The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-05-10
MATTER OF YANKEE PRIDE.
Senate Votes to Admit Atlantic
Greyhounds to Register.
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL ON THE
SUGAR TRUST.

He Believes tn Combine Has Broken the
Lava Suit Instituted-Other WASH
ington News-The River and Harbor
Bill Passed by the House-Payments
to the Bath Iron Works - Minister
Smiths Resignation.
WASHINGTON, May 9.-In the Senate,
today, Mr.. Frye, from the committee on
commerce, reported back the House bill
to encourage American shipbuilding. Mr..
Frye said that the two ships, the City of
Paris and City of New York, were today
capable of taking on board in an hours
time 16 rifed cannon and going to sea to
meet any war emergency. Besides no
government would have four other ships
of the same kind. American citizens
would hereafter have the privilege of go
ing to Europe under their own flag in
stead of foreign flag. He had been the
persistent and aggressive friend of the
American ship and American shipyard
and, in giving his adhesion to the pend
ing bill, he did not rub out one jot or one
little of his devotion to these interests.
1t was no impulse that led him to sup
port the pending measure. 1t was the
result of careful and long continued con-
sideration. In the last Congress his
hopes were exceedingly buoyant, the
Senate having passed two bills, one the
tonnage bill and the other the postal sub
sidy bill. He felt if those bills became
1oxrr Io rs b.
proper and rightful position upon the
ocean. But, unfortunately, the House
defeated the tonnage bill and had Grip
pied the postal subsidy bill, so there was
no inducement left for capital to build
first class ships and put them on the line.
Shortly after, he spent week in Phila-
delphia and New York, using
All His Powers of Persuasion,
to induce capitalists to put American
ships on their lines. His effort was a
complete failure.
Mr.. Frye said, that some six months
ago, a proposition was made for the adj
mission of those two Inman ships to
American register on the condition that
two equally good and fast ships should
be built in American shipyards and thus
establish an American line between New
York and Liverpool. He declined then
to give an answer and told the gentleman
who came to him that he would take the
matter under careful consideration. He
had done SO and communicated with lead
ing friends of American ships and ship
yards all over the United States. Finally,
he had come to the conclusion that it
was for the interest of American ships
and American shipyards to enact the
pending bill into law. He was author
lied to say that some of the leading men
and manufacturing and ship building es-
Establishments in the United States had
sent to Washington their
Approval of the Pending Bill.
There were intimations in the news
papers that the British lion was growing
somewhat at the prospect of losing these
two ships. But it had no occasion to
growl, because when these ships were
built the proposition was made that they
should be subventioned by the British
government at the rate of $105, 900 year.
But the British government had said to
the owners that in case of trouble, the
United States government was liable to
ask for them and admit them to Ameri-
can registry, and there ought to be some
penalty in event that the owners yielded
to that demand. The owners asked what
penalty the British government desired
to exact and the reply was that the $780,
600 year should be returned each year
SO that there should always be one year S
pay behind, and that $105,0O0 should be
the penalty exacted if those ships ever
went under American registry. So that,
Mr.. Frye said, the British government
had nothing to say if the bill became a
law. The penalty would be paid and
that was the end of it. If the bill became
a law two more ships would be built in
in the United States, not of 10000 tons,
but of Il, 900 tons, and with a speed not
of 20 knots but of % knots.
Mr.. Mitchell asked Mr.. Frye to state
how the pending measure would
Develope the shipbuilding Industry
of the United States. Mr.. Frye said the
men proposing to building these ships
were all men of large experience and
vast wealth, and they had made up their
minds there was in the United States a
sentiment Of patriotism and regard for
the American flag that would lead all
OCcdu CldVolloIS VI i1lCIlCdu DlrLu TO
select vessels carrying the American flag
rather than vessels carrying the Belgian
English or French flags. The enactment
of the pending measure would lead to
the building, by line after line, of Amer
ican ships at American shipyards. He
had been assured it was the purpose of
another line, between New York and
Antwerp, to put in three of their great
ships. If they were successful, as he
believed they would be, it would en-
courage capital to embark once more in
the ocean steamship business.
Mr.. Mills expressed the opinion that
the two ships would be entitled to subsi-
dy.
Mr.. Vest expressed contrary opinion,
because the subsidy bill applied only to
American built ships.
Mr.. Sherman read clause of the bill
to show that the City of Paris and City
of New York were to be entitled 'sto ali
the rights and privileges of vessels of
the United States,'' except that they
were not to be employed in coastwise
trade. He gave it as his opinion that
the clause would confer upon their own
ers the right to make a contract under
the postal subsidy law