Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1909-10-28
FOR SHIP SUBSIDIES
PRESIDENT TAFT HAS PLACED
HIMSELF ON RECORD.
Means That Rehabilitation of Amerl-
can Merchant Marine Will Be
Again Forced Upon the Atten-
tion of Congress.

The presidents declaration at Sc
attic that the country was ready for
an experiment with ship subsidies as
one method for the rehabilitation OF
the American merchant marine, and
that 1t was his purpose to urge upon
congress legislation in this direction,
while not totally unexpected, is the
first formal step which has been taken
to commit the national administration
to this policy. For months there have
been signs. in the redoubled activity
of the unofficial advocates of ship sub
sidies in the conduct of their propa-
ganda of education, and in the trend
of the consular reports, that it was
the purpose of the government to
back this method of reviving Ameri-
can shipping in the foreign trade.
With this backing the fight in con
gress will have a very different as
pect from the subsidy campaigns of
1898 and 1908, and the chances are
thus immeasurably increased that the
country will again make serious at
tempt to solve a problem which has
baff1ed American economists.
The logic of the protective system
will be found to support the principle
of government aid for shipping, al
though the contribution of the public
toward the support of private enter
prise is more direct and conspicuous
when given in the form of subsidies
than in the case of import duties, and
there is undoubted weight in the ar
gument that American shipbuilders
and owners are alone in being denied
support in their effort to compete with
foreigners. And aside from the argu-
ment from logic, President Taft him
self refers to the next strongest card
of the ship subsidy advocates when
he speaks of the practical diff Guilty
In which the nation would find itself
In the event of war without the mer-
camille marine from which to draw
It's seamen, it colliers and it's supply
ships. Congress has both refused to
supply the requisite fleet of coliers
for the navy and to face seriously the
problem of the decline of the mercan-
tile marine.
This much said. the case resolves
Itself into balancing of evils. Shall
the United States adopt an expedient
OF doubtful value to gain a result that
In the nature of the thing, can have
no certainty of permanence? Shall
we pay many millions to the ship
owners to the end that other millions
now paid to foreign shipowners for
the carriage of our foreign commerce
shall also be paid to American ship
owners? What would be the econom-
ic gain to the country of a system
which increased the cost of marine
transportation, and added another
sort of class legislation to the law
BOOKS? These are some of the ques-
uons which will be now debated with
fresh interest and intensity. and will
be coupled with the additional cues.
ton. whether some means other than
subsidies cannot be found for the re.
susc1tauon of American shipping In
the foreign trade.
Free ships In the foreign trade free
shipbuilding materials an extension
OF the present policy of liberal con.
tracts for the carrying of the mails
and discriminating duties in indirect
trade have all been suggested, and all
nave been strongly supported. The
point of immediate Importance, at the
beginning Of the serious debate of the
subsidy question, is whether some of
these expedients would not accom-
pilsh the desired result without the
evils which the foes of subsidies be.
iieve would inevitably attend the
adoption of a bald subsidy program.
Inc shlpowner would doubtless prefer
direct grant of aid from the public
treasury, but it is more than an open
question, in the light of the expert.
ence OF other countries, whether the
method would in the end give the re.
suits that are so ardently and univer.
sally desired