UNITED STATES MAILS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 123, 25 May 1908, Page 7

UNITED STATES MAILS.

SUBSIDY PROPOSAL REJECTED. 8/ Telegraph.— Press Aascetafcton.— Cofyrighfc. NEW YORK, 23rd May. The United States House of Representatives rejected the mail subsidy as agreed on by the conference of the two Houses at Washington, The conference accepted the Senate's amendment providing for a subsidy to carry mails to Japan, China, Australasia, South America, and the Philippines, vessels of the second-class to be paid at the aame rate as those of the first class. For some time many Americans have expressed alarm at the gradual disappearance of America's ocean mercantile marine, which has been almost entirety ousted by the European— and chiefly the British— shipowners. Senator Gallinger has been one of the chief champions of tho subsidy proposal, which has been enthusiastically endorsed in many quarters as a means of securing Borne of the British carrying trade. It is futile" (remarked an American correspondent some -weeks ago) to. tell these subsidy partisans that Great Britain is oy far the best customer of tho United States, and last year took 50 per cent, of the total American exports to Europe, the British total being £117,000,000, while America's total imports from the United Kingdom amounted to the vaJue of only £42,000,000 dutiable goods, and that a little reciprocity in tho way of benefiting the English ships, which do the work of- transport very well, and much more economically than American ships, is really a good thing? aIJ round It is equally futile to point out that the shipping trade goes to England because you Britishers can build, man, and run, (shipping more economically than America, and that even America would not tolerate a subsidy sufficient to redress the balance of difference. 'Let's make a start, anyway,' says the American ship-subsidy advocate. 'Give us enough of tho people's money to make a start in the South American and Pacific trade, and we will see what can bo done elsewhere.' The ship-subsidy movement was founded, and is supported chiefly by American shipbuilders, and there is no chance at present of ship subsidies on a big scale being sane- ' tioned by Americans generally."

Before Messrs. Mothes and Inglis, Justices of the Peace, at a sitting of the Petone Court, this morning, a young man, a labourer named Philip Bond, pleaded guilty to a charge of fraudulently converting to his own use the sum of £2, the property of James Sullivan. According to the evidence, accused was in February last, given a cheque to cash payable to Sullivan, but had decamped with tho money. Since then ho had re-appeared at Ngahauranga, and was recently arrested. As it was his first otfenco the bench convicted and ordered him to como up for sentence when called upon, the money being ordered to be returned. Press Opinions.—" The Autocar" : The Argyll Motor, Ltd., have put out an effort in automobile mechanism which reflects the greatest possible credit on all concerned." Scott Motor Co., 37, CubaRtreaL— AdvL