Fair play., 1910-01-08
EXCUSE FOR CRAFT
REAL TRUTH ABOUT AGITATION
FOR shiP SUBSIDY.
A Little Consideration VIII Show That
the Scheme Could Not Add
Greatly to the Growth Of
American Shipping.

Oh Nht tNiutnt NpuDb
felt by Secretary Nagel as to whether
the admission OF foreign vessels to
American registry would help Amer.
ican shipping. which is shown In the
secretary's annual report. the New
York Journal OF Commerce says:
IF what is wanted is to get ship.
ping to sail under the American flag
and under American ownership. why
not first of all remove the obstacles
which foreign shipping does not have
to contend with, and see what the re-
suit would be, before talking about
having the government use public
money to make business profitable in
spite OF the obstacles?"
But that is not what Is really want
ed at all. All the talk about having
the American flag appear on all the
seas and in all the ports Of the world
is mere index thunder, mere spe-
cious appeal to patriotism in the inter
eat of graft. What Is wanted is
good thing" one OF those govern
mental good things" which are so
profitable to a few well chosen good
managers. The men who are most ac-
tive In advocating ship subsidy would,
II they had shipments TO make, ship
by the vessel that gave them the best
rates and safest and most expeditions
passage, regardless of register, flag,
ownership OF anything else. Their
patriotism is merely for publication,
and is not to be regarded as a guar.
anty of good faith.
Like several other national boun-
ties, the ship subsidy is merely a ques-
tion OF profit, of vulgar dollars and
cents, for the men who propose to en-
gage in the business, which under the
foolish existing conditions they know
could not be a profitable business.
They know very well too, that II
these conditions were changed to
more liberal ones-which could read
lily be done without the slightest ex-
pepse TO the public treasury--a new
adjustment of shipping would occur
which would make a ship subsidy too
ridiculous to be considered for n mo-
ment. So they do not want the con.
dltions changed. On the contrary,
their whole hope of profit is based on
the present restrictions. A thrifty
growth of the American merchant ma
rine would quickly shatter the plans
which they have so long and so per-
slstently fostered
And If they are successful with their
plans, what win be the result? VIII
fhnra hn Nf
lean shipping? Hardly. Even the
treasury of the United States Is not
equal to such an expense as that, for
under existing conditions the only
increase will be of subsidized ships.
There would, of course, be a few of
these operated at heavy expense to
the taxpayers, but compared with
what American shipping should be
and what it undoubtedly soon would
be If II were relieved of the present
intolerable restrictions, the increase
in tonnage would be negligible. The
competition with foreign shipping
would not be appreciable, and the
transoceanic shippers of this country
would benefit neither by lower rates
nor safer or faster traffic. On the
contrary, they would indirectly be pay.
ing higher rates for every pound that
was carried by those mail and cargo
"subvention' ships, through the sub
sidy that passed into the shippers
hands from the government Mean
time. American shipping would not
only be no greater-with the excep-
tion OF very few subsidized ships
costing considerable number OF mil
lions a year TO the people-than it was
before. but the last state would be
actually worse than the first.--ln-
dianapolis News Gnd).