The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

' 26 TAE Marine REVIEW DEVOTED TO EVERYTHING AND EVERY INTEREST CONNECTED OR ASSOCIATED WITH MARINE MATTERS ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH. Published every Thursday by The Penton Publishing Company CLEVELAND. » CHICAGO: MONADNOCK BUILDING. PITTSBURG: PARK BUILDING. NEW YORK: 150 NASSAU STREET. Correspondence on Marine Engineering, Seipouelding and Shipping Subjects Solicited. En $3.00 perannum. To Foreign Countries, $4.50. Subscribers can have addresses changed at will. \ Change of advertisting copy_ must reach this office ¢ on Thursday preced ing date of publication. The Cleveland News Co. willsupply the trade with the MARINE REVIEW through the regular channels of the American News Co. European Agents, The International News Company, 'Breams Building, Chancery Lane, London, e c England, Entered at the Post Office at Pleveland. Ohio, as Second Class Matter. DECEMBER 7, 1905. , PRINTED IN OPEN SFAAOP: THERE SHOULD BE A "SQUARE DEAL". The following is one of a series of editorials that will appear in the Marine Review during the coming winter, having direct and indirect reference to the requirements of our Merchant Marine: Again the country faces another session of congress - with all its turmoil' and agitation, its conflict of selfish and national interests. Among the few questions which by common con- sent are likely to occupy first place in the discussions this winter at the capitol, is the one that both polit- ical parties, in spite of their promises, have hitherto avoided definitely settling, namely, that of giving proper recognition to the requirements of the - mer- chant marine of the United States. _Every president from Jefferson to Roosevelt has urged prompt action and at every national conven- tion, Democrats have vied with Republicans in draft- ing upon their platforms the usual resolutions, and the platforms of that party which has, with but brief interruption, held sway for forty-five years at Washing- exceeding ton, have been especially prolific in this respect. But with the exception of a few efforts, largely the work of individuals who consecrated themselves most loyally and unselfishly to this service, no regular policy seems to have been agreed upon or been made a part of that party's legislation. The appointment, however, in the spring of 1904, of a non-partisan merchant marine commission, of five senators and five congressmen, was the first definite move made by congress. In many directions belittled at the time, this commission as a result of 'ex- haustive work and intense application, aroused a measure of popular interest that was a surprise, not only to the commission itself, but to every one who followed its investigations. Its report, accompanied by a bill, a number of the provisions of which were agreed to universally by the members of this commission, Democratic and Republican, has been before congress once, and with some slight modifications will be re-introduced at the coming session. This bill carefully avoids alt those features which made previous legislation unpopular, and provides for certain measures which have met the approval of all those who have given the subject any disinterested thought. They are briefly as follows: First. From a port of the Atlantic coast of the United States to Brazil, on steamships of the United States of not less than 14 knots speed, for a monthly service at a maximum compensation not exceed- ing $150,000 a year, or for a fortnightly service at a maximum com- pensation not exceeding $300,000 a year. Second. From a port of the Atlantic coast of the United States to Uruguay and Argentine, on steamships of the United States of not less than 14 knots speed. for a monthly service at a maximum compen- sation not exceeding $187,500 a year or for a fortnightly service at a maximum compensation not exceeding $375,000 a year. Third. From a port of the Atlantic coast of the United States to South Africa, on steamships of the United States of not less than 12 knots speed, for a monthly service at a maximum compensation not exceeding $187,500 a year or for a fortnightly service at a maximum compensation not exceeding $375,000 a year. Fourth. From a port of the United States on the Gulf of Mexico to Brazil, on steamships of the United States of not less than 12 knots speed, for a monthly service at a maximum compensation not exceeding $137,500 a year, or for a fortnightly service at a maximum compensation not exceeding $275,000 a year. 'Fifth. From a port of the United States on the Gulf of Mexico to Cuba, on steamships of the United States of not less than 14 knots speed, for a semi-weekly service at a maximum compensation not 75.000 a year. Sixth. rom a port of the United States on the Gulf of Mexico to Central America, on steamships of the United States of not less than 12 knots speed, for a weekly service at a maximum compensation not exceeding $75,000 a year. Seventh. From a port of the United States on the Gulf of Mexica, to Mexico on steamships of the United States of not less than 12 knots speed, for a weekly. service at a maximum compensation not exceeding $50,000 a year. _Eigthth. From a port of the Pacific coast of the United States, via Hawaii to Japan, China, and the Philippines, on steamships of the United States of-not less than 16 knots speed, for a monthly service at a maximum compensation not exceeding $300, 000 a year, or for a fortnightly service at a maximum compensation not exceed- ing $600,000 a year. Ninth. From a port of the. Pacific coast of the United States to Japan, China, and the Philippines, on steamships of the United States of not less than 13 knots speed, for a monthly service at a maximum compensation not exceeding $210,000 a year, or for a fortnightly service, at maximum compensation not exceeding $420,000 a year. Tenth. From a port on the Pacific coast of the United States to Mexico, Central America, and the Isthmus of Panama, on steam- ships of the United States of not less than 12 knots speed, for a fortnightly service at a maximum compensation not exceeding $120,000 a year: Provided. That the requirements of this section as to the rates of speed shall be deemed to be complied with if said rates are developed during a trial of 4 hours' continuous steaming at sea in ordinary weather in water of sufficient depth to make the test a fair and just one, and if the vessels are maintained in a condition to develop such speed at any time while at sea in ordinary weather. This trial shall be made under the direction and supervision of a board of naval officers which the secretary of the navy shall appoint upon the application of the owner or owners of the vessel to be tested. And so carefully has the bill been drawn as a result of the effort made to remove every possible objection to its enactment, that it would seem impossible to criticise any single feature, but there still seems to - exist some doubt as to its immediate passage. And why?