The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-03-03
THE SHIPPING BILL

Senator ElRtnS SeetGed AoNAnIABs "
West Virginia by Insertion Of Fea-
lures In tbe.1Eeasure Which Will be
Of Benefit to the State.
Special Dispatch to the IntsllIgencer.
WASHINGTON. D. c., March 2-As
stated in the Intelligencer nearly a
month ago, Senator ElkIns submitted to
the senate committee on commerce, OF
which he Is a member, several import
ant amendments to the shipping bin,
with the view of beneRting 4he produc-
ing states Of the Union. insteRd Of per-
hitting the profits derived under the
measure to go to the carrying COM
panies alone. The bill Is designed TO
''promOte the commerce and increase
the foreign trade Of tie United States,
and as q means to the end provides fer
the payment OF certain suIns OF money
TO vessels In the carrying trade under
certain prescribsd conditions, but the
original draft Of the meaturO was OBJ
iected to by Senator ElkihR, for the rea-
son that there was NO Discrimination
made between the vesEals which should
carry cargoes and 4hose going empty.
In other words. would, rnder the pro-
visions Of the bin. oul. heve to comply
with certain terms, and upon making
a cruise-as between New York ana q
foreign port-would be entitled to the
subsidy, whether carrying q load OF
merchandise or mol.
Subsidy on Gross Tons Carried.
To meet this objection, senator Ellins
proposed that the subsidy should be
paid upon the gross tons Of cargo car
ried at the stipulated sun = 500 = per
milo traversed within the prescribed
limits, and not upon the gross ton SIM
ply, and he has been successful In ihav-
ing the bill amended on that line, al-
though not to the extent he first pro-
posed. Astt will go to the senate from
Inc committee, the bill will provide that,
to obtain the benefits conferred, every
vessel must bear cargo equal In tons
to one-half her carrying capacity.
The senator demonstrated to the COM
mittee that under the original Bill any
vessel in the trade or ont OF It, even
q tramp" vessel, might become a beue-
flclary, merely by making a trip be-
tween ports, and this. he argued. would
be Of no service to the commerce OF the
United States, nor Increase foreign
trade, whereas, by recurring the ves-
BGl 10 GaTTYs n lQtlQa Ok- EIGAbAAfl l-AtAss1l
would De proviJed an agency for the
common benefit. 1t would be the means
OF conveying to the markets ofthe world
the agricultural products, the wool and
iron and coal and steel, as well as the
manufactured articles OF commerce, and
be of immense benefit to the states OF
the Union. rather than to, q few cor
pOratlons In the carrying trade, 10
which last the bulk OF the subsidy
would undoubtedly 90. unless prevented
by the introduction in the bill Of clauses
such as he proposed.
Senator Elkins Satisfied.
Mr.. ElkIns is satisfied with what he
has accomplished. He would have pre-
ferred the adoption of his original
amendments. but he recognizes the adj
vantages gained by the concession OF
fifty per cent of his demand. AS the
bill will be reported, It will prevent OUT
siders or Incoming ships from drawing
a profit merely by crossing the ocean,
and will at the same time insure West
Virr'nia, and other producing states. o
me . of placing raw material and
manufactured products In the markets
east and west, under the protection of
the American flag.