Paris, May 18 Exporters to France will be seriously affected if the Mercantile Marine Wage Subsidies Bill, which was passed to-day by the Chamber Jof Deputies by the overwhelming vote of 578 to 10, becomes law.
"The measure raises funds of nearly 154,000,000" francs annually and. grants subsidies to seamen in the! Mercantile Marine to the extent of 10 per cent. of their wages, with premiums according to the tonnage fand speed of their ships.
The funds will be raised by a jtiree per cent. tax on all import duties and an eight per cent. in-Jerease in the statistical tax. The subsidy will be paid to 100 per cent. French vessels owned by 100 per, jeent. French companies.
Tt was revealed tu a debate in the [Chamber of Deputies to-day that 27 per cent. of the French Mercantile Marine has been laid up since last January, compared with 11 per cent. British, 15 per cent. German, and 14 per cent. Italian.
Tt ig believed that the Senate may considerably modify the bill—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.