Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-10-30

By FREDERICK
j. HAskM
SHIP SUBSIDY FIGHT LOOMS

Civil war this country vas a maritime
newer. Its clippers proudly carried the
flag over the trade lanes of the seas.
Then the hard life and adventure of
the sea lost their attractiveness for
Americans. There was money and adj
venture ID the West and in home
trade. European ships would carry the
cargoes America gave up her place In
the shipping world and now she shrlnks
from the struggle necessary to estab-
Iish ships and routes, especially in view
~ The high American scale of wages
and costs.
Roosevelt Favored Subsidy
President Roosevelt tried to revive
10 interest in American shipping in
ia05 10 keep in this country some Of
tha millions paid to Europe for car
riers The Galsinger ship subsidy Dill,
which succumbed to persistent fill
clustering in thesenate, was the only
result. c -
taken the merchant marine on his
shoulders. He is one of the veterans
Of the house, outranked IN point OF
continuous service only by Speaker
Gillette. He knows congressional tao
Ties and he knows shipping. Ever
GiERh ms 1IISl EEIAl ALI - oNb -
Saars ago. he has been a member of
She committee on shipping and for
sight wears he has been chairman:
lis district is a shipping center and
his constituents are said to approve
h;s attempt at reviving American sea
traditions. &c.,
bill will pass the house. In the SEN
ate. long speeches and filibusterlng
may be fatal. as in the case OF the
| Gallinger bill.
The final question is whether the
American merchant marine is or sui
ficient importance to the national In
~terests to be given government aid at
th;s time. and il SO, how much aid is
advisable. Few persons interested in
the bill, however, are viewing the mat
ter from. a general viewpoint.
Shining interests are strongly IN
favor Of The proposed government aid
for their business. They, consider 1t
only lust that the republican party
which believes in protecting other IN
dustries By tariff should help the
struggling ship owners.
Enemies Of the bill say that the peo-
pie should not be burdened further;
that shipping has not been subdized
in this country; the subsidy is an ex-
pertinent which will not put shipping
on its feet, and that it will only in
yolve the country in heavy expense.
Estimates as to what the burden
will amount TO vary widely. Lasker
| says: TT is estimated that in order
to develop a balanced fleet of 100000
gross tons, which should carry 90 per
cent at least of all branches of our
overseas trade, the cost to the treas
ury will ultimately approximate $780,
600, 600 Ga year,, though for the first
wear it is estimated at only S15,0U,-
900.
Representative Davis, opposing the
bill. says that "the subsidies and aids
provided in the bill would cost more in
three years that the 5000, O0,0o0
which the shipping board hopes to
derive from sale of its ships, not to
! speak of the S125, 100000 loan at 2
per cent interest for at least Is years,
and the further fact that the annual
cost of at least $4,000, 900 would con-
tinue indefinitely
Proponents ofUthe subsidy bill are
said to be interested in 1t for what
they get out of it. Enemies of the
project on the other hand have been
accused of being pro-European, OF the
ground that foreign ships viii prosper
from American cargoes if we do not
build up our own marine.
Tt is n complicated question. The
committee hearings alone on the bill
fill two volumes each two inches thick.
And the battle royal in the senate is
yet to come.