The Globe-republican., 1900-06-28
ANr1-sHlPPIno BILLARouMEnr

The devious methods pursued by the
opponents of the shipping bill are wen
deserving of study. The great OBJ
jective is. of course. the bills defeat
So. one takes the ground that the com.
pensation provided will not insure the
construction of great, swift, maiT-car-
ryIng steamships available in time OF
emergency auxiliary cruisers. An
other asserts that the bill is too
gardless of s1ow-going, cargo-carrying
ships, and too favorable to the fast
ocean greyhoundss' that carry more
passengers than freight Obviously il
the argument OF one is correct, that of
the other must be wrong. The OBJ
jective, however, is not SO much sin
cere criticism as the arousing of pref
udices that Will result in the bills de-
feat
The board of directors of an assoc
citation of New York merchants for
instance, made public report in op-
position to the shipping bill on the
ground that it favored cargo-carrying.
slow ships. and did not favor the more
desirable fast ships of large size run
ming in regular lines They stated
that they had examined the bill with
great care On the other hand the re-
port of four of the seven Democratic
mem ers of the house merchant ma
r1ne and fisheries committee-the only
report, by the way, file against the
blll-takes the ground that it does too
much for the great transatlantic lin
ers, and not enough for the cargo car
riers- Similarly, the board of direc-
tors of a Boston association declared
that they favored subsidies, but not
the bill. because it did too much for
certain fast ships. If provision were
made for the ships that carried the
| great cargoes out of the country as
| favorably provision was made for
/ the liners. thew might favor it.
That the friends of the bill, however
much so disposed, cannot adjust its
/ provisions so to satisfy each of
| these critics, goes without saying
/ The bill will probably be pressed for
| passage as it stands. and in that case
| it is likely that one association Will
| be opposing it the very ground
! that, if true would win the other asso-
| cations favor-and it will receive the
Endorsement of neither. Members of
| congress are too discerning, however.
| to be Influenced by such contradictory
and superficial opposition, largely de-
| signed, doubt, to defeat, rather
| than to amend, the bill.
In justice to both New York and
| Boston it should be stated that the
| leading and far more influential or
| CARNATIONS most heartily favor the
| bills passage. and have urged this
! course upon congress. A very small
| minority of the public organizations
| of business and commercial men in
each of the cities oppose the bill, and.
| as in the Boston case when looks
| for reasons for opposition they are gen
| orally disclosed in the fact that lead
ing officers represent foreign shipping
lines, whose interests are, of course,
anita gonized by bill that provides for
the substitution of American ships in
the place of foreign ships now doing
our foreign carrying.
Foreign influences are nowhere in
the United States SO powerful as in
New York, and it is gratifying to state,
therefore, that patriotism, even in that
city, the question of an American
merchant marine, instead of forei gn
merchant marine, for the carrying OF
American imports and exports, com
mands the support of an Overwh elm
| ing number of its public spirited bust
ness men.
| The contest in the senate and house
next winter. when the shipping bill is
| taken up for consideration will be a
fierce one, beyond a doubt. Foreign
| interests will be battling to preserve a
| business that yields them $500, 900 900
each year in money drawn out of the
pockets of Americans and taken
abroad, there to build up foreign in
dustries at American expense. Amerf-
cans, on the other hand, believing that
American labor is entitled to the en-
| ployment that this 5000, 900 900 a year
| gives, will strenuous1y fight for the
| passage of the shipping bill. well as
| sured that it's enactment means the
beginning of the end of foreign mo-
| nOpoly or American foreign carrying