The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-02-01
HOSTILE TO THE
SHIPPING BILL
Memorials From Two
San Franciscans.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 31.-Charles
Nelson, president of the Chamber of
Commerce of San Francisco, and Hugh
Craig, ex-president, sent to Senator
Perkins memorials in favor of amend
ing the Hanna shipping bill by insert
ing an amendment providing for an ex-
port bounty on agricultural products.
The Senator is surprised that the
Chamber of Commerce should thus be
placed in the light of advocating an
amendment which would be regarded as
hostile to the bill. The Hanna measure
is designed to encourage exports of all
kinds-agricultural included-by put
ting the influence of the American flag
behind the goods and pushing them in
old markets and opening new ones for
them. 1t is based on the principle Of
payments for the distance sailed. and
efficiency of service, which is quite diff
ferent from that of an export bounty
on certain products. The two principles
could not be combined in the same bill
with any hope that it could then pass
and an insistence upon such an amend
ment would be. therefore, regarded as
an act of hostility to the bill itself.
-
agricultural products can be brought
properly before Congress only in sep
arate BILL which would then find hearty
support. Boards of Trade, Chambers of
Commerce, Oranges of Patrons OF Hus-
bandry and other organizations Of pro-
ducers throughout the State have sent
to Senator Perkins resolutions and me-
MORALS praying for the passage of the
bill as it now stands, all producers
realizing the great benefits they would
derive from the general expansion o.
commerce through the extension or old
and the opening of new markets.
The Senator is, therefore, surprised
that the Chamber of Commerce of San
Francisco should be put in the hght
of insisting upon action that VIII
jeopardize the bill.
The minority report on the Hanna
Payne shipping bill was filed in the
House of Representative to-day 1t
was prepared by Representative HANDY
CT Delaware and is a severe and some
what personal arraignment OF The
measure and those who would receive
bounties under it. The report says.
The bill is one that was prepared and
brought to Congress by voluntary COM
mittee of ship-owners and snlp-puIioers
representing the gentlemen VINO VIII re-
ceiye the bounty which the Dill proposes
to give from the public treasury. The
hill 8 II is reported to the House Is In
almost the exact form and grants TO a
penny the bountieS demanded by the gen.
tlemen who are to receive them. The Dill
is therefore, naturally and entirely salts
factory TO the interests which have or
ganized this movement to secure the vast
sums carried in the biH as gratuity TO
be used in carrying on their private Dusl-
ness and enlarging the profits thereon
The bill provides not simply Tor Doun-
ties, but for bounties which, once granted,
cannot be thereafter taken away. II TINS
bill be passed the contracts will be quick
" made and once entered into, no future
Congress can in honor break them or re-
fuse to make the necessary appropriations
to paw them To do so would be like re-
pudiating a national obligation.
The twenty-year bounties provided are
put into the bill in the language of SO
COMPUTATION is made to find how big the
bounties "by cents" will prove to be when
the time comes to pay them, we find that
they must be figured In tens of millions OF
dollars BY careful and conservative eSU-
mates we find that the Government would
be obliged by the contracts likely to be
entered into during the first twelve
months under this bill to pay bounties
amounting to more than $165, 900 900, and
this includes only the shipping now In
sight and the shipping which must be
built will cost probably not less than
$500 600, 900.
OF this enormous bounty the lions
CATION Company. This company will re-
ceive in the aggregate more than $57 ,000,-
O00 This strikes US as a monstrous ap-
preparation. In this bill 1t is provided that
man who builds great, speedy ocean
steamer shall be paid bounties in twenty