The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-01-13
SHIP SUBSIDY BILL
SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE.
CONSIDERS THE MEASURE At
SOME LENGTH
MIR. EDMUNDs EXPLAINS IT

Tells the Committee Why Provisions
Should Safeguard American own
ers-ShipbuiIders.1 and Experts
Enlighten thes Committee--If Bill
Passes American Builders VIII
Rise to the Occasion.
WASHINGTON, JAN l2-The senate
committee on commerce today began
hearings on Senator Erye's bill to pro-
mote the commerce and increase the for
eign trade of the United States, and to
provide auxiliary cruisers, transports and
seamen for government use when neces-
sary-the measure peculiarly known as
the subsidy BILL Nv a.
Senator Frye, chairman of the COM
merce committee. presided. and made a
general statement OF the efforts which
have been made during the past few
years to advance The interests Of the
American merchant marine. At the con-
clusion Of the chairnan's statement he
called upon former Senator George F.
Edmunds. who Is attorney for the COM
mittee Of those interested in the shipping
interests Of the country, to make an eX-
PLANTATION Of the bill.
Mr. Edmunds said one OF the objects
American register upon equal footing
with foreign-built vessels in the trade
with Cuba, Puerto Rico, Hawaii and the
Philippines. The compensation to be paid
American vessels amounted to no more
than that, as Americans never asked for
anything more than fair play In re-
ferring to the Philippines he said that
as an anti-expansionist he was bound to
recognize the facts as they existed. The
United States had expanded, and it was
necessary to regulate our business af-
fairs accordingly. Another object was to
provide for fast vessels of large capacity,
not only that they should be able to carry
great cargoes to ports Of destination
quickly, but that they should be capable
Of being changed quickly into defenders
Of the country and It's interests This,
too, as an anti-expansionist, he recog-
nized as necessary for the protection not
only of our commerce, but also of our
dominions. He would not hesitate, he
said, to put 100000 900 or $26, 900, 900 into a
plan to accomplish the ends the bill had
In view.
AMERICAN. OWNERSHIP.
A long discussion was precipitated by
an inquiry Of Senator Martin as to why
1t was provided by the bill that 80 per
cent of ship applying for registry and
the subsidy should be owned by Ameri-
cans. Gfos.
Mr. Edmunds regarded the provision as
necessary to insure practical American
ownership and control.
In this connection Chairman Frye said
1t was the principle of the bilt to bring
under the United States flag American
owned ships, manned by Americans,
which had been compelled by financial
considerations to sail under g. foreign
flag. The vessels under the American flag
would be able successfully to compete
with foreign ships only because OF the
subsidy provided for in the pending bill.
Mr.. Louis Nixon, shipbuilder Of Eliza
bethport. N. j., said that American ship
owners had a monopoly of the coastwise
trade, but the pending bill had little to
do with that. 1t was the trade on the
ocean with foreign ports which 1t was
proposed to got. The cost of vessels and
their operate under the American flag
was much greater than those in Europe.
AS to men-of-war, Mr.. Nixon said they
could be built in this country as cheaply
as any nation could build them, but there
were special reasons for that fact which
did not apply to the construction Of mer-
chant vessels.
Mr.. Nixon, in reply to an inquiry, said
that IL he was given absolutely free ma
terials and free labor-the contract labor
law being repealed-he would be able to
compete successfully with foreign ship
builders. But he hoped this would not
be done.
Nj, ~f,44 - tfar,l .1v q
sirable to encourage and build up the
American tramp steamers-those vessels
which are so essential to the building
up of the carrying trade of the nation.
w. D. Munson, of New York, presi-
dent Of the Munson steamship line boz
lieved that if the bill passed the Ameri-
can ship builders would rise to the &C.
CASTOR and soon establish a great Amer
lean merchant marine. He declared 1t
would be impossible for his company to
use American vessels in the present con-
ditions