Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-12-17
The Ship Subsidy Situation.

l washington OuIIIiS Tic AuSS ~" N~J -
according to the dispatches. AS near
llv as can be determined the campaign
for subsidies was going along alto
gether too smoothly for the opposition,
so steps were taken to upset the sub
lsidy enthusiasts. The opposition was
Ientirely successful and it begins to
look as though the President might
be called upon to exercise his Won
derful persuasive power.
Representative Humphrey of WASH
lington has presented in the House
bill providing for mail subsidies for
American vessels. It is understood
that on that bill there was sufficient
unanimity of opinion to warrant the
exoectation that it would pass the
House. In the Senate mail subsidy
hill is always sure to have friends
enough to pass it.
chairman Greene of the committee
on merchant marine and fisheries has
a bill which provides a subsidy OF 81
per 100 tons of 2240 pounds each FOL
each 100 nautical miles sailed, outward
and inward bound. There have been
numerous conferences between the two
| gentlemen and as a result there Is a
| nersistent rumor that the House will
finally be asked to pass upon a COM
promise bill which will embrace both
the mail and cargo subsidy fea-
lures Senator Gallinger is of the
opinion that a straight cargo subsidy
would have a hard time of it in the
upper branch 1t remains to be seen
whether those who have credited the
fathers of the bills with fixing UP
compromise, are correct in their guess.
Meanwhile the subsidies war has adj
yanced a stage outside of Congress-
For several months proponents of the
measure have been distributing litera-
ture calculated to further the cause.
Their work has been thoroughly and
ntelligently performed. Lately those
oDposed to subsidies have also taken
up the publicity game and have not
hesitated to distort facts and figures
to present their case in the most ia
vorable light, according to the Boston
Transcript.
To quote the transcripts informant.
zone of their latest drives is at the
Panama Railroad Companies steam
ships Ancon and Cristobal, which are
plying between the Isthmus and New
York. These ships were built in New
England in expectation that the Frye
Hanna subsidy bill would go through,
operated at loss on the Pacific coast
because it did not, and then, although
costing S1,S0O000 We're sold to the
Government for about $1,1OO0oo. the
hostile statement circulated concern
ing these two vessels is as follows
"sAnother instance is where the Gov
eminent has purchased the steamers
Shawmut and fremont (now the An
con and CristobaD under the Ameri-
can flag and used by the Government
to carry cement from New York to
Colon. This cement-amOuntingr round
Nv to 1000, 900 tons-was offered trans
portation by commercial shipping
firms without respect of flag at about
s1.5O per ton. The expense of carry
ing the cement in the two boats mem
toned is costing the Government about
So per ton-a difference of $1,50O,0O0
The statement then goes on to point
to transport American exports last
year if they had been on this basis
Senator Lodge of Massachusetts
was instrumental in making a sale
Of these ships to the Government and
he suspected the accuracy of the fig
ures quoted the moment he saw them.
He has now in his possession an Of
fetal statement from f. A. Drake, vice
president of the Panama Railroad
Company. which operates the steam
ships, proving that the conditions
have been grossly misrepresented.
1.-The two vessels are in regular OPP
GRAFTON between New York and Colon,
making approximately fortnightly de-
partures from New York They load
at New York, chiefly with cement. but
carry also every description of heavy
and bulky cargo which the other ships
of the line are not as well able to care
for. They bring a miscellaneous car
go on the return voyage, including
wine. wool, rags, hemp, etc. and they
carry passengers both ways.
'The companys charge to the Com
mission is $216 per net ton. instead of
the 50 per ton alleged by the foreign
shipping interests. This $2.16 repre-
sents a temporary charge which is
subject to periodical adjustments