Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-12-12
tBy Telegraph to vlrginian Pilot,

Washington. Dec. 1.-THE first
speech in opposition to the ship subsidy
bill in the Senate was delivered today
by My. Clay (Ga). He is one of the
minority members of the committee on
commerce, which conducted the hear
ings on the measure and reported 1t
to the Senate.
MIR. Hanna. who expects to reply to
Mr.. Clay's argument, gave him par
tlcularly attentive hearing. In the
early part OF the session a. lively col
loquy was precipitated over the refer
ence TO the committee of the Grout
oleomargarine bill just passed by the
House of Representatives. Finally IL
went to the committee on Agriculture
This was victory Tor the friends OF
the bill.
NO BUSINESS SESSION TOMOR-
ROW.
Tomorrow no business session of the
Senate will be held. as the day will be
devoted to the celebration OF the cen
tenniai OF the establishment OF the seat
oil government in Washington.
The resolution for The appointment
by the President Pro Tenn OF n commit
tee of three Senators to make the ne
cessary arrangements FOR the inaugu-
ration on the 4th OF March was adoDt-
ed without debate.
MIR. Chandler, chairman OF the com
mittee on privileges Sind elections, ask
ed that the resolution on the calendar
declaring that William a. Clark was
not duly and legally elected to the Sen
ate be recommitted to the committee
Mr.. Bacon (Ga) inquired his object
AIR. Chandler replied that why he de-
sired n recommittal of the resolution
IVES that the committee might desire
TO take some positive action. as the
whole case had not been disposed of
nd do %
Clark.
MIR. Bacon said that he could conceive
of no legitimate purpose In the desire
FOR recommittal of IA resolution which
dealt with a question which practically
was dead. lie intimated that Mr.
Chandler might have some Interior
purposes. The matter went over until
Thursday.
SHIP SUBSIDY BILL
Forty-iive sections were passed. Mr..
Clay (Cia) was then recognized.
Mr.. Clay contcnded that the promo
ton of commerce and the increasing
OF foreign trade of The United States
two of the most important objects of
the pending measure. would not fol-
low its enactment. The one definite
thing that was known was that ii
would take from the Treasury of the
United States $1,000 600 n year for a
period of twenty years. and donate
that vast sum TO the ship owners
carrying the foreign trade of this
country. In other words, zone mans
business is to be heavily taxed in order
to advance another 10 make more
profitable the private business OF an
other citizen"
ANALYSIS or BILL.
Mr.. Clay entered upon any analysis
of the pending measure. He pointed ont
that an additional amount was paid
owners of vessels of greater speed re-
gardless of freight capacity. He said.
that the subsidy to be given vessels
up to twelve knots, which are really
our great freight carriers, is only one
and one-half cents per gross ton,
while the subsidy given to fast
steamer. which carries chiefly passen-
gers and fine manufactured goods is
three and eighteen cents per ton
for a twenty-one knot ship" thus II
would appear he cpntended that the
twelve knot vessel, Which really car
ried the products of the country, would
receive only a little more than one
third of the subsidy paid to the fast
passenger steamers. He elaborated
what he deemed to he the "iniustice
and inequality of the measure in this
respect. presenting comparison of
cargoes carried by the ST. Paul. a swift
steamer of the American line, and of
the Manhattan. one OF the great
freighters of the Atlantic Transporta-
ton Company. The comparison show
ed that the Manhattan. a fourteen knot
ship. carried immense quantities of ag-
ricultural and manufaucture5 prod
ucts. while the ST. Paul carried prac-
ticaily no manufactured or agricultur-
a. products of any kind; yet. contehded
Mr.. Clay, the Manhattan will receive
little more than one-third of the sub
sdy given the st. Paul.
An analysis of the bill will demon
strate that the ship owners alone are
the beneficiaries of this Legislation.
Mr.. Clay contended that the greater
uart OF the exports of the United
States were carried in steamers of less
than eleven knots speed. and that 1t
was not, therefore. within the bounds
OF reason or Justice that the fast YES
sells. which carried only small per-
centa2e OF the exports, should receive
the great bulk of the subsidy Mr..
Clay ridiculed the proposition laid
down IN the majority report of the
commerce committee on the bill that
the proposed law would he Of preacr
benefit to the agricultural interests of
the country than II would he to the
shipbnilding and ship owning States
SHTp. OWNERS ORGANIZED.
Mr.. Clay maintained that the bill as
formulated by the committee would not
tend to increase the merchant marine
OF the United States "IfYs said he
Senators will examine the testimony
taken before the committee the CON
clusion will be reached that the shin
owners have a thorough organization
20 carry through this legislation. They