The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-12-12
CLAY ATTACKS THE
SHIP SUBSIDY BILL
1t Robs the People to Benefit
the Ship-0Wner.
so ASSERTS Mr.. CLAY
The War Revenue Reduction Bill in
the House.
fuAIpMAN pAVNc cpEAKc E0P TUE PIll
so ASSERTS Mr.. CLAY
CHAIRMAN PAYNE SPEAKS FOR THE BILL
Swanson, For the Minority, Advocates Cut Of
at Least Seventy Millions. A Commit
tee Appointed to Investigate
the Bocz Hazing Case.
(By the Associated Press.)

(By the Associated Press.)
Washington, Dec. 1.-THE first speech
in opposition to the Ship Subsidy Bill in
the Senate was delivered today by Mr..
Clay, (Ga). He is one of the minority
members of the Committee on Commerce.
which conducted the hearings on the
measure and reported it to the Senate.
Mr.. Hanna. who expects to reply to Mr..
Clay's argument, gave him particularly
attentive hearing In the early part
of the session lively colloquy was pre-
cipitated over the reference to committee
of the Grout Oleomargarine Bill just
passed by the House of Representatives.
Finally it went to the Committee on Ag-
riculture. This was victory for the
friends of the bill
Tomorrow no business session of the
Senate will be held as the day will be
devoted to the celebration of the Cen
tennial of the establishment of the seat
of Government in Washington.
The resolution for the appointment by
the President pro tenn of a committee of
three Senator'S to make the necessary
arrangements for inauguration on the 4th
of March was adopted without debate.
Mr.. Chandler. Chairman of the Commit
tee on Privileges and Elections, asked
that the resolution on the calendar de-
claring that William A.. Clark was not
duly and legally elected to the Senate
be recommitted to the committee.
Mr.. Bacon, (Ga.), inquired his object.
Mr.. Chandler replied that he desir-
ed a recommittal of the resolution
that the committee might desire to take
some positive action, as the whole case
had not been disposed of by the resigna-
tion and departure of Mr.. Clark.
Mr.. Bacon replied that he could con-
ceive of no legitimate purpose in the de-
sire for a recommittal of a resolution
which dealt with a question which prac-
tically was dead. He intimated that Mr..
Chandler might have some ulterior pur-
pose. The matter went over until Thurs
dav
Forty-fve pension bills were passed. Mr..
Clay, (Ga.), was then recognized.
CLAY OPPOSES SUBSIDIES.
Mr.. Clay contended that the promotion
of commerce and the increasing of for
eign trade of the United States. two of
the most important objects of the pend
ing measure. would not follow it's enact
ment. The one definite thing that was
known, was that it would take from the
Treasury of the United States $4,000, 900
a 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, lone mans business is
to be heavily taxed in order to advance
and to make more profitable the private
business of another citizen"
Mr.. Clay entered upon an analysis of
the pending measure. He pointed out that
an additional amount was paid owners of
vessels of greater speed, regardless of
freight capacity. He said chat the sub
sdy to be given vessels up to II knots,
which are really our great freight car
riers, is only one and half cents per
gross ton, while the subsidy given to a
fast steamer, which carries chiefly pas
sengers and fine manufactured goods is
three and eight tenths cents per ton for
a twenty one knot ship" thus it would ap-
pear, he contended, that the II knot ves-
sci, which really carried the products of
the country. would receive only little
more than third of the subsidy paid
to the fast passenger steamers. He elab-
Grated what he deemed to be the ''injus-
tice 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 Transportation Company,
The comparison showed that the Manhat-
tan, II knot, ship. carried immense
quantities of agricultural and manufac-
tured products, while the st. Paul carried
practically no manufactured or agricul-
tural products of any kind; yet, contend
ed Mr.. Clay the Manhattan will receive
1ittle more than one-third of the subsidy
given the S. Pautl.
An analvsis of he bill will demonstrate
who are the beneficaries of this legisla
tion.
Mr.. Clay contended that the greater
part of the exports of the United States
were carried in steamers of less than
eleven knots speed and that it was not
therefore, within the bounds of reason
or Justice that the fast vessels, which
carried only small percentage of the
exports should receive the great bulk
of the subsidy Mr.. Clay ridiculed the
proposition laid down in the majority re-
port of the Commerce Committee on the
bill that the proposed law would be of
greater benefit to the agricultural inter-
ests OF the country than it would be to
the ship building and ship-owning States