Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-24
VEST OPPOSES SUBSIDIES.
Speaks for Three Hours Against the
Shipping Bill.

Mr.. Vest occupied the attention of the
Senate until 80 o'clock yesterday after
noon, making three-hour speech on the
ship subsidy bill
Mr.. Vest said he took no stock In the
dramatic prophecies of MessrS. Frye and
Hanna that in case of war between any
two of the great powers our merchant
marine would be destroyed II free ships
were allowed. He declared that the navi-
cation laws were relic of barbarism,
but" he said, 'they will never be re-
pealed so long as New England dominates
the politics and policies of this country
Has there not in the senator's time been
a time when the democratic party could
have repealed those laws?" asked Mr..
Hanna
Never, never, never! replied Mr.. Vest,
with great earnestness.
''Is IL not true that in that time the demo-
cratic party has had both the executive and
Congress at once?' Mr.. Hanna then asked,
and Mr. Vest replied that 1t wes so, but
that the coast democrats had voted with
the republicans.
''They were dominated by local interests"
he said, "as Gen. Hancock sad was the
case in all tariff matters. Indeed" Mr..
Vest went on. the whole tariff system is
an interdependent mutually of greed, as
this bill Is only part Of tar system He
declared that the police proposed by the
pending bill one of 'barbaric exclu-
sion" He thought the people at large had
done enough for the northeastern coast
without contributing SlS0,00O.OOO more to
build up its ship industry.
Discussing the participation of various
lines of ships in the proposed subsidy Mr..
Vest said that the vessels of what is known
as the American line [the International
Navigation Company in the course of the
twenty years the subsidy was to run would
receive at least s42.O0O,0D0 of the total
which would be paid out.
Mr.. FRYE called attention to the fact that
an amendment proposed excluded the
American line company from any partici-
patton beyond period of ten years.
Continuing, Mr.. Vest discussed the init
mate relations which. he said, existed be-
tween the railroads OF the country and the
great steamship lines, and asserted in that
connection that the International Naviga-
ton ships were being operated at profit.
Again Mr.. Frye interrupted to direct at
tention to President Griscom's statement
that every one of the four ships of the
American line under the American flag had
lost money continuously since they had
ho;sted the stars and stripes.
Mr.. Vest admitted that that was true
but urged that the company made a profit
its entire plant.
The Pacific Mail Steamship Company he
said. would be the next beneficiary under
the bill. With It's present ships and the two
vessels II was building now it would receive
$3.50 900 year of the subsidy.
The next poor. emaciated, starving corp
Grafton which will receive a subsidy under
this BILL said Mr.. Vest sarcastically. lis
the Standard Oil Company" daughter
1t was, he said trembling with emacia ton
and hungry for the necessaries of life, its
shares of stock being worth only $3.50 each.
He had endeavored to ascertain how much
of the subsidy the Standard Oil Company
would receive, but the company had de-
clined 10 supply any information to It's
ships
Mr.. Frye interjected a statement that
nearly all oil tank steamers were built
abroad. They woulG receive only one-quar-
ter of the regular subsidy. as they could
bring no returning freight. 1t was not
likely. therefore, that they would be
brought under the American flag
Mr.. Vest referred to the reported forma-
ton of syndicates OF control the vessels on
the great lakes and on the Pacific coast He
believed a trust would be formed for con-
trol of all this American shpping-a trust
that would get every dollar of the subsidy.
Everything in the country Is under a
trust" said the Missouri senator. from
The cradle to the grave"
He declared that the antitrust bill passed
by the House last session was sleeping the
sleep Of death In a pigeon hole Of the COM
mittee ON judiciary of the Senate. The re-
politicians. ne asserted. dared not raise the
campaign. and now in gratitude for their
financial assistance they would not raise
their hands against them.
This BILL continued Mr.. Vest, will pass
the Senate. 1t Is part of the protective
system sacred 10 the republican party. es-
pecially in New England Drunk with VIC
tory. the republican party now will stop
at nothing"
After a brief executive session the SEN
ate at 5:32 O'Clock adjourned.
Avoid Contraction