It
did this and more. There resulted the "strange phenomenon," as Professor
Viallates puts it, "of a steady increase in the sailing-fleet, while the
number of steam-ships remained stationary."[BX]
Thus, like its predecessor, unsatisfactory, the law of 1893 was
succeeded by another act further enlarging the bounty system. This law
was promulgated in 1902 (April 7). It provided three classes of bounty:
construction and navigation as before, and "commission compensation" or
"shipping premiums." The construction bounty remained as in previous
law. The navigation bounty, now introduced as awarded "as a general
compensation for the charges imposed on the merchant navy, and for the
excessive cost of vessels built in France," was increased.[BY] It was
payable to all French-built sea-going ships, steam and sailing, of over
100 tons gross, and less than fifteen years old, and was limited to
twelve years. To stimulate speed development, only ships showing a trial
speed of at least twelve knots with half load were to receive the full
navigation bounty; to those making less than twelve knots the bounty was
diminished by five per cent; to those making less than eleven, by ten
per cent. The shipping bounty was declared to be granted "as
compensation for the charges imposed on the mercantile marine" by making
merchant vessels practically schools for seamen.
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