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Show The hearing that Is in progress in New York by tlie Congressional Marine Commission, has generally been of much Interest and value. The testimony testi-mony of ship owners, builders, and seafaring sea-faring men has been practically unanimous unani-mous to the effect that in order to build up the American merchant marine this country will have to resort to the same means that other countries take to achieve the same result the paying of subsidies. This opinion has been so generally insisted upon that It was a surprise to the Commission when President Presi-dent James J. Hill, the railroad magnate mag-nate of the north, who is building big ships to run in connection with his road, and who intends to subsidize them heavily from his railroad earnings, earn-ings, declared against public subsidies. It is true, this declaration may mean no more than that he doesn't want any rivalry to his projects encouraged or fostered; but at the same time, he may be honestly striving to free his mind from all personal interest and to con-side- the question on Its public merits. Mr. HIU thought a tonnage' ts.x would be bettor than a subsidy, and be thought that If wc could buy ships abroad wc should soon have a large merchant marine, apparently thinking that the trouble is in the greater cost of building In this country; a natural enough view for him, perhaps, as his experience so far has been mainly in tho building; but when he comes to sail bin fleet of freight carriers he may find, as others have done, that the cost and charges of running American vessels nro something that under the laws must also be considered. The Commission, Commis-sion, however, is doing excellent work, and it is probable that it will have a most interesting report to make to the next sesHlon of Congress. |