SHIPPING SUBSIDIES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 633, 9 October 1909, Page 5

SHIPPING SUBSIDIES.

TAFT'S SUPPORT. ; EXTRA COST OF MERCANTILE MARINE.! ■ : FOOD PRICES AND IRRIGATION. (By Telegraph—Press Association-Copyright.) -i (Rec. October 8, 10.5 p.m.) . ' V New York, October 8. •' Speaking at San Francisco, oil the decreasi it the United States mercantile, marine, President Taft referred to tlio higlior'cost of ship construction and of-labour and'mainttrianco iii the United Stales as compared with other mftrr- » time lie urged tho use of ship subsidies to meet tho difference. , 1 1 i The President declared that tho high price? of food were duo to land-oxhau6tion. 110 sug-. : gested irrigation by private capital, with Government'aid, _ lOn His present tour President Taft' has more than once .spoken of the necessity of assisting v the United Stntes mercantile marine, mid ho now seems Io havo declared definitely for subsidies. This'would seem to make tho prispects ' of tlio Ship Subsidies Bill (introduced by senator . GalUttgcr and rejected two years. running) very much bettor. As regards the difference m tho cost of maintenance nf American shipping and that of other countries, figures were- re--cently■ published in- Tire, Dominion showing < that the cos* of'running a Pacific mail steams ship with an American crew is estimated at 803,810 dollars, with an/Asiatic croiv 307,310 dol-' lars, making an excess of 430,493 dollars in th«. case of tlio American crew.]