The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1879-04-11
GIVE HOME TALENT A CHANCE.

An interesting discussion sprang up in
the senate on the 31st ult., in which Mr.
Plumb took hand. That body had I'M
der consideration the bill to authorize
the secretary of the treasury to contract
with Mr.. John Gamgce for the construc-
ton of steel refrigerating steam vessel
for the disinfection of vessels and cargoes
from ports suspected of inspection with
yellow fever or other contagious disease
The bill was reported to the senate when
Mr.. Plumb said:
| should like to make an inquiry of
the senator from Tennessee with regard
to this Professor Gamgee, as to the pro-
propriety of contracting with him alone
Are there not other persons who might
be willing to contract and as competent
to contract to the satisfaction of the gov
ernment as the person named?
Senator Harris, of Tennessee, had the
bill in charge. He said Mr.. Gamgee was
the only person he knew of who had
plan for such a vessel, and urged the i'm
portance of immediate action:
Mr.. Plumb. / certainly had no pur-
pose, by the suggestion which l made,
of securing such a modification of this
bill as would require any delay whatever.
l realize as fully as any one can, think,
the necessity for due degree of haste
but l do think that it is not wise to
limit the secretary of the treasury to
this one person. do not make a great
deal of the fact that that person is not a
citizen of the United States; but / do
know, and think there are others on
this floor who know, that there are
steamers traverSing the Atlantic carry
ing beef in the carcass to foreign ports
which is preserved by a system that is
regarded as quite as valuable as that of
Prof. Gamgee and do not think that
the experience which so far has been
applied TO this subject and has demon
strated that this plan or patent, or what
ever II may be, is, to any considerable
degree at least, superior to that of a
number of others which are in operation.
While il may he that he, in anticipation
of this legislation, has by some kind of
diligence, which possibly may not have
been applied by other persons, got him.
self now in fair state of readiness to
construct ship. do not think that
consideration alone, or the considera-
ton OF the loss of a few DAYS time,
ought to operate to cut out only other
persons, but all other persons, American
inventors and others, who may have. as
l doubt not many have, plans and pat
ents that are just as valuable as, If not
more so than, the person named in this
hill.
/ do not desire in any way that this
matter shall he made the subject of that
competitive process or advertisement for
bids which the senator from Tennessee
speaks of and which would undoubtedly
occupy valuable time; but do think
that II a few days, or two weeks, or thirty
days, or perhaps only ten days, were per-
mitted to intervene, during which time
the secretary of the treasury might call
for plans and specifications and bids
not necessarily public bids, but private
bids-it would mt least have n certain
fairness about 1t which this bill as il
stands does not have. / therefore, with
out desiring to impede the passage of
the bill or seeking in any way to antago-
niZe il, would be glad if the senator from
Tennessee would submit to an amend
ment which would at least permit the
secretary OF the treasury, in his discre-
ton, to avail himself on the ingenuity,
of the judgment, of the investigations of
other persons, but especially American
citizens, practical ship-builders, as is
suggested by the senator from Maine,
Mr.. Iamlin. The fact is, the two
things-the building of the ship and the
process of refrIgerating to be applied
therein-do not necessarily go together
at all.
While would not want to express
that opinion without due Difference to the
judgment of the committee which has
examined this project and its general
purpose, at the same time do believe
that this principle might equally well APP
ply to ships already built in such a way
that not only might the time be saved
that has been spoken of in reference TO
this plan of Mr.. Gamgee, but that it
might be applied great deal sooner by
| applying it to vessel that is now al
ready built. But whether that be true
or not, think that in framing this bill
| there ought to be seeming opportunity
at any rate for other persons than this
gentleman here named to compete, and
especially to open it to the citizens of
our own country who have applied, as
know many of them have, the best years
of their lives to procuring plans of the
same kind, plans many of which are now
used by the wealthlest cattle-shippers in
this country in ships which are carrying
carcasses of beef to foreign markets. 1t
is the same principle, no more and no
less; and the fact that this person has
been little more diligent in getting his
plans, in getting himself probably before
the notice of the authorities, should not
operate to cut out wholly and entirely,
as does this bill, every person from an
opportunity of doing this same thing for
the same or for less amount of money