The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1909-07-02
SUBSIDIES IN
NEW FORM
DIFFERENT PLAN OF CAM
PAIGN STARTED AT
WASHINGTON.
Sneaker Cannon Guest of Honor
at Merchant Marine League
Dinner-Taft Drops In-New
Measure to Garry Out Ideas In
troduced By Humphrey.


,ras revived and new form of cana
noign inaugurated 'at dinner given
Lr the Marine League at the New
willard hotel. Speaker Cannon was
rho onest of honor at the diner. Presi-
don't Taft gave encouragement to the
promoters by dropping in about 9 o.
lock remaining for short time. He
declared he would do all in his power
70 rehabilitate the American merchant
marine. At present Americans owning
forpign-built ships are not permitted
to f1v the American flag or have their
vpssels admitted to American registry
,plass they are more than half rebuilt
in American shipyards. The bill pro-
noses TO admit to American registry
foreign built ships of 5000 gross tons
or mere wholly owned by Americans.
These ships are to be restricted to for
zion trade or to the trade of the Phil
innina and Hawaiian islands, and are
70 he barred from the coastwise trade
and from all mail compensation under
tbe act of 1891 or the Humphrey act.
Mr.. Humphrey Explains Provisions
In statement summarizing and ex-
planning the provisions of the bill,
which has been introduced IN the house
bv him, Mr.. Humphrey said in refer
ence to the free ship section:
Personally, l do not believe that
this portion of the bill would have any
effect whatever, but it has been urged
bv many that this privilege should be
extended. 1t will give those who
lave been urging this opportunity to
vote the way they have been talking.
Every time mail subsidy bill has
come before congress it has been OPP
posed because it contained no free ship
clause The insertion Of this clause
will give an opportunity to ascertain
whether those who have been talking
for free ships were i. earnest or whe-
Their they were simply using it as an
excuse to defeat legislation.
Section reduces tonnage taxes
from nearby countries from 3 to 2
cents per ton, and in the aggregate
from 10 to 10 cents per ton in any one
year In the ports of North America,
West Indies and Venezuela, our Amer
lean ships still nave some snare anu
our flag is better represented there than
in the trans oceanic trade. This will
be distinct help to American vessels
in this trade
1T repeats the so-called reciprocal
l.
marily to increase revenue, but to
keep the reveneue as nearly as possible
unchanged, and especially to forestall
the possibility of heavy decrease IN
the revenue under laws nOminally re-
Ciprocal but as a matter of fact not adj
hitting of reciprocity because in many
Of the ports claiming the advantage OF
this reciprocity American ships do not
enter, while vessels from that port do
come to the United States.
"The bill proposes in the trans
oceanic trade to increase tonnage taxes
from 6 to II cents per ton and from ~
to 6O cents per ton maximum per
annum. This increase will fall almost
entirely upon foreign ships, and it is
proposed to tax these foreign ships that
are now carrying our trade and have
all the advantages of our rivers and
harbors and our lighthouses and other
coast projections, so that they may
help bear the burden of these improve
ments. Almost the entire burden OF
this increase will fall upon foreign
vessels. Certainly no more striking
illustration can be found in our his.
tory of taxing the foreigner for the
benefit of our industries By this in.
crease the revenue from that source
Will be doubled or increased approx
mately 100000 per annum. The
tonnage taxes in this country are lower
than those of the European nations
with the single exception of Holland.
If American vessels engaged in
uans-oceanic trade should carry Amer
lean boys, one for each thousand ne
tons, and train them in seamanshi]
and engineering, 80 per cent of thei
tonnage taxes would be related. This
Is most important provision, as Their
Is great need of training American
boys IN seamanship if we are to have
merchant marine or navy.
have introduced this bill afte
consultation with many of the ship
ping interests throughout the Unite
states and with many of the foremos
men IN the country who wish to Sc
our Tag restored once more to the seas
nave great faith that this bill Wi
De passed at the next session Of COZ
sfess 1t will have the approval c
'he president aud believe that it wi
meet the approval of practically til
entire Republican majority, and ths
1t Will be supported by several Demt
Gratis both in the house and senate. -
The bill seeks to establish ne
mall lines to South and Central An
erica, Japan, China, the Philippines an
australia, the compensation of the'
lines being paid out Of the mail receipt