Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-06-09
Ship Owners Trying to "Hold Up"
the Government.
EXORBIfANf PRICES FOR TRANSPORTS
Alleged Conspiracy Against the
Centennial.
THE LACEY BILL IN HEHOUSE

Rev. Lucien Clark pastor Of Foundry
! Church this city, pronounced the invoca-
| ton at the opening of today's session of
the Senate. He prayed that blessings
| might be bestowed upon the servants of
! the people, upon the officers and men of
| the army and navy who had gone from
! their homes in support Of their country,
| and upon all who were striving to decide
| questions involving the present and future
veal of the republic and the happiness of
millions beyond the sea; that the unseen
| hand which controls the destinies of the
| universe might guide the country safely
| through the struggle now in progress and
| that tyranny and oppression and wrong,
wherever found, be speedily overthrown.
May all letters fall. may the hungry be
| fed. the ignorant enlightened and the
mourners comforted. and may our own
| country be the swift messenger of justice
| and Righteousness and peace and freedom
to all the ends Of the EARTH
House bill making certain grants of
| land to the territory of New Mexico for
educational purposes was reported by the
committee on public lands and passed.
Mr.. Gallinger On. H) reported from the
| committee on commerce a bill providing
American registry for the steamers Olym-
pia, Victoria, Tacoma, Columbia Arizona
| and Argyll Of the Northern Pacific Steam
ship Company He expressed the hope that
| the bill would be passed at once, as the
ships were needed by the government to
transport troops to Manila Philippine Is
lands. The vessels are all flying at pres
| ent the British flag.
Mr.. Galinger said that the War De-
pertinent had found 1t difficult 10 obtain
| transport ships on the Pacific coast
! One of the vessels secured, the Centen-
NAL, had been found unseawocthy and it
was the purpose of the committee COM
merce to take steps to secure the repeal
OF the act providing American registry for
the Centennial
This statement gave rise to discussion
Closures.
Mr.. Perkins (Cal) sarcastically inquired
OF Mr.. Gallinger whether he supposed the
vessels which he proposed to provide with
american regiStery were any better than
the Centennial had proved TO be-
Mr.. Gallnger replied that The vessels
We're satisfactory 10 the War Department.
Further than that he could not say.
He knew the committee on commt rec
was doing its duty and would endeavor, so
far as possible. to protecc the interests of
the government.
Mr.. Carter (Mont) entered upon an ex-
PLANTATION of the declaration that the Cen
tennial was unseaworthy. The ship ne
Understood from perfectly trustworthy
sources. was thoroughly sound vessel.
She hal oeen carefully examined in Puget
sound by properly designated officers Of
the government. and had been ,ienlar ed alb
solutely seawcrthy. She had been given a
frst-class clearance by the British Az
thor1tleS and was regarded by those COM
petent to judge fine vessel She mad
been a japanese transport IN the war he
tween Japan and China, and had perform
ed most satisfactory services.
The fact seems to be- said Mr. Carter
lfat number of gentlemen engaged in
shipping on the Pacific coast nave been
engaged in holding up the United States
government for exorbitant prices for trans-
port ships. The arrival of the Centennial
| at San Francisco and the granting to her
OF an American registry was a notice to
the patriotic gentlemen who were en-
GeavGring to get the government by the
! throat that their monopoly was broken
and they entered into conspiracy 10
break down the reputation of the vessel
Secretary Alger ordered that another ex-
animation be made of the Centennial and
1t was not deemed advisable to take any
chances of sending troops to the Philip
pines in an unseaworthy vessel. This
port, said Mr.. Carter, was set up against
the two reports which had been made from
Puget sound, the examination upon which
one of the latter had been based having
been made in dry dock.
This whole transaction" declared Mr..
Carter, bears the earmarks of a precon-
certsd scheme on the part of the San Fran
cisco ship owners to hold up the govern
ment and force it to pay inordinate and ex-
tortionate transport charges
Mr.. Perkins Defense.
Mr.. Perkins CCal) said that he desired to
enter a word OF defense of the San Fran
cisco ship owners. So far as the company
with which he was connected was con-
cerned it had declined to charter its ships
to the government. Therefore, it could not
be included in the denunciation of Mr.. Car
ter. He knew of mis- personal knowledge
that Mr.. G. z. Huntington of the PACING
Mail Steamship Company had placed the
vessels of his line at the disposal of the
government The China, City of sydney
and other ships of that company had been
offered to the government for fully 30 per
cent less than they could command on the
Atlantic coast. Mr. Spreckels had done the
same with the vessels of his line Other
San Francisco ship owners had offered their
vessels to the government a it's own price.