West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1901-02-21
NOOp PRESON COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA. FEBRuA AIRY d 1901
,er SENATOR FRYE EXPLAIN.
The Two Million Dollar Limit
Amendment.

Amendment.
The much vaunted amendment TO
the senate ship subsidy blu purporting
to limit speed compensation (sec bill
as reported by Mr.. Frye TO the senate.
page g lines 1922 Is grotesque sham.
IL reads:
'oi which nine millions Of dollars not more
than two millions Of collars shall In respect Of
any ene tscai year. be paid as compensation 20
the resnels describcd Ga paragraphs eighth and
ninth Of clause b Of this section"
The paragraphs thus affected are
those which provide for subsidy 10
ships of speed as follows:
'Eishth.--rwenty knots and less than n Knots.
"Ninih.-rSsnty-One knots over"
From the report lately made for 1900
by the United States commissioner OF
navigation we find that OF United
States steamers OF 20 knots speed or
over there are just four In existence
the New York, the Paris. the st. Louis
and the st. paul-all OF them owned by
the International Navigation company
Uhe Standard oil and PENNSYLVANIA
railroad concern. OF which Mr.. Grlscon
Is presidenO.
by the same report the commissioner
gave list OF foreign steamers that
might come In under the subsidy bill.
or these not single one was above
Is knots speed: hence none OF them
comes under the eighth and ninth para
graphs OF clause b I'm question.
Moreover. in his report as 20 ships
under construction abroad for Amcri-
90 ol
lain shows not n single one OF these
as over IL knots speed: hence none OF
these comes within paragraphs eighth
and ninth OF clause b ia question.
Again, the commissioned of naviga-
ton reports as to the vessels intended
for foreign trade under construction
or contract In United States ship
yards. OF this shipping not single
vessel was OF over IS knots speed. and
therefore none of IL would come under
paragraphs eighth and ninth Of clause
b In question.
Finally, on behalf OF the promoters
OF this bill, Mr.. Clyde testified Jan. 10.
1900 tsee House Hearings OF that date.
page 30:
eve know from inquiries we have made "a 10
what ships viii be built Il this bill is passed that
all Of the vessels contemplated will be vessels Of
| moderate Fpced-nono of them exceeding II
knots
too slow TO come under paragraphs
eighth and ninth In clause h.
To sum up. the New York. the Paris.
the ST. Paul and the st. Louis. all
owned by the International Naviga-
ton company. are the only vessels
either In existence or building or con
tracted for or probably TO be contract
ed for. should this measure become q
law, that are or VIII come under para
graphs eighth and ninth OF clause b.
The true reading OF the amendment
reported by Senator Frye therefore IS:
"of which nine millions Of dolHrs not moro
/ th0I fpo millions ol dollars (S2 900, OoO) shah
~ respect Of any one fiscal vedr, be paid as
compensation 10 fho international Navigation
company IN respect of ITS four best steamers
nc Neao York. tho Paris. The ST. Paul and mo
| ST. Louis"
Since the highest estimate by critics
OF the amount which these four ships
could get under tho bill as IL orig
inally stood was less than $1,000
600. Senator Frye ought to explain
why the sum named was so liberally
calculated and how the amendment
tends TO limit the stupendous Job
which, In behalf Of his great passen-
ger steamers. Mr. Grscom. through
Senator Frye. is pushing under the
pretense that he Is working In aid OF
American exports.