The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-02-23
PURPOSESOF THE PAYNE BILL
DESIGNED TO CoSFIyE AMERICAN
TRAFFIC. TO AMERICAN SHIPS.
4 Measure Needed, In View of the
Immense Alaska CoassinE Trade
II Receives th~ Enforcement of

Special Dispatch 20 the Pcst-Tnteiligcucer-
WASHINGTON. FEB. 22-Sacreta~y
Cage Las strongly endorsed tAs o!il %
amend the navigation laws. known IS the
Payne afL having sesn fret intr21lcf
ia the house b. tbe gentleman from Nsw
fcTK- Ae@ and peculiar conditions cree
.ieG - t1o discover ~ gold 90 the } u-
S93 r.T-~. render the enactment % fhe saii
csoecia43g desirable. TIE secretary points
o.. iha- the trsl purpose - tie measure
IL 10 stfeaEtaen and render r19rs explicit
Toe laws declaring fhe general policy x
tns zovsrfrnert of 5He f-s..teG atas go
ne tast OR coating trsde. lacis1@g that
60 Alaska saall 10 reserved exclusively
- America veEeis o. order 10 eoyer
More explicitly thls situation 80 Eo.ax
vessel ran proceed - st. H.~s.Hrl rear
Tie mouth - The Tsk3r- Tire Yukon
essns very sasllow lu a91se pisces Only
-four f~"- feeE. trgs@sfeFs oC sar<o ard
"a sseBgs-s from deep DRAFT ses-gaIrZ vss-
s>ls q liver vessels ORA wing Ntt.s water.
s.e ihegssor~. necessary III 81 N.rha.
sahstantisli. the sam" Is ,rge ~ the
siickssn river and Vrar gel near is
mouth
Section o. the bill h a stronger and
mora explicit statement of certain prov.~~
ioas or scion s3T % the revised Statutes.
II 10 rot pH. In the form ~ an afne~d-
ueni 70 that section as tne rs,tsers II
the statutes - y o. 70 ineorpe-et e. iu that
treaty o Washingtpr of ISL. Tire pres
en- Talidiy II that legislation na- for
some years beer disputed and - avoid
am legislative declaration on t.at Giseiais
So part II ti43s measure where Il IL not
involved the nrst section = drawn indie
penaeaiIy. though in effec. il amends In
directly Tho other portions % rectlan s!T
The essential amendment = fin he 1vo-1s
"or for any part y tho voyage p" TIE
question has recently been put 20 the treas
ury whether American goods consigned 70
Alaskan ports from Seattle csn ~ carried
In American vasseAs - Victoria. "a distance
OF only seFenty-two miles and AZ Victoria
20 pit on British vessels - 30 carried 20
Dses. a distance Of aoout $50 falieR OF 20
~. AIohael. distance % about g g0 miles
The treasury department haa ruled thaf
this 10 a violation OF The laws reeervsnr he
eoasilnr trade 10 American vessels 7; -
ps!lAa ole evasion of those laws bnt in
some quarters doubt ~ expressed whether
the cogrls wfil not decide So they ala in
the case Of the shipment " a cargo o.
rails from New York to Antwerp Ay a
foreign vessel and thence h San Francis
90 ~ another foreign vessel mat the law
had been successfully evaded not violated
That decision led 10 the amendment II
prohibiting shipmen, VITA a foreign uort''
That amsndmen.. however does nos per
haIe fully cover the trsussciion here re-
ferred 10. TIC policy y The United states
IL To conhne carrying rs water for the
whole VoysF. between American ports -
American Ncseeas. 1t g. believed thar
aeci!oa / explicitly anlrms tha. policy and
removes an doubt
Section ir thge explained Section ) %
the act o. June ~ lss8. imposes penalty
of only = on foreign vessels carving raz-
sengers fr0sn one Ia another American
port. Th!s small penalty g wholly made
quate In pre1trvc tn@ coast wise carrying
of passenger II American vessels on ire
long ana extensive voyages from tac IA
ellie coast Of the United States "a Alaska
up the Yukon. ete- Use penalty is In
oreaSed 10 seel Tie penalty Tor she Ike
offense imposed Icy the Csn31i3n laws :
500 and u Is suggested tha. the
penalty proposed hy fhis section may ae
Increased e. that maximum. In cases
where this may seem c<c. sstyc tae sserc-
tary - the treasury has tae power 20
mitigate Il.
Section 2 Is designed to E..e the s-rre-
tary Of tae tres slrr ft} raW - re-l-
late jhe transfer ~ esrEees snd passru-
gers nom deep $50 vessels - shallow riser
vessels bound np ths akoa and s.tekcr9.
The conditions under aich auc- transfers
VIII occur cannot ROW He fa3Gy icrra.s0. -
fha besfeNai 81 Giscre -enafy power ia Ire
secretary ~ the treasure seem tao arfg
Way 70 meet the situation. After ano sea-
SONS experience .; w8 r,'aeuis he ras-
sb!e. Il desirable. - Quec feE ,fg~ It.fI g.
ton more precise legislation.
The re7~ars fsr section ar. tacs":
Section ? i9 = tAe r#F sHsd s.a-.ifez j. feft
II 80 aet passed ln lt6- fae treaty tec
tho purchase IL Alsks WAS na1t Sea l,s-
There = slal- doaat thee. fsre wh. asr
section siu3 Is aePilca 4ie 10 Ni.FAa- rais
bal makes it spt ,aeas aaalrtA.e. Iac
insertion II tne s. 81 transfer Sc: rtr-
s. ~ - -SrnSefE go aHrfHr- sep a u.-