ventions to the postal lines were fixed at certain yearly
sums. A law of 1900 (February 23) extended the postal services. Under
these laws the postal subventions reached a total of about 5,647,811 yen
($2,823,905) a year. Of this total the _Nippon Yusen Kaisha's_ was the
lion's share,--4,299,861 yen, about $2,149,930.[FD]

After the passage of these laws the various companies further increased
their tonnage, but the merchant marine grew more wholesomely for a
while. In 1902 the total tonnage had reached 934,000 tons, and the
Japanese mercantile fleet had risen to the position of eighth in the
world in point of tonnage, whereas in 1892 it was only thirteenth.[FE]
In 1907 the United States consul at Yokohama wrote: "The building of
ships of over ten thousand tons in Japanese yards is now quite
common.... The war [with Russia] has given a great impetus to the
shipbuilding and dock-yard industry which has made remarkable progress
during the last few years."[FF]

That year (1907) the Government brought forward several ship-subsidy
bills making provision for further Japan sea services.[FG] In 1908 the
amount of State aid to the merchant marine had increased to an
equivalent of $6,170,566 and additional amounts were asked for, one for
the line to South America.[FH] The budget for 1908-09 carried the
largest amounts yet devoted by Japan to ship subsidizing. At the end of
1908 official statistics placed the number of steamers at 1618, with a
gross tonnage of 1,153,340.42. Of these, one hundred and one were
steamers of more than three thousand tons.[FH]

In 1909 a new subsidy system was adopted (the laws of 1896 revised), to
go into effect January 1 1910. The fixed navigation bounties granted by
the old system on specified routes were abolished, and a general subsidy
offered open to all steamships conforming to the provisions of the new
law. The subsidized open-sea routes, however, were limited to four--the
European, the North American, South American, and Australian;[FI] and
coasting services in the Far East were not affected. Among other
conditions imposed on the beneficiaries were the requirements that
steamers must carry more than one-half their maximum load; that each
must have a wireless telegraph outfit, this, however, instituted at the
Government's expense; that the Department of Communications be furnished
with information as to freights and passenger rates; and that proper
terminal facilities, as piers, warehouses, li