Show I ENORMOUS SUBSIDIES There are five of the British mall subsidies sub-sidies says L W Root in the March Atlantic which may be classed as 01 firstrate Importance namely to the United States India and time far East Australia the British West Indies and South Africa The last named Is a colonial contract and beyond the control con-trol of the British Government the governments of South Africa having only recently concluded terms for its renewal There Is another important 1 service namely with Canada for which GOCOO per annum Is paid hut this has I been In the melting pot so often of late I I and we cannot > uit be quite I sure that I I it has emerged In Its final shape that it is dltllculi to discuss particularly as u intMUuvM time 01 mmim service vit Vancouver to China Japan and Aus tralnRln There are one or Iwo smaller I conlraclK like those for West Africa and South America the latter being regulated slrUtly by weight of matter curried Of the live we are to deal with provision has been made for the current I year as follows Ono hundred and thirty thousand pounds sterling for thy United States divided between the Cuiuircl and White I Star lines ouiwurd to New York only i Two hundred andforiylive thousand i pounds sterling for India Straits Settlements Set-tlements Ceylon China and Japan i paid to the Peninsular and Oriental j i company outward and homeward I One hundred and seventy thousand pound sterling for Aualralla divided between ihe P fe I 0 und Orient com panics out and home Eighty thousand pounds sterling for I the West Indies to the Royal Mall Stenm Packet company out and home i Ninety thousand pounds sterling for 1 South Africa divided between the I Union arJ Castle Mall lines out and J Jiomr After September 1800 this will It I I Ue Increased under the new contract I I to OX5000 Before discussing the detain of these it will be as well to add that there Is a further annual payment made to four J companies amounting to 50000 for the right to call upon certain steamers as I armed cruisers in the event of hostilities hostili-ties between Great Britain and a foreign for-eign power This Is divided between four companies namely the Cunard White Star and the Peninsular and Oriental named In the preceding list and the Canadian Pacific railway for Its Pacific Mall steamers the largest amount any one of them receives being I1DOOO and for the total ten Or eleven of the finest and quickest steamers In the world can at very short notice be added to the British navy A good deal of comment has been made upon the circumstance that none of them were at first chartered for the conveyance of troops to South Africa but It must be borne In mind Unit the subsidy Is paid for retonllon for lighting purposes and not as transports W Root In the March Atlantic l |