Conservative.
SHIP SUnSIDY IUI.L.
On studying the effect of this bill as
to the various steamers for which are
provided the highest rates aud which
would actually get the lion's share of
the subsidy , it develops that the subsidy
rates provided for are especially planned
not to promote exports of American
products , but (1) ( ) to provide luxurious
steamers for Americans who wish to
travel abroad aud who are able to pay
for first-class cabin accommodations on
luxurious "ocean flyers , " aud (2) ( ) to
"assist" to the largest extent possible
the bringing in of immigrants whether
from Europe or our new islands.
For example , the greater part of our
exports , especially of grain , are borne in
steamers of less than 11 knots speed.
Since the measurement upon which
gross tonnage is calculated is about 100
cubic feet of space , and the actual space
taken by a ton of heavy freight is only
about 50 feet ( by this very bill estimated
at 40 feet ) ; and since the engine , fuel
aud crew room required by these slow
steamers are comparatively small , each
can ordinarily carry of actual cargo of
American products grain , etc. , a
greater tonnage than the gross
( measured ) tonnage.
The highest subsidy proposed for sucli
a steamer , either by the original bill or
even by the amended bill just reported
to the senate , is 1J cents per gross ton
for each 100 miles not exceeding 1,500
miles and 1 cent for each additional 100
miles of the voyage.
That is to say , an ordinary freight
steamer of say 0,000 tons gross
( measured ) tonnage would carry say
7,500 tons of cargo.
Assisted Touribts.
The gross tonnage of the Sb. Louis
( one of the International's four great
steamers which would get subsidy ) is
11,629 tons and her net 5,898 tons , and
her cargo capacity 8,500 tons. At the
rate of subsidy proposed by both original
and amended bills the St. Louis , being a
steamer of " 21 knots or over" would
receive for the first 1,500 miles of each
her outward and return voyages 2 8-10
cents per 100 miles and 3 8-10 cents per
gross ton per 100 miles for the remaining
distance , or over $20,000 for the round
trip.
trip.But
But the actual cargo capacity of the
St. Louis is 8,500 actual tons of cargo.
The fact , therefore , is that for carrying
half the American exports for which the
\ freight steamer was subsidized $4,740 ,
* the luxurious swift passenger steamer is
subsidized over $26,000 ; or , in proportion
tion to American exports carried , the
passenger steamer received more than
i eleven times the subsidy that does the
freighter.
But this is not all. The cargo of the
freighter is ordinarily measured of
heavy bulk freight grain , flour , pork
etc. ; while the smaller cargo of the
passenger steamers is in the main of f
joxed and crated manufactured articles.
So that not merely does their actual
.veight per cargo ton average less than
1,500 pounds , but they are in the main
not American farm produce but the
surplus product of American "protec
ted" manufacturers , shipped abroad to
be sold foreigners at far less prices than
are charged for the same articles in this
country.
At page 107 of the "Senate Hearings"
Mr. Clyde testifies : "When we ( the
subsidy beggars ) are in a tight place , we
always have to turn to our Commission
er of Navigation. " It is about time for
Mr. Chamberlain to tackle this problem
and explain to Senator Nelson just how
this subsidy bill is specially adapted to
help Minnesota farmers instead of to
facilitate the voluntary exile in Europe
of Mr. Griscom's social friends.
Of course to anyone who knows the
influences behind this bill it is clear just
why it was thus drafted. But is this all
the explanation needed ?
Assisted Immigration.
The great war revenue bill introduced
in 1864 by Mr. Merrill of Vermont , in
creasing revenue taxes on incomes and
almost every form of wealth was "held
up" in the then overwhelmingly republi
can house until Senator Sherman intro
duced a bill entitled "an act to en
courage immigration. " That is , to
favor capitalist employers , who were
taxed by the revenue bill , our govern
ment went into the business of assisting
immigration to provide them with cheap
labor. The republican party celebrated
July 4th , 1864 , by enacting such a bill
into law on that day. By this the Uni
ted States assumed the expense of send
ing commissioners abroad , of adver
tising in foreign countries and generally
of inducing laborers to come here under
a special arrangement by which , in case
employers advanced money to pay their
expenses , their wages should be pledged
for a year ahead to repay them and any
real property which the immigrant
might require forever bound until ad
vances were paid , immigrants being
assured immunity from military service
here.
Of late years this law has not seemed
pleasant reading to our friends who are
now pressing for ship subsidy. But
their old leaders were frank enough ,
and as late as 1872 the Hon. William D.
Kelley of Pennsylvania , the then pro
tectionist leader in Congress , boasted :
"Yes ; men are on the free list. They
cost us not even freight * * * We
promote free trade in men , and it is the
only free trade I am prepared to pro
mote. "
These protectionists of thirty years
ago were babes compares with Mr.
Hanna , Mr. Frye , Mr. Payne and Mr.
Griscom. The old protectionists were
satisfied by free trade in men who paid
their own freight. The pending sub-
I sidy bill , however , is so drawn as to
assist immigration" by having our gov
ernment pay their passage.
Without showing any partiality to
any one of Mr. Chamberlain's calcula-
ions as against the others , they agree in
showing Mr. Griscom's line ( the Inter
national ) as sure to receive about as
much of the subsidy to bo realized for
; he next few years as all others com
bined which will be easily understood
when it is recalled that this line has the
only great passenger steamers of speed
and tonnage eligible to claim the highest
rates of subsidy. Of these , though he
is having four others built , there wore
last year but four ; and of these but
three the Now York , the St. Louis and
the St. Paul were in commission all
the year , the Paris being under repairs.
These brought in from Europe , on their
46 trips , 11,841 steerage passengers main
ly immigrants. This year they are
bringing in much greater numbers.
Their steerage capacity , however ,
averages over 80,000 cubic feet , including
galley , storage , hospital and exorcise
room , etc. , or capacity for nearly 700
immigrants for each vessel. That would
be , say , 2,200 cargo tons.
That is to say in the case of the four
great steamers belonging to this com
pany , which are the only ones to receive
subsidy at the highest rates provided
for , of their tonnage on which subsidy
is paid , a larger proportion is reserved
for immigrant traffic than by this bill is
required for exports of American pro
duce , to earn full subsidy.
If this subsidy helps any traffic , then
our government is thus again embarking
in the business of assisting immigration.
An idea can be gotten of the great im
portance of the point just discussed
when it is remembered that by its other
steamers ( foreign built , however , and
drawing subsidy at only half rate ,
either for exports or immigrants ) the
same International Company brought in
( by its "Red Star Line" ) some 21,000
additional steerage passengers , say 82-
000 in all by this company in 1899 , that
the immigrant traffic makes no use of
the freighters that carry most of our
exports especially those of grain ; but
is done almost exclusively by swift
steamers such as under this bill are given
the higher rates of subsidy , and that ,
from January 1st to date ( April 1st ,
1900) ) immigration is about 40 per cent ,
more than for the same period of 1899.
As the Boston Herald ( Ind. ) sees it ,
the struggle over the vice presidency ' 'is
to be the greatest trial of strength be
tween Platt and Roosevelt that they
have over had. " Regarding the trial
purely with a sporting view , it is in
clined to think that "it will bo safer to
place bets on Platt. Roosevelt is not in
so good form as ho was just after the
Cuban war. " The Now York Evening
Post.
