A sipping subsidy Bill is now before the U. S. Congress whose result if it is passed, will be to greatly stimulate the building of steamers in the States. The Bill provides for the payment of very large subsidies, and of course it is being vigorously pushed by the big shipbuilders in the States, and the big shipping companies. Lhe New York Nation, which is strongly against all such raids on the public purse, writes very forcibly against the Bill, using the old economical arguments, which are seldom valid enough to resist the efforts of corporations with great finan strength, which are always ready to employ a portion of their funds as bait to ensure a larger haul. The Nation says: The Secretary of the Treasur may agree to pay money to certain ship-owners, but the ship-owners vender him no service in return.
They obtain a part of the revenue of the public, and spend it in. building ships which are their privat property. It is commonly believed that a consideration, and a very substantial one, will be paid by the ship-owners: but they will not pay it into the Treasury of the United Star There may be a contract a contract between celain private citizens and certain influential politicians, relating to the furnishing of money for the coming Presidential campaign, and to the compensation to be provided for those contributors out of the revenues of the government." On the other hand, the supporters of the Bill argue that it is derogatory to the dignity of the Umted States that such overwhelming proportion of her foreign commerce should be carried under alien flags and that experience has shown the disadvantage that a country labours under, if circumstances force it into war, from the absence of a sutlicient merchant nary to supply the wants of the Government for transport, ete.
As bearing on this question, the 3.8. Bureau of Navigation published at Washington on the 1st of February a statement showing the steel ves: reported under construction or under contract ay shipyards on the of the United States in January, 1900. We find the statement printed in the New York Maviti Register of the 21st ult. As reg: merchant vessels the figures are furnished by the managers of the respective yards, and as regards war vessels, by the Navy Department. The vessels are all steam vessels, there being no steel sailing vessels. reported as building. The statement is believed to include all the sea-coast yards where steel construction is in progress, although five yards no return, The U. Commissioner adds: "The statement should not be construed as indicating the tonnage which can be built and launched on our seaboard during twelve months, as it is greatly in excess ome of the been about three y and others require more than a y to complete. Some of the merchant steamships will not be launched in more than a and some have been contracted for but not begun." "The statement includes fifty—w: ships, of 140,313. tons displacement besides these there are contracts sti to be let for six warships of 76,500 tons displacement, authorised by Congress.
The yard that reports the largest naunt of tonnage is the Newport News Shipbuilding Ca., of Newport News, Virginia. Their statement includes four battleships, three of about 31,300 tons and 17 knots speed, one of 00 tons and 18 knots speed, and a monitor of 3.200 tons [and 12 knots speed; in all 50,080 tons. It includes also 52,600 tons of merchant shipping; two unnamed is of 11,300 tous each and 8 knots speed, for the Pacific Mail Co's Transpacific line, with two of 5,000 tons and 16 knots speed and four of 5,000 tons and 15. kueis for the New York and New Orleans trade. Next to them come William Cramp and Sons Ca. of Philadelphia, who are building one battleship of 12,300 tons and 18 knots speed, and one of 11,565 tons and 17 kueis speed, or tous of battleship in all. They are also building two steamers of 12,000 tons and 17 knots specd for the International Company, who now own the Yew York, Paris, St. Louis, and St Laut, for the Transatlantic trade: three steamers of 7,000 tons and 17 knots for the Spreckel's Oceanic line, trading between San Francisco, Honolulu, and ralia: one of 6,000 tons and 18 and two of 4,000 tons and 16 knots, for the New York, Cuba, and Mexico trade; and two of 3,000 tons and 14 knots, whose destination is unknown. The Union Tron San Francisco, are building f 12,400 tons and 5 tons and 17 a cruiser of 3,200 tons and 17 knots, a monitor of 3, tons and 12 knots, and three torpedo-boat destroy: 20 tuns and 2! knots. Th merchant steamer of 8,500 tons and 11 knots for the Honolulu trade, and sever The Delaware Tron Shipbuilding and Engine Works, of Chester, Pennsylvania, are building three merchant steamers of 6,000 tons and 104 knots, for the Honolulu trade, and ae of 1,400 tons, but no men-of-war, There is no other yard of much importance on the U.S. seaboard, though there are several building smaller coasting steamers, cruise and torpedo be but the total ntunof steamers for the foreign trade only ten, the Honolulu trade not being classed as fo Tf the new s, the pid and vast increase in the production of steam shipping in the aust be remembered that th ment takes no account of the large yards engaged in. building for the river and lake nm:
States, some of these ug almost cyual to th liners in gation in steamers: t At-d, sane equipment.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.