Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-16
TRANS PACIFIC CABLE
Four Reports Submitted on the House
Bill.
Views of the Majority Presented by
Mr.. Sherman Government
Ownership Opposed.

Ownership Opposed.
Four distinct reports on the bill for the
construction Of Pacific cable to Hawaii,
the Philippines and Japan were filed yes
terday from members of the House commit
tee on interstate and foreign commerce
Mr.. Sherman Of New York submitted the
majority report favorable to a bill intro
duced by him. for cable to be built under
private auspices, the government paying
100000 annually for twenty years for the
transmission of government messages.
A minority report signed by Representa-
tives Adamson, Davis. Shackleford and
Davey. dfssents In toto with the bill
Another minority report. signed by Rep
opposes the plan of private ownership and
proposed, substitute embodying the idea
of government ownership of the cable.
Still another dissenting report Is from
Mr.. Mann of Illinois, giving his individual
views that government cable would prove
more beneficial to the public and the gov
eminent.
Mr.. Sherman's Report.
Mr.. Sherman's report says:
1.-THE establishment of an American trans
Pacific cable has been under consideration
by Congress for many years. Various ar
guments have been urged in favor of this
undertaking, but at the present time all
the arguments used in the past are dwarfed
by the overwhelming naval and military
necessities which demand the immediate
establishment of an American trans-Pa-
cif1c cable connecting the Pacific coast of
the United States with the Hawaiian
Islands, with the naval stations at Guam,
and with the Philippines. Cable COMMUNE
cation with our army and navy in the
Philippines Is wholly dependent on foreign
rupted through war or other causes. and
therefore means of Geographic commune
cation wholly under American control and
free from all foreign interference should be
established as soon practicable.
Both in the Fifty-fourth and Fifty-fifth
Congresses this committee reported TO the
House bill for the establishment of an
American trans-Pacific cable. In taking
such action this committee was then guided
by desire to AFFORD to the expanding COM
rnerce of the people of the United States
the facilities which an American trans
t tactic ,, cable could alone give, Though
these bills were supported by the almost
unanimous opinion CT this committee,
neither of them was ever acted upon by
the House.
1.-THE pressing nature of this subject was
emphasized by the special message of Presi-
dent Mckinley, transmitted to Congress on
the 10th of February. 1899, and again by the
strong recommendations contained in the
message submitted to Congress at the OPEN
ing of the present session.
The Proposed Cable.
"All doubts as to the practicability of es-
tablishing such line of trans-Pacffic cable
have been removed by the surveys recently
made by the United States government,
and practicable cable route has been
found, starting from San Francisco and
going to Honolulu. Guam and Manila, a
distance of 6,SI2 knots, or 1920 knots If
an extension from Guam to Yokohama is
inciuded, as the committee thinks should
be done. The bill now presented in SUBJ
stance, provides that the Postmaster Cen
eral shall advertise for two months for bids
from responsible private American cor
poration for the establishment of a trans
Pacific cable line extending to the Philip-
pines via the Hawaiian Islands and Guam
with branch to Japan (Which latter the
committee deems an essential feature of a
ns-Pacific cable SYSTEM; that any cor
poraion bidding shall deposit 5000 0OO in
United States bonds with the Postmaster
Ienefal as an earnest of its good faith and
as guaranty that the cable will be laid
Inc corporation making the most favorable
DID (Which must not exceed $500 600 a YEAR,
shall receive contract for transmitting
onclal messages of the United States for a
p tE OF twenty years to and from the
Islands, Guam, the Philippines
Hong Kong. Shanghai and japan. At the
expiration of twenty years government
messages are to be transmitted forever
thereafter at rates to be fixed by the poet
master General, not exceeding one-haIf the
rates charged to the public No money
Shatsoever Is to be paid by the United
pa HeatHs 10 the contracting company until
'ie iliie 10 the Philippines is completed
Cost to the Government.
Inc line Is to be maintained under guar
ai'fes Which your committee deems sufti-
cieht. Inc amount paid by the government
'iiot 10 exceed 100000 per Year, is to be
Kept by the company exclusively as a re-
To IN.a,
renewals. An annual sworn statement of
TINS reserve fund is to be made 10 the gov
ernment. ''e eo'
Inc maximum rates to be charged by the
company are never to exceed 30 cents per
"ord between San Francisco and Honolulu
ana u word between San Francisco Ma
ma, Japan, Hong Kong and Shanghai-i.e
less than half the existing rates In case Of
EaE rsoeiifon, or other emergency the
Chiteu states government may take possess
SION OF the lines and stations at all points
Wlthih It's jurisdiction, and use and operate
the same. NV
The bill further provides that the cables
to be laid shall be of American rnanufac-
ture, and laid and maintained by an Amer
ican company and by ships flying the Amer
Ican nag, provided that such cables can be
contracted Tor, made and laid within the
time limit in the bill specified. otherwise fba
cable may be purchased abroad. The COM
mlttee realizes the Importance of enconrag
ing Afnerlcan manufacturers in the making
the vital necessity of causing to be estah-
nshed, as speedily possible, communities
ton by an American company with the
Hawaiian Islands and the Philippines.
Public Hearings.
The committee has held a number of
pubic hearings at which representatives
OF the army and navy and also representa-
tives of private cable companies have an
peared, These hearings developed two pro-
posals, namely:
"a government cable, to be laid. owned
and maintained by the United States gov
eminent; or e"'
CD A cable, to be laid, owned and MAIN
tanned by private corporation. to carry
government messages for a fixed amount
ana without risk to the United States.
After carefully considering the TESTIMONY
presented by the representatives of tbs
Army and Navy Departments, it is heIievad
tnat the only arguments in favor of a GOV
ernment-owned cable are the following.
l. such cable would be completelv nm
der the control Of the United States gov.
eminent officials. 9o'
This seems of small importance to tho
D(T IL,