The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-12-05
Philippines Government Measure
Sidctracked by Pet Scheme
of Senator Hanna.
VEST HAS AN AMENDMENT.
He WGuld Tax Foreign Ships Ill
American Trade. Giving Euild
crs Here an Advantage With
ont Cost to Government.

! Washington. Dee i-The programme Of
| III" Senate leaders fur business = s~'"h
whS taken Cu IN earnest to-day, .tnd ma
4 tvliHl Irv-:r,-.: y.I, made.
What /. popularity HU"wn Is tn snap
subsidy hill vas mad" the unfinished hlsi-
ness of the Senate Instead ~: he Sr"'"'r
ihiliITiu" measure. AMI th' discussion 'f
Il WAS opened 10y Mr.. Frye of Maine. chair
man ut the Committee on t"min' re,
from which fhc measure was report d IL
addressed the Senate to-day for more ,!,dn
an hul:r and half.
Recognized by his colleagues a. at au-
! thority upon IN" inject. he wd* accorded
clos" attention. lie ha,: not conclude, when
I III" Senate adjourned.
As soon rs the session o:onad tn"
"ccdcntia's uf Standardized HUIliv,r Of
, iowa were presented and h" Was sworn IN.
Mr.. Dillingham;. the now senator irr:n
Vermont. was assigned membership II tue
following committees: civil Service. IN
! Cr"sscd Bills. Territories. Transportation
EoUt" 10 thc Scahoa:d. Additional AEON
n!"da,ions for Tho Library e Congress and
Iudian Depreciation. and Mr.. Do.Iiver {"
Pacific Railroads. Agriculture, Education
and Labor. Interstate Commerce. Post t-
iircS and Post itoais and improvements
of the Mississippi River.
Ellis on the calendar were passed as
follows:
To authorize the use of dcrositionA hN-
fore naval courts in certain c,s'rs with
an amendment restricting its operation To
depoSitionS taken at the instance OF the
accused: to authorize Captain y. ".
Brooks. Superintendent of Foreign Mails.
to accept the decoration of the Red E.aSi'
of the third class from the Emperor "f
Germany. to authorize George ID. Mcikic-
john TO accept a decoration of chevaier
of the first class from the Government oi
Sweden and Norway: TO encourage the
holding Of an interstate and West irGian
exposition in Charleston. :. G.. in 1901. The
measure appropria;es S--Jt"@. and admits
exhibits free of duty.
When the unfinished business. known as
tht. Spooner Philippine bill. WAS laid he
fore the Senate 1T o'clock. Mr.. Frye, Eav-
ing previously yielded the gaNel To sem
ator GallinG,r. moved that the Senate pro-
ceed To consideration of the Ship-subSldy
bill. The effect of the motion to make
the subsidy hill the unfinished business.
ar. Jones Of Arkansas demanded the yeas
and nays. The raotioa rrevaileG-3S To ~.
Senator Fryes Argument.
Mr.. Frye. the sponsor for the bill. ad-
dressed the Senate in explanation of 1t. His
statement was elaborate. and At time elo-
Cuenr.
This great maritime nation. he said. WIS
placed in 4 position humiliating beyond cX-
preston by the present condition of our
coast. unparalleled and unapprOachahle Ea
tional resources. sEip-builders the equal Of
any IN the world. the greatest exports in
the world. and every other argument in our
favor. the United States mad permitted their
commercial rivals t. seize the pathways
Of commerce and hold them practically to
the exclusion of this country.
Last year, Of all the enormous exports
and imports of the United States, only
per cent WAS carried in American bottoms.
and the United States paid to foreign ma
tons principally Great Britain and Ger
many $4,000 a day for doing carrying
trade work for this country. He pointed out
that during the war with Spain the United
States were forced to search the seas over
for auxiliary cruisers and transports, be-
cause We had sacrificed our carry ng ships.
THE worlc." Mr.. Frye declared, has en-
tered upon Il fierce commercial war. ANA it
is to be long and strenuous conflict. Each
nation is seeking the advantage of its rivals
III this conflict, and is pressing forward TO
gain that advantage. Most oi the foreign
nations are looking for commercial adj
vantage In the East. Russia, France. Great
Britain. Italy and Germany are paying an
aggregate of $4,000 per year in subsidies
for tho carrying ships of the Eastern
trade
He pointed out that under present condi-
tions ii costs the nited States from r. to
50 per cent more. principally in wages anu
food, to operate its snips than it costs Great
britain. ana about 50 per cent more than It
costs Norway. ana Yet tne United States,
SAID ne. are forced to compete unuer such a
hand cap with the c.courageI and Protected
ships % foreign Countries.
Mr.. Frye then took up that portion of the
bill which provides the amount of subsidy
to b. paid vessels, and explained how the
payment was regulated. lie said that by
the terms OF thu measure a ten-knot vessel
out for li5 days would draw $l5~CD a year
beyond the cost of her coal and handling.
ana that tEe amount Of the SUBSIDY would
IN p=rccntage Crcn;niSh with the ncre;ia.
OF the SrScu OF TIE snip.
MIR. Cay Of Georgia asked If il were true
that a wenty-onc-kECi snip would draw TN
der the bIil sJri.g9 year.
Mr.. Frye admitted that ii
At this point Air. fry@ yie.d d the floor
for the day. ard the Senate at 3:.;5 J..
held a brieI executive session.
Sennsor Vests Amendment.
Just before the adjournment at 3:3j p. m.
Senator Vest gave notice % AN amendment
that he Will offer to the ship-subsily bill.
The amendment provides for the repeal of
such existing laws ''as either prohibit or
restrict citizens Of the United States from
purchasing ships built in other countries to
be rsed in the foreign carrying trade of the
United states. or which impose taxes. bur
denS CT restrictions on such ships when
OWNED by American citizens which are not
imposed on ships built in the United
States
In addition to the repeating provision. the
anne endment makes ii lawful for all citizens
of the United states to huy ships built in
whole ar in part in any foreign country
and have them registered as snips o. the
United States"
When 50 registered these fnreicn-built
vessels are. under the terms of the amerd-
ment, to be entitled TO all the rights and
subjected tn the same regulations as thos.
governing ships built in the United States
iii