Show STlAMn11Il HUBSIDIES Hie ban Francisco Ifachaiil a later I devoted to Iho mercantile interests of the t Pacific Coast publishes Iho fait that our t 1 I I exports to Australia and adjacent islands Lave increased in the past two years Irolll 05000000 to 11500000 and that thin balance of trade in favor of tho United 1 States increased in Iho same period to 0000000 and on this showing IIIlIkes an earnest plea to Congress for n subsidy to n steamship line between San Francisco I and Australia Just where thia subsidy would Inure to the benefit ot Pacific Coast commerce it is difficult too to-o when it is remembered that two lines of steamships of tho first class or moro irojitrl speaking the ships of two flags tho English and American rtm rcgu lady under the control of tho Pacific Nail Steamship Company The name of tho Pacific Mail is synonymous with sub silly and for the past twcnt or thirty cars Chat compan has monopolized the carrying trade 01 the country held up nndolrengthenedbyChic Government until un-til it was strong enough to turn and kicks kick-s sponsor Tho Pacific Mail held a sub silly to carry Iho Japanese and Chinese malls at this time of the opening of tho Central Pacific Ilalhoad and its mann I gcrs etoleumly testified that it barely ivedat that The railroad COlli pan emg forced thereto by extortionate rates on through tea freights first obtained n iortgaLoon the Mail companys wharf properly and then chartered three Tng sh ocean steamships the Hclgic Oceanic and Gael ic and put on in opposition oppo-sition linn lo China and Japan and presto I they did more business than the aciflc Hall nnd made moro mono and continue to the present day under tin name of the Occident and Oriental Steamship Company They asked no nil but a fair I field It Is evident that ho pita of the Merchant is a covert ro juest for n subsidy to the Pacific JIail and it is to bo hoped that Congress will steer clear of the powerful lobb em played by that company and let the good showing In trade remain as It is to benefit bene-fit a thousand small ship owners rather ban to aid a monster corporation which seeks to drive all competion from the route Assuming that this is in tho interest in-terest of the Pacifit Mall and 1 for the benefit of American Commerce in Anton can bottoms wity is it that this company charter nglish steamers sailing under ho nglish flag to thenwork instead of having built American bottoms thus encouraging homo enterprise T The cry that such ships can bo built cheaper abroad is ilso and tho statement is exploded ex-ploded past saving leaving this compan and all Its army of hangers on and subsid hunters in Iho nntnv lablo light of Treasury try leeches and stamping the whole outfit out-fit as unworth of Government aid or conntcn nice The Pacific Mad goaded tho people of tho Pacific Coast to math 1 ness when tltey could in the las before the railroad reached there t and they would repeat tho dose too quick if they were stilTcntd In their fight with a flit subsid to continue the trade which now pays a good relurn on the investment The growth of American shipping will bo 1 moro hurt then helped by any such subsidy sub-sidy which rather tends to kill compel lion which is tho backbone of all trade |