bill viii encourage our ship
Yards which are almost as necessary tc !
me national defense as batttleships. |
ana the efficiency OF which depends IN
IaIge measure upon their steady en-
p.oyment in large construction. II is
or Importance 10 our navy because IL
SlVes considerable feet or auxiliary /
sS.,sdiiniships, such as Is now almost |
wholly lacking.
The bin provides for fourteen
steamships. subsidized 10 the extent OF /
over $1,000 600. from the Atlantic coast, |
az 10 run to South American ports 1t |
provides upon the Pacific coast for /
twenty-five steamers subsidized TO the |
extent Of S2.250.0O0 some of these to
run TO South America, most OF them to |
Manila. Australia and Asia BE Il re-
rendered that while the ships Will be
oNned upon the coast, the cargoes will /
ne largely supplied by the interior. and /
mat the bill will benefit the Mississippi /
board
Benefits Expected.
II have laid stress upon the benefit
~ be expected. from our trade with
south America The lines 10 the /
Drient are also Of vital Importance. /
Inc commercial possibilities Of the Pa
cine are unlimited, and for national 1
reasons II is Imperative that We should |
cave direct communication by Amer
Nan lines with Hawaii and the Philip /
pines ef -trl.I
The existence of our present steam
snip lines Upon the Pacific is seriously 4
threatened by the foreign subsidized Il
lhes Our communications with the II
markets Of Asia and with our own pos