Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-04-24
SHIPPING SUBSIDY
Status Of the Measure in Both
Houses of Congress.
PASSAGE At THIS SESSION UNCERTAIN
It May Get Thru The Senate With
Ease but tho Democrats i'm the
House Will Try to Talk
1t TO Death.

Washington, D. c., April ao.-The
shipping subsidy bill is upon the calen-
gfiars of both branches of congress. To
she senate, the committee on COM
serce, and to the house, the commit
sc on merchanr marine, have made
elaborate reports, strongly commend-
ing the measure to early action. In
the senate there is an undertone
among republican senators that the
shipping bill shall be given right Of
way as unfinished business" after the
Philippines bill and the Quay case are
disposed of. In the house no step has
vet been taken toward consideration
OF the bill. Such is the legislative sta
tus. Senator Frye has charge of the
bill in the senate, while its champion
in the house is General Grosvenor.
The understanding among republi-
can senators would seem to make the
prospect of passage there encouraging
But the democrats have made strenu-
Gus opposition to the shipping bill a
matter of party policy. They are de-
fermined on fight to the finish. This
means a long drawn-out debate on the
bill when it comes before the senate.
IT also means that the minority will
exhaust its ability to stave off consid-
aeration as long as possible. The de-
& bate upon the simple Philippines reso-
luton asserting the presidents au-
thority to maintain government until
congress shall act specifically is being
prolonged out of all proportion to its
importance. Senator Jones, chairman
6Of the Democratic national committee
frankly told republican senator that
there was no particular objection to
the adoption of the resolution, but il
was the policy of the minority to de-
lay the appearance of the shipping bill
Sby talking! on the Philippines. The
democrats do not conceal their purpose
to make action on the bill as difficult
as they know how. Whether this
means talking against time can only be
determined as the weeks come.
Senator Hanna is more concerned
about the shipping bill than about any
other pending legislation. There is
4 no doubt the republicans have the
votes to pass the bill easily in the SEN
ate, and that they will endeavor to
wear out the democrats if obstructive
tactics are attempted. In the house
the disposition is to await the action
Of the senate. or at least until some
idea of the probable action of the1sen.
shipping interests are remaining in
Washington to keep the bill before the
minds of members of congress.
Material notifications We're made by
The eommiJ tees,in the bill as originally
introduced. The changes in the provi-
sipns meet the objections made to the
first forms in which legislation was
proposed. Conflicting interests were
10 IL.
The fast passenger companies of the
Atlantic favored system which the
4 slower freight lines of the Pacific fell
did not do justice to them. Amounts
and conditions of bounty were amend.
ed until the committees believed that
the mean between various conflicting
interests had been attained. Evidence
Of this result is found in the seeming
unanimity with which shipping men
now regard the perfected measures.
The bills as reported to the two
Sabranches of congress are practically
the same. Public interests. it is be
lieyed, have been safe-guarded. Maxi.
mum limit has been put upon the op
eration of the subsidy rates so that
HI 1he. payments cannot go above fixed
amount. When the proposition was
first brought before congress there
was vigorous opposition other than DO.
litical. Most of this seems TO have dis.
appeared. The anti-subsidy literature
which was distributed with frequency
has stopped coming. Of the amount
the bill in its amended form will take
out of the treasury Senator Frye
makes this estimate:
Frye,s Statement.
The maximum annual expenditure il
fixed at $9,00O,00O. The seventeenth
section provides that vessels receiving
the benefits of this act shall carry til
mails free. During the fiscal year end
Ied june 80, 1897, we paid America,
vessels $1,2T8,674 for carrying til,
foreign mails. During 1898 and 1s9
our mail steamships We're extensively
employed as cruisers, transports, etc
During 1898 we entered, however, in
to a contract for mail service to ia
maica, involving $122,00o. Uuder nor
mal conditions our annual pay t.
American vessels for mail services will
be $1,400,000, and any slight extension
will increase this amount to $1,50O,OOO
These mail services will be continued
q in any event. From the $4,000, 90
n~gE az MHB