Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-07-08
NATIONS CAPITAL.
Senator Frye Urges Passage Of
Subsidy Shipping Bills.
Agreement Reached Oh Silver Biu---Sel-
ate will Consider Il To-day.
Special Ger SOS ErumeratoEs fos Sec
ocd District Industhss.

WAsHISGroS. July AT 2 O'Clock the
consideration of the t~o shipping bills IRE
ported by Frye from the committee on
conferenee) Vas resumed.
Reagan said be agreed most heartily With
the purpose of building up again. the mer-
camille marine Of the uaifed States. but
did not agree with the pending bills. The
L Uuited States had q revenue system that
approached the prohibition Of impofts. 1t
might be safely assumed that IL the United
States is to trade With ether countries, ii
mus, buy a. well as sell products. That
was the Law of commerce and the Cni,ed
States could not expec, TO build up COM
commerce when the policy OF its
legislation vas destroy ing the
existence of international commerce
If United States desired TO have commerce
" it'll other nations, il would have 10 adopt
such policy as. would invite interchange
products. Otherwise no amount of gov
erument subsidy to steamships would be of
any avail. That NJ ght give ships but did
not give commerce.
At the close of Reagsn's remarks, the
election bill was received from the House
and was, on motion Of Frye, ordered to lie
on the table until the return to Washington
of Chairman of the Committee on Privi-
leges and Elections, Hoar.
Morgan addressed the Senate on the shi =
ping bills. He suggested to Frye to let
the experiment be tried of permitting
American citizens to buy ships abroad and
sail them under the American register. All
hostile commercial legislation had long
since been abandoned by all nations ex-
cept the United States, in that one instance
of forbidiing the use Of vessels under the
American flag that were not built in the
United States. The United States vas the
only nation in the world that had such
statute on its books.
Morgan yielded the floor temporarily,
and Sherman presented the conference re-
port on the silver bill. After it WAS read
in full, he gave notice that he would call il
up for action tomorroS morning.
Morgan then resumed, and costinued his
argument against the subsidiary shipping
bills. The truth of the matter was. he
said. that the ocean carrying trade was
overdone. and until that condition of things
was altered, freights must be carried by a
vessel at losing rate. The people of The
United States could be expected TO with
draw their money and enterprise from such
vast ard wonderful fields as are being
pttutu y otahth, anu ko WI
into field where the accumulated capital
OF the world 10 invested under Indictment
bountes and subsidies. There was no oc.
casion for their undertaking competition of
that kind, and as people now get the advan-
tage of low freight rates, lie could really
see no occasion for changing that condition.
lie was in favor of the bill for free ships.
Frye made some additional remarks in
Il H. 70 st, ~E
line of chips between New York aud Liver
pool at SC mile, which would be, he said.
little over $500 900 for four great ships.
he had this to say: That while the bill put
the limit above which the postmaster gen
eral should not go, it did not put the limit
below which he should not go. Assuming
the cost to be $500, 900 year, these four
great ships would occupy fully, in case OF
war, the place which Que Of the
great line Of battle ships occupied.
Such ship to cost three millions for con
siruction and four or five hundred thousand
dollars q year for maintenance. In his
judgment the postal subsidy bill would no:
cost for the next two years the net prof;
which the government of the United States
was making from carrying foreign mails.
Never bad there been. he said. for the last
twenty years so opportune time a. the
present for the passage of such bills. Cap
tal was seeking investment Capital WAS
no longer anxious, for the public domain was
becoming little uncertain about mortgages
in the West. 1t was looking around now
to see where it should go. The sentiment
of the country was aroused on the subject
of commercial marine. The people are
looking to sec whether something could not
be done The shipyards of the country,
in their capacity for building great ships,
have doubled in FIVE years; no ship could
be called for that could not be provided in
the American shipyards.
Two ysars sgo no one would have dreamed
of having steel ships built at San Francisco.
Two great war ships have been bail, III re
since then. He hoped to get votes on both
bills tomorrow. He earnestly hoped both
bills would be sent to the House, and be-
lieved if they were one of them would be-
come Law.
After brief executive session the Ser
ate at $40 adjourned.