The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-10-26

faring. Perhaps it is not adyisah,.
for US to try to compete with ses
loving nations, it is suggested. His.
tory shows that through co,on,s,
times and almost up to the Civ.
ear this country was a martins
power. Its clippers proudly car
ried the flag over the trade lanes
OF the seas. Then the hard life and
adventures of the sea lost their a.
Effectiveness for Americans. There
was money and adventure in tbs
west and in home trade. Euronean
ships would carry the carvoss
America gave up her place in In.
shipping world and now shs
sinks from the struggle necs.,
sary to establish ships and routes.
especially in view OF the high Amer.
lean scale Of wages and costs.
Roosevelt Favored Subsidy.
President Roosevelt tried 10 ra.
vive hefnterest in American shin.
ping in 1905 to keep in this country
some of the millions paid to Europs
, for carriers. The Gallinger shin
subsidy bill, which succumbed IN
persistent filbustering in the sen.
! ate, was the only result
Now, Representative Greene has
taken the merchant marine on his
shoulders. He is one of the vfser.
ans Of the house, outranked in point
Of continuous service only by
Speaker Gillette. He knows con.
gressional tactics and he kpews
, shipping. Ever since his first term
in the house, "A years ago he nas
been chairman. His district is a
shipping center and his consti,u-
ents are said to approve his al
tempt at reviying American sea
traditions.
1t is prophesied that the Greene
bill will pass the house. In the
! senate, long speeches and filibuster-
ing may be fatal, as in the case Of
the Gallinger bill.
| The final question is whether the
American merchant marine is OF
sufficient Importance to the nation
al interests to be given government
aid at this time, ard if 50, how much
aid is advisable. Few persons in
terested in the bill, however, are
viewing the matter from a general
viewpoint.
Shipping interests are strongly
in favor of the proposed government
aid for their business They coz
+ - ~ no hA
can party which believes in pro-
tecting other industries by tariff
should help the struggling ship
owners.
i EneU.ies of the bill say that the
people should not be burdened fur
! Their; that shipping has not been
!. subsidized in this country; the
subsidy is an experiment which will
not put shipping on its feet, and
. that it will only involve the country
in heavy expense.
Estimates as 10 what the burden
will amount to vary widely. Lasksr
says: 1T is estimated that in order
to develop a balanced feet OF l.
100000 gross tons, which should
carry so per cent at least OF all
branches of our overseas t'ade, the
cost to the treasury will Ultimately
approximate S30,000.0O0 Ia year,,
though for the first year it is esti-
mated at only SIS 100000.
Representative Davis, opposing
the bill, says that the Subsidies
and the aids provided in the bill
would cost more in three years
than the 100000, coo which the
shipping board hopes to derive from
the sale of its ships, not to speak
of the $125, 100000 loan at per
cent interest for at least 10 years,
. and the further fact that annual
/ cost of at least S75,000,00O would
: continue indefinitely
, Proponents Of the subsidy bill
!, are said to be interested in it for
what they get out OF it. Enemies
of the project on the other land
} have been accused Of being pro-
: European, on the ground that for
l eign ships will prosper from Amer
3 lean cargoes if we do not build up
our own marine 4
= II is complicated question. The
: com e;ttee hearings alone on The
: bill fill two volumes each two
r inches thick. and the battle royal
a in the senate is yet to come.