The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1910-03-14
Assertion That Trade is
Close on Subsidy
Proven Wrong.
SUBSIDIZED LINE
PROVES ARGUMENT
Exports to England Have
Increased But 25
Per Cent.

WASHINGTON, March 14.-(Special
to the Statesman )-Although it is not
generally known, Uncle Sam now sub
sidizes a few mail steamship lines. Our
heaviest subsidized line is from New
York to England.
If it is true las the advocates of the
Taft Humphrey ship subsidy bill as
sert, that trade follows subsidies, why
it that our exports to the United
Kingdom in the ten years between 1897
and 1907 increased but 25 per cent.
while our exports to nine countries to
which we have no subsidized lines in
creased from 105 to 1900 per cent?
This is only one of the points show
ing that trade does not follow subsidies
made in the report of the minority of
the committee on merchant marine and
fisheries, and submitted to the house
by Representative Spight of Mississip-
pi, who is one OF the best posted men
in the country on shipping subsidies.
While our exports to the United
Kingdom increased but 20 per cent,
our exports to countries to which V
have no subsidized lines, increased as
follows between 1897 and 1907:
Turkey, 1900 per cent.
Austria Hungary, 275 per cent.
German, 105 per cent.
Italy, 1S1 per cent. =.
Canada, 1S1 per cent
Chinese Empire, 115 per cent.
British East Indies, 125 per cent.
Japan, 1876 per cent.
Egypt, 200 per cent.
"These figures declares the report
of the democratic members of the COM
mittee on shipping subsidies, "are elo-
uuent in support of our contention that
no good can come of a further extern
sion of the Act of March 8, 1891 (the
act under which the mail line to Eng
land is now subsidized by the United
States)
The minority report does not content
itself with showing the futility of ship
ping subsidies. 1t provides a way to
build up our declining merchant ma
rlne without any cost whatever to the
taxpayers, by extending American reg
istry to ships built abroad ,and by
providing for a reduction of five per
cent in customs duties on goods carried
/ in American bottoms. The Spight bill
provides, however, that foreign-bullt
vessels to which American registry IS
extended, must be owned wholly by
citizens of the United States or COR
porations whose stockholders are all
citizens of the United States, and shall
not engage in the coastwise trade.
These provisos are for the benefit of
American ship builders.
Free ships says the minority re-
port, ''can hurt no business or interest
except the steel trust. 1t will do no
Injustice to this greedy corporation,
but simply take from it a part of the
unholy gain which it has been so long
exacting from It's helpless customers.
It has been abundantly shown that
steel products which enter into the
construction of ships have been delfv-
cred in foreign yards, after paying land
and ocean freights, much cheaper tnaH
was charged our home buyers.
"This section viii compel the steel
trust to compete with the foreign pro-
fducers, to the great advantage or
American sh:pbuilders and ship owners.
1--WE propose 20 break the 'strangle-
| hold of the steel trust by admitting
| free of duty all foreign products to be
used in building ships fN any pur-
pose, foreign or domestic. We shall
Continued on Page Four)