The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-02-24
THE LAWMAKERS.
Prolonged Session of Both
Houses.
A PETITION IN FAVOR
The Contract Labor Bill Cencurred
in BY the House-Other
News.
The Senate.

The Senate.
WASHINGTON. February 23.-MHle
(Cala.), presented a petition received by
telegraph from the annual eneampment
OF the Grand Army of the Republic, now
in session in San Francisco, praying the
immediate passage by Congress of the
bill to place General Grant en- the re-
tired list. The petition was under the
rule, laid on the table, the Senate hav-
ing already on its part passed the bill to
carry out the purpose prayed for by the
petition.
In the postoffice appropriation bill,
Frye offered an amendment approprlat-
ing $4,000 0 for the transportation of
foreign mails, including the transfer
across the Isthmus of Panama, and au-
thorizing the Postmaster General 10
contract with the lowest responsible
bidder for the carriage of such mails,
not to exceed 90 cents a nautical mile
on the trip, each way, actually travelled
between terminal points, but providing
for such to be carried on American
steamships, andcthe aggregate of such
contracts shall not exceed one-half the
sum appropriated by the amendment.
Beck said that Frye's amendment was
a subsidy to q certain small class of
men. 1t was the old Pacific Mails sub
sidy, IN unjust discrimination, giving
$400.0 900 out of the Treasury 10 a few
men now owning a few ships. There
would be no time to build any new Sims
before this subsidy would expire, as it
would expire with the appropriation
bill. This would enrich n few pets of
Congress. Whenever Frye brought in
a bill making raw materials free and
shipping free, he, Mr.. Beck. would be
found for it. As long as we kept a
Chinese wall about our industries, we
were only Gripping our own merchants
by depriving them of markets.
Frye inquired whether il was not Il
! "subsidy" for the one-horse stage run
ming through the back hills of Ken
lucky to get $500 q year-more than a
dollar a year for every letter
carried? He supposed it was
not a subsidy for the rest of the country
to make up Kentucky's deficiency, half
a million dollars a year on her mail
service; but it became n subsidy
when any n proposed to help the
American steamships by paying 4 fair
price for carrying United States mails.
The Pacific Mail Company was always
brought up rs a bugaboo, whenever q
proposition of this sort came up. Frye
was not afraid of that ~bugaboo. That
company expended 81 100000 in Amer.
lean ship yards, among American mer-
chants, instead Of expanding the same
amount of money on ships in England
or the Clyde, where the Senator from
Kentucky (Beck) would have it ex-
pended. Instead of $780, 0) for the
good of merchant shipping, il
Frye could have his way, he would ez-
pend $4,000, 900 so that the American
flag may be seen in the ports of the
world and we could carry, not Is pei
cent. as at present, but 50 per cent. as
in the past. of our " manufactures.
Beck, replying to Frye, said the object
OF the p~ostofice appropriation bill was
to provide for the expenses of the post
office under the existing law. IT'S object
was not to change the existing law
Kentucky paid more into the Federal
treasury each year than Maine had paid
altogether in the las. half century. One
State contributes to the treasury in one
form and other States in other forms,
Why had we only 10 per cent. of the
carrying trade OF own products
Because we had a large tariff, because
of the Republican party. When we hat
a Democratic administration and low
tariff, we had so per cent. of our owl
products. The protection subsidy. the
Gripping OF commerce by high taxation
reduced the United States to the pitifu
position in which they were
ment of Frye would not help them.
Vest said there should be no mistake
about the question in hand. 1t was Il
: encourage the building of ships in TIT
: United States. No legislation of Con
gress, however, could build up shipping
or commerce under the present condi
tons of production in the United States
We might as we'll try to chain the wind
/ The amendment OF Frye was a naked
donation of $400, 900 to the Pacific Mai
Company. 1t was a subsidy. and sub
t sides don'tpay. Railroads and mining
stock iobbing and agriculture paid bet
ter than shipping. Until America founC
5 it paid better to work on the sea thai
: on the land, they would continue t.
/ work on the land. The money provided
e by the pending amendment might q
well be thrown into the ocean.
e Plumb would not discuss the who'll
: ques ton of the merchant-marine moro
e the prospects for it under the COMM
Democratic administration. If Their
T were complete Democratic a~scendency
American ships would simply meal
English sships bought and paid for b
American money. Plumb said tn
Postmast General believed it neces
saryfor government to pay more tina
e was now allowed by law. He, for one
o was willing to say to the Democrat
Postmaster General, that this exper
ment might be tried for a year.
Van Wyck offered an amendment
Frye's amendment, providing that Il
part of the money should be paid to an
d steamship company now establishe
If and which had been paying dividends
IS Van Wyck, supporting his amendment
said he supposed Frye's provision Wa
meant for the protection of infant II
dustries. He, therefore, saw no reaso
to pay any of it to a strong compan
# like the Pacific Mail Company. Th'
company had paid well. This none
was, after all, for the benefit of tn
g kings of Pacific railroads. The
controlled the Pacific Mail Compan,