The Conservative (Nebraska City, Neb.) 1898-1902, February 15, 1900, Page 12, Image 12
12 Conservative * UASULKSS ARGUMENT FOR SUBSI- IJIKS. It is possible tlmfc the millions who do not own ships will object to paying ft subsidy to the scores who do own them. Such being the cnse , the business will bo compelled to stand or fall on its own merits , and , with every American ship yard rushed with orders , it is not likely to fall for an indefinite period. Port land ( Ore. ) Oregonian , Oct. 20 , 1899. Ships ami Shipbuilding. Mr. James Boyle , United States con sul at Liverpool , is the author of an in teresting paper on "British Shipping and Ship Building , " published in the latest issue of Consular Reports. It is regarded as a demonstrated fact that we can build ships in competition with the yards on the Clyde ; that in quality nnd cost of ships we can com pete with anybody. It is certain that we are not compelled , like English builders , to import steel plates and other items which , according to Mr. Boyle , we are exporting. Having every facility , natural and acquired , why should we not go ahead and construct ships for the ocean carrying trade ? Why wait for Congress "to give the word ? " Washington Post , June 12 , 1899. The Shipping-Subsidy Job. The appetite in some things grows by what it is fed upon , and nothing is more encouraging to the desire for a largo subsidy than the grant of one of mod erate proportions. The International Navigation Com pany had in the Payne-Hauna bill a do nation accorded to it out of the public treasury of unparalleled proportions. Ships built abroad or at home were to be subsidized in a manner that could not fail to make them profitable to their owners wherever they were run , and , having granted to the International Navigation Company this sweeping op portunity to thrust its hands elbow deep into the treasury , a time limitation was imposed which would probably prevent other eager claimants from competing in the work of treasury looting. The scheme was intended to give to certain favored individuals the chance to call upon the government for aid and to deny it to others. Boston Herald , June 10 , 1899. Subsidies Not Needed. The United States must have plenty of ships on the ocean , and the time is not far distant when she will have them , but they must be supported , like those of other nations , by the traffic of the world , and not by a tax on the people of our own country. Portland ( Ore. ) Ore- goniau , June 17 , 1899. The Shipbuilding Ring and Its Agent * In Congress. Under the guise of fostering and de veloping various industries the subsidy bill olfored in this congress was drawn solely with the intention of benefiting a few powerful shipbuilders. The raid upon the treasury as planned was , how ever , too brazen to encourage its organ izers in the hope that the country would permit it to pass unchallenged. So the old expedient of log-roiling was em ployed in order to secure the advocacy or the quiescence of other influences , and the measure took a final shape which appalled , because of its flagrant robbery , all save the most hardened of the subsidy promoters. It must not be forgotten that the lobby controlled and energized by the shipbuilders is a crafty and unscrupulous one , though in this case it has luckily overreached itself. Its only governing motive is to benefit itself by preventing ships carrying the American flag being built elsewhere than in American yards , save under farcial conditions which will never be realized. New York Herald , March 8 , 1899. The Ship-Subsidy Plunk. The Leader does not believe that the republicans of Iowa are in favor of what has been fitly denominated the most gigantic subsidy scheme over proposed on the floor of the American congress. Wo gave the promoters of Western rail roads gigantic laud grants , out of the proceeds of which the railroads were built , thus in effect presenting the rail roads to the promoters. All now admit this policy to have been a mistake , and that the lauds should have been held for homesteaders or sold to settlers , thus realizing a sum which would have been sufficient to extinguish the national debt. That the old land grant grabs are now recognized to have been robbery of the people and a dissipation of the pee ple's heritage is testified to by the fact that the member of congress who would now propose to give a railroad a laud grant would be kicked out of the body by his indignant colleagues. A ship subsidy scheme is even worse , for it proposes annually to take many millions of money directly out of the public treasury and deliberately hand it over to certain largo oceanic transportation companies. The people of the West are interested in the cheap transportation of their grain and products abroad. The cheap er the service the better for them , for every cent taken off the ocean rates means that much higher prices to the producers of the great staples. The sub sidy scheme holds out no promise of lower transportation rates. On the con trary , it is proposed by it to eliminate foreign competition and to secure , by an artificial stimulus , the carrying to ships with an American registry. For eign competition eliminated , and the tramp steamer , which has done so much to lower ocean rates , discriminated against by tonnage duties and special exactions , in a large measure would dis- appear from our ports. Rates would go up , to the injury of every Western and every legitimate Eastern interest. Thus , in addition to the money which would directly be taken out of the people's pockets and given to great ship operat ing companies , the ship subsidy scheme is a menace to the West in a larger and more important sense. Every loyal American would like to have American ships on every sea. But the only way permanently to obtain this condition is to trust to the operation of natural causes. Des Moines ( Iowa ) Leader , Aug. 6 , 1899. " \Vhiit Congress Is Doing. The Hanua-Payne shipping subsidy bill is in the hands of a committee and will be reported to the house of repre sentatives. A vast lobby is hero with a number of experts who are preparing speeches and arguments for the republi can members. The republican leaders on the floor are being trained and drilled by these experts. The bill is an infamous measure , designed to create an ocean-carrying trust , with the United States treasury at its back , that will be able to destroy all competitors. The monopolists realize that they cannot lay steel rails upon the ocean and secure charters that give them an exclusive right of way to plow the Atlantic and Pacific and control the carrying trade. They also realize that where they can not control the trackless ocean they cannot create a monopoly , unless they can have the United States treasury pay them a bounty upon their business BO large that they will be able to crush competitors. National Watchman , Jan. 18 , 1900. The full text of the parody of Kipling by Secretary Reitz of the Transvaal is as follows : PROGRESSIONAL. [ Dedicated to Mr. Mudyard Pipling. ] Gods of the Jingo-Brass and Gold , Lords of the world by "Right Divine , " Under whose baneful sway they hold Dominion over "Mine and Thine. " Such Lords as these have made them rotten , They have forgotten they have forgotten. The Nigger or the Chinee dies , The Gladstones and the Pitts depart ; But "Bigger Englanders" arise To teacli the world the Raiders' art. Such Lords as these have made them rotten , They have forgotten they have forgotten. ' " the Gold the the Men " They've "got , Ships , , And are the Masters of Tomorrow , And so mankind shall see again The days of Sodom and Gomorrah. These are the Lords that made them rotten , They have forgotten they have forgotten. Drunken with lust of Power and Pelf , They hold nor man nor God in awe , But care for naught but only Self , And cent per cent's their only Law. These are their Lords , for they are rotten , They have forgotten they have forgotten. Their valiant hearts havn put their trust In Maxim guns and Motford rifles , To knock thn Niggers into dust , And such-llko "unconsldered trifles" For boastful brag and foolish fake Th * Imperialist shall "take the cako. "