Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1908-01-11
SHIP SUBSIDY MEASURE
Hope that Bill win be Reached
This Session.
CALF 0RNIANS ARE BUSY
Atlantic and Pacific Coast Represen.
tatives Stand solid For the
Measure.


Washington. D. g. Jan. S. Hope Ii
growing III the minds Of us advocates
that a ship subsidy measure viii "
..naefcl al the present session eli eon.
gress. Ii has developed that during the
carly DAYS of the session and during
the holiday recess, a combination has
been formed by congressman who rep
resent Atlantic and Paeifific coast dis
tricta for the advocacy OF any reason.
able measure that will benent the
American merchant marine
Represen. alive punran t. Makiulay
Of California has had much to do with
the arousing of general interest In
subsidy legislation. He has made a
study OF the commercial situation, par
ticularly in the Orient and In Central
and South American countries. Since
he conducted a party of congressman
to the Isthmus OF Panama. he has
been particularly enthusiastic in IA
vor of the establishment of merchant
lines OF steamship that will ply be-
tween parts CT the United States
and those or Central, and South,
America. He says that the mer-
chants and manufacturers OF this
country are losing golden opportuni-
ties In those countries. because OF a
lack OF suitable transportation lines
and he proposes vigorously to advo-
cate the payment by the government
Of a reasonable subsidy TO steamship
companies that will put direct lines Of
transportation between America and
the southern countries into operation.
Behind Representative McKinlay in
this effort will be a solid body Of con-
gressmen from the Pacific coast states
and practically solid body from the
Atlantic coast states. although some
of the southern representatives are
opposed. on principle. to subsidy
measure. The Pacific coast members
have formed sort Of legislative as
ISOLATION and propose to stand to-
gether in the support Of such meas
ures as they believe will benefit that
part Of the country.
Oppcscltion to the subsidy measure
comes chiefly from The northwestern
states and from the south The real
ization is becoming general however,
that the development of the foreign
trade OF ports In the south not only
will be of immediate benefit to that
section. but TO the agricultural states
of the middle west
"My belief is.1 said Representative
McKinlay, that one OF the surest ana
quickest WAYS TO develop our foreign
trade is through graduated and care
fully considered subsidy The coun-
tries of South America last year pur-
chased the worldfs markets products
to the amount of s3600oo,00o or this
vast amount. America supplied only
about ss0.O00O00 LEGS than 25 per
cent II we had adequate transporta-
ton lines America could do more than
half Of the business IN South America,
perhaps three-fourths. In the Orient.
in Japan, the situation is
similar The japanese are using
American machinery In the manufact-
ure OF cotton goods and under what
to a government subsidy. the
are building up an Inn
mense trade That trade all comes
ont Of our industries, Itis high time
that American manufacturers. espec 1
al1y Of cotton goods We're UP and do 4
ng 10 protect their trode and to pro- |
note our cmmerce In the Far East as
well as in the Far South.