The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1922-12-01

. losses are met by the public treasury
/ and witness the continued losses ano
: deterioration until the colossal fail.
ure ends in sheer exhaustion.
! The third is estructive-involv.
ing the sacrifice of our ships abroad
or the scrapping Of them at nome
, the surrender of our aspirations and
the confession OF ouN impotence tc
the world in general and our humilia.
ton before the competing world in
particular.
A choice among the three is in
evitable It is unbelievable that the
American people or the Congress
which expresses their power Will
consent to surrender and destruction.
Il is equally unbelievable that our
people aud the Congress which trans
lates their wishes into action will
longer sustain programme of OBJ
struction and attending losses to the
i treasury.
have come to urge the construc-
tive alternative, to reasssrt an Amer
lean eve will" I have come to ask
! you to relieve the responsible admin
istrative branch Of the Government
from a programme upon which fail
are and hopelessness and stagger-
ing losses are written for every page,
and let us turn to a programme of
assured shipping to serve us IN war
and to give guaranty to our COM
mercial independence in peace.
Knows Hostility TO Word Subsidy"
know full well the hostility in
the popular mind to the word Sub
sidy". 1t is stressed by the opposi-
ton and associated with specify
privilege" by those who are unfailing
advocates of Government aid when
ever vast numbers are directly con-
cerned. Government aid" would be
fairer term than subsidy" in de
filming what We are seeking to do for
our merchant marine, and the inter-
ests are those of ali the people. even
though the aid goes to the few who
serve.
Ii Government aid is fair term
and / think ii is-to apply TO author
izations aSgregating 75,00O.00O to /
promote good roads for market high
ways it is equally fit to be applied
to the establishment and mainte- !
nance OF American market highways
on the salted seas. Ii Government
aid is the proper designation for fiji
teen TO forty millions annually ex-
pended to improve and maintain in
land waterways in aid of commerce,
it is a proper designation for a need
ed assistance to esta blish and MAIN
tain ocean highways where there is
actual commerce to be carried.
But call it subsidy" since there
are those who prefer to appeal to-
prejudice rather than make
frank and logical argument. We
might so call the annual loss of
fifty millions which we are paying
now without protest by those who
most ablror-we might as we'll call
hat subsidy" II so, l am pro-
posing to cut it IN half, approximate
y, and to the saving thus effected
here would be added millions upon
Millions of further savings, through
,nding losses on capital account
fovernme nt capital, out of the pub
ic treasury, always RENE mber-and
here would be at least the promise
nd the prospect of the permanent
of the needed mer-
liant marine.
Appealing TO Strve Treasury. =
l challenge every insinuatioD of [
avored interests and the enrich |
nent OF the special few at the ex- 8
ense of the public treasury. | am, v
irst of all, appealing to save the n
reasury. Perhaps the unlimited be-
towal of Government aid might q
Justify the apprehension of support s
,voring. but the pending bill. the Z
rst ever proposed which carries I,
UGH provision, automatically Il
yards against enrichment or per- 1,
tuated bestowal. 1t provides that A
lipping lines receiving Government q
id must have their actual invest Il
tent and their operating expenses d
udited by the Government; that ly
overnment aid will only be paid UNI v,
| the shipping enterprise earns 10 CT
Or cent on actual capital employed, d
nd Immediately that whea more
IAN 10 per cent earning Is reached, II
alf of the excess earnings must be h
pplied to the r. payment OF the Gov RI
'nment aid which has been previous W
advanced. Thus the possible, earn d.
90. ~, lin,ftaH fo a vary ra a GfaOa hi "a a,