Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-12
SUBSIDIES AS AIDS
National Support Extended to
Merchant Marine.
BIG SUMS APPROPRIATED
Help System Followed by Most For
eign Governments.
FRANCE PAYS OVER $4,000 900
Steamship Lines Encouraged for
Commercial and Military Rea-
sons--Policy in United States.
FRANCE PAYS OVER $4,000, 900
By WILLIAM f.. CURTIS.

ing Company of Omaha, Neb., writes to
say that outside of comparatively
small sum paid by the British govern
ment for the construction of a ship which
| can be used in war time, it pays moth
ing in the way of subs dies: and fully 90
per cent of the British shipping receives
| no subsidy in any shape or form. The
| largest steamship company in the world.
the MISUNDERSTANDING. receives no aid
| from the German government. except the
/ ordinary pay for the carriage of mails. y
/ In reply to Mr. Marbles assertions
would say that the British government
/ subsidies steamship lines to the United
States, to Canada, to India. to Australia
and New Zealand. to South America. to
the West Indies and Spanish main, and
| in addition to a subsidy of S656,91O for
carrying the mails to South Africa, the
| British war department gives contracts
for carrying supplies to the Castle line of
! steamers which would be sufficient to
/ support it If it had no other business
/ whatever. Indeed, there is no line OF
steamers sailing under the British flag
which has not in some form or another
received the assistance of the imperial
treasury.
| The British government has paid Sub
sides since 1898 and continues to pay
them. both for commercial and military
reasons. and the principal British col
onies also pay large subsidies.
Receives S729, 900 a Year.
The Cunard line receives cash sub
sidy of $4,000 year for the Maure-
tania and Lrsitania alone, and the money
comes from the naval appropriations as
sort OF retainer for the use of those
ships, which are the largest and fastest
i,, fl,n r-JI arfn IN hn loot
! in case they are needed in time of war.
The additional sum of $1,7S3,6D is paid
to other steamships OF the Cunard COM
| pany for the same reason.
The Canadian government for the cur
rent year will pay $1.5S1 800 as subsidies
| to the Empress, the Allan and other lines
of steamers for carrying the mails. The
Australian and New Zealand govern
ments pay sl,2tS6O0 this year In the way
of subsidies, and the little island Of ia
| maica pays a subsidy of s1Ai.Ooo to the
Royal Mail Company.
| Mr.. MARBLE should reverse his state
ment and say that fully 80 per cent OF
British shipping interests receive sub
| sides I'm some shape or form, the total
amount distributed last year being So,
/ $50 3Si.
/ 1t is true that the Hamburg American
Steamship Company receives no aid from
| the German government except the or
binary pay for the carriage of the mail,
which is not because OF official opposi-
/ ton. but is due 10 a refusal of that COM
pany to comply with the requirements of
the post Office department and the fact
| that the North German Lloyd Company
submitted lower bids. There was an ac-
tive rivalry between the two companies
for several years. but finally an amicable
| agreement was reached, under which the
commerce is divided between them. and
in some cases it is pooled. SO that neither
company loscs by competition.
The policy of the Hamburg American
~ tel
economy and with large cargoes Of
| freight, while the North German Lloyd
runs fast steamers and makes up ny its
/ subsidy from the German government
and the mail pay it receives from other
coutries for the space occupied by coal
supply and the additional expense OF
speed For example. last year We paid
+ the North German Lloyd Company $751;
362 for carrying the mails. and the Ham
| burg American Company S9O,92o.
I The German government, at the same
1 time, paid the Hamburg American COM
| pany about $1,000 and gave the North
i German Lloyd Company subsidy
| amounting to three times as much.
| France at Head Of List.
| France pays a larger amount in the
way of subsidies and bounties to her
steamship companies than any other ma
1 ton the total for 1905 being $13. 423. 137.
| reported OF this amount $5..l1 ,O37 was
/ in the form 0f compensation for carrying
| the mail, S6,G19.o00 was bounty for
! the construction of ships upon naval
! models, 50 that they may be used as
| auxilares in time of war; and S2,OoO.WO
was paid as ordinary bounties upon the
| tonnage of new cargo ships so that the
merchants and manufacturers OF France
| can reach the maskets of the world
| without depending upon foreign SHIPS
and need not pay freight to foreign ship
owners.
| Japan paid Sa91.Ieo for similar reasons
II, l.aS. in addition TO S4.313,OeO i'll mail
subsidies Italy paid S1.5pUn Tor snip
building and naval reserve bount1es. III
addition to S2.J2S.9l1 in mail subsidies:
| and Spain paid 81 81 ,e26 for the same
purpose, in addition TO s1.s5s.1s6 mail
4 subsidies.
Austria-IIungary paid the sum Of 81
I aS4 40 10 assist in building up her mer-
chant marine In 1908. Of this amount
! Sl12 40 was in subsidies to mail steam
ars. SSsoupo was i'll bounties TOR the
\ building Of ships, and S3Io.Oo was III
I the form of refund of the Tonnage
I dues collected from Austrian ships "h.ch
4 carry the commerce of that country
! through the Suez canal. SeVeral otner
/ Fuppean countries. in order to encour-
age and assist their steamers which go
I m the far east, also refund dues col
| lected by the SueZ Canal Company. Whlch
are very heavy. 1t costs severai thcu-
! Sand dollars to get an ordinary snip
| through that canal. When our battieshlp
! feet went around that way our govern
mert had to pay nearly 100000 in tolls.
i n