Omaha daily bee., 1910-01-05
SHIP SUBSIDY BILL IS IN
Humphrey Measure Said to Have
Backing of Administration.
AID FOR SECOND, GLASS SHIPS
Bul Carries the same Rate for Mail
Service as il Now Paid to
Vessels OF the First

WASHINGTON, Jan. 4-Representative
Humphrey OF Washington today introduced
in the house a bill providing for ship sub
sidy by the United States government,
which measure is understood to have the
approval Of President Taft and the admin
i~stration and to be the one upon which
the proponents Of subsidy bill viii concen-
trate their efforts to procure it's enactment
into law.
The Humphrey bill provides an increase
in pay to American ships for carrying the
mails to South America, China, Japan, the
Philippines and Australia, bringing II up TO
81 per mile for an outward voyage OF 1000
miles or more, An Increased tonnage tax
on the transoceanic trade is provided and
1t is proposed to admit foreign built ships
to American register for the foreign trade.
The author OF the bill in an explanation
Of its provisions said the proposition to
increase the pay for carrying the mail was
the most important feature OF the measure.
The postmaster general is authorized te
pay second-class ships for carrying the
mails the same rate OF 81 per mile that is
now paid to first-class ships.
Mr., Humphrey points cut that opponents
OF ship subsidy seem not to be aware that
we already have this subsidy for first-class
ships under a law enacted in 1891, which
law, he claims, lis responsible for every
American vessel on the Atlantic ocean.
and IL repealed would cause the American
flag to disappear from the seas within
sixty days ..nf ..us.
Subsidy to smaller Ships.
The law of 1891, says Mr.. Humphrey de-
fines a first class ship as one Of over 5000
tons and Of twenty knots speed which has
been a high requirement that vessels OF
tina class have not found 1t profitable to
engage in South American and Pacific
ocean trade, Mr.. Humphrey proposes In
his bill to give the same subsidy to vessels
Of 5000 tons capacity and Of sixteen knots
speed. The bill lays down many require
ments for vessels before they can secure
the subsidy. '...
The ships must be built according to
plans approved by the secretary of the
navy Of iron of steel and with a view to
their use in the time Of war, and be able
to carry four or more cannon OF not less
than six-inch calibre. They must at all
times be at the demand of the government.
They must carry American boys and train
them in seamanship and be differed by
American citizens and have crews COM
posed of 80 per cent or more of American
sailors. The vessels cannot be sold with
out the consent OF the secretary Of the
navy.
Mr., Humphrey adds:
1T might be we'll to add for those who
have been declaring that the proposed leg
islation was TO benefit existing lines that
not a ship now running can take adj
vantage of the provisions of this hill.
Neither need any Of the watch dogs OF the
treasury exercise their lungs, for there Is
now danger of national bankruptcy. It
is specifically provided that the amount that
can be expended in any one year shall
not exceed the estimated revenue from
the foreign mail service OF that year"
Mr.. Humphreys measure proposes to
bring into the national treasury about
s.. 100000 annually through Increased ton
mage tax on vessels engaged in the trans
oceanic trade, every dollar Of which will
come from foreign ships" he says. Ameri-
can vessels subject to this tax may have
rebated the percent Of their tonnage dues
by carrying American sailors. one for
each 1000 tons of the vessel.