The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-03-27
The Measure Intended TO Benefit
Americans, Not Foreigners, as
the Democrats Desired.
REPORT ON A BANKING BILL
RESTRICTION OF LOANS TO OFF,
GERS PROPOSED BY BROSIUS.
Provisions of the Measure Explained
by the PennsyIvanian--4OO
New National Banks.


WASHINGTON. March 26-Albert ].
Hopkins, the ranking Republican member
Of the House merchant marine and fish
cries committee, in the absence from the
city of Representative Grosvenor, to-day
discussed the published statements made
by Representative Fitzgerald regarding
the shipping bill. II am glad" said Mr..
Hopkins, that Mr.. Fitzgerald finds so
many good features i'm the amended bill,
and hope he will vote for so good a meas
ure. He says the Democrats forced the
adoption of these amendments, but as
recall it the only amendments offered by
the Democrats were voted down. All the
Republicans were present when the vote
was taken and If ne is correctly quoted
as saying that three of them favored his
amendments, / can only say they did not
vote for them. Mr.. Fitzgerald knows. as
does everybody who has studied the ship
ping bill, that il aims to build up Ameri-
can shipping not by buying ships abroad,
but by having them built at home, of ma
tive materials and by our own working
men. Mr.. Fitzgerald wishes TO give the
employment to foreigners that Repub-
I'm drafting the bill it was found that
some 100000 tons of ships under foreign
flags were owned by American citizens
These constitute about 4 per cent. of the
shipping employed in our foreign trade.
1t takes 5,OoO. 900 tons of ships to do our for
eign carrying. AS a mere incident, ii was
thought advisable to allow these 2cO, 900
tons of ships to receive American regis
tiers and one-half as much compensation
as was paid to American ships. if their
owners would contract to build tonnage
in the United States equal to that admit
ted This is the basis of all this talk about
the favored few
IF any Americans not now i'm the busi-
ness desire TO become American ship own
ers, because of the passage of this bill. we
make it possible for them to do so by buy
ing their ships at home, not by rewarding
them to buy them abroad. They have ten
years in which to make I'D their minds.
If they conclude to do so, then, as they
will be aided by the government they
ought to, as this bill requires. buy their
ships I'm the United States. When they
have bought their ships they may run
them on any route, in any trade, in compe-
tition with any other American ships. and
they will be paid exactly as much as the
others are paid; proportionately to the
service performed.
1.-The impression prevails that Mr.. Fitz-
gerald finds no extended support for his
amendments even among his party col
he would vote against this bill even IL his
amendments We're part of it, The build
ing up of American shipping by permit
ting the free registry of foreign built ships
is an exploded theory. 1t would not work
unless the ships were given a subsidy or
bounty, or were admitted TO the coastwise
trade. Democrats themselves now general
~ admit this to be true. None of those
Americans who own ships under foreign
flags are asking for the privilege of Ameri-
can registry for them. They are satisfied
as things are now. 1t is TO our national
| interest to induce them to carry on their
trade in American built ships. We need
many more ships yards many times more
| ships of our own, so that they will be
ready for any kind of auxiliary naval
| service In time of need. IL. under the terms
| of this bill. the admission to American
| registry of per cent. of the ships under
| foreign flags owned by Americans will
| built ships, it's a good thing to do This
| does not establish permanent policy. but
| Is mere temporary incident. We can
| only induce these American owners OF
foreign built ships to make the change
| by reimbursing them for the extra cost
And this Is all the shipping bill proposes
| to do -
| The President to-day sent the following
nominations to the Senate:
WARRIOR promotion in the volunteer
army: Thirty-seventh Infantry, Mai. Frank
Cheatham TO be colonel; Capt b. NJ Koch.
| Ter to be major; First Lieutenant c. s
Sleeper to be captain. For appointment In
| the volunteer army: A. c. Gillem. of Ten
| nessee, late major First Tennessee Vol
| Cnteers, to be assistant quartermaster with
| rank of captain Regular army: Rev. Bar.
| ton w. Perry, of California, to be chap
| lain.
Navy-Lieutenant Commander Edward B
| Barry to be commander.
| Secretary Root to-day sent a reply to the
resolution asking for letter of AguinaIdo
dated at Pocoor, July Is. 1895. Reference i:
| made to the letter in the report of tn.
major general commanding but the score
tary says no copy of the letter can be OBJ
| tanned In reply to another resolution In
| curing what qualifications have been pre-
| scribec for persons to vote in Cuba the
| secretary says no qualifications have We
been prescribed. He adds that the purpos,
| for which such elections are to be hell
is the election of officers for the severa
| municipalities in the island. IL is pro
| posed that the elections shall be in charg,
ef boards composed of citizens of Cuba
Gen. James p. O'Beirne. of New York
Lad an interview with Secretary Root a
the War Department to-day and applied
| Tor permit to dredge for gold in the sands
en- the beach at Cape Nome. Alaska Tn,
| recretary said he would grant the permi
| On the usual conditions.
Chairman Brosius, of the House com
nittee or banking and currency, to-ds,
submitted the report on the bill to CIV
greater safety to national banks by re
stricting the making of loans and over
| drafts to bank officers. The report says:
This DILL proposes the only possibl
remedy for an evil of long standing in on
banking system. an evil which is largel
responsible for the chief bleinish On al
otherwise most admirable system. From