New-York tribune., 1908-03-22
( DESERVING HEASU RE.

The passage by the United States Senate OF
a bill amending and extending the postal SUD
vention law of 1891 is a welcome hrst STEP
toward strengthening the American merchant
marine and creating an adequate naval reserve
TO be drawn on in time of war. IT IS the more
welcome because il was taken without preclpi-
tatins division on party lines in the senate
Last winter somewhat more comprehensive
act. which had passed the Senate and been
amended in the House Of Representatives. was
done 10 death in the upper branch through
6lbuster conducted bv q few extremists on the
Democra tic side Senator Carmack. of Tennes-
see then serving the last hours of his term,
disclosed in obstructing consent by the senate
TO the House amendments. the blind ohstlnacy
with which the old free trade school OF Demo
Gratis used TO oppose any and every sugges'loh
for the encouragement Of American shlpPihs
That school is happily moiibund. and Mt. Gar
nlack's extremism this and other issues cost
him a reelection even in typical southern
state like Tennessee. There should nave heeh
no nartisan oppostion TO 8 measure as broadly
national in its purposes as the Gallnger pos'ai
srIbvention bill 1t is encouraging TO note that
the bill passed on Friday receixed both ACTIVE
and passive Democratic support
The amendments made 10 the existing postal
snbventiou law are few and simple They IN
crease from s. to 81 mile on outward VOYAGES
the conversation paid TO mall carrying s'edEi
ships which make from sixteen 10 i"e"'!
knots and from 81 10 s. mile the com
ryensation for steamships which make from
fourteen to sixteen knots. THESE steamers
must ply moreover. between American anu
South American between American ana ori-
entail norris. The law of 1891 made no dis
finctjon between the lines to Europe, with Il
shorter run and a more profitable carrying
IN SpTl1h America and across
tho Pacific with much longer run ana mucn
loss nrofitalle business The compensation OF
s. a mile TO Pacific steamers OF less thah
twenty knots speed proved inadequate ana
only recently the San Francisco-Austraia man
line was abandoned. 1t can be re-estap phsheu
AT the 81 mile rate. outward bound, ana IL Is
also thought that some new lines 10 Sou'h
America aud the Far East will be estaplished.
The Postotfice Department has heartily adro-
cated the increase of rate carried in the Dill.
There is a profit of s3.e00,6oo year on the for
eian mail service and the cost Of the new South
American and Oriental service will be met out
of that BETTER mail facilities VIII be fur-
uisbed and the foreign mail service VIII sun oe
self-shstaining. But beyond that the law VIII
be of national advantage in increasing our uaue
with South America and the Ear East anu III
bringing us into closer touch with the TWO
parts of the world in which we have specldi
interests and have assumed special poiltlcai
ohiiea tions Further still. it will add TO our
nresent scantr naval reserve by putting at the
disposal of the government some new au1il-
jaries As Senator Hale pointed out on Friday,
the auxiliary force of the navy is so small that
we cannot even coal our battleship fleet on It's
cruise around the world. We need larger
merchant marine. if only for purposes OF ma
tional defence. and money taken from the
Treasury to build up an auxiliary feet is used
primarily not for the benefit of the shipowners
but for the benefit Of the whole nation.