Evening star., 1902-03-15
Addresses Senate on Ship
Subsidy Bill.
PREFERS OLD POLICY
REPORT OF THE MINORITY PRE-
SENTED.
Proposed Investigation Of the Army
Transport Service-House
Takes Up Pensions.

Rev. F. ]. Prettyman. pastor Of the Mount
Vernon Place NJ. +. Church of this city,
pronounced the invocation at the opening of
today's session of the Senate.
The Senate agreed, at the suggestion OF
Mr. Berry (Ark.). to take up the ship sub
sidy bill Immediately after routine business
Monday. and that speeches on the bill be
limited to fifteen minutes, except as to the
senator from Maine tMr. Frye, who was
accorded thirty minutes.
on motion of MIR. Money (Miss) it was
agreed that the Senate should meet at IL
am. Monday.
Opposing Shipping Bill.
Mr.. Teller (Col) then began a speech in
opposition to the pending ship subsidy bill.
He maintained that under the law the
American flag could be raised over any ship
owned in whole in more than half by
American citizens and thus gain whatever
benefit that might give. While he always
had been in favor of the upbuilding of the
merchant marine, he could not believe that
the pending bill would accomplish the re-
suits hoped for by it's advocates If he
believed that such results would be achiev-
ed, as Mr.. Frye believed. he would support
it, To his mind it was infinitely preferable
to the subsidy measure presented last year.
Prefers the Old Policy.
Personally he was of opinion that It would
be better to adopt the old policy of dis
eliminating duties for the upbuilding of the
merchant marine. Such a policy would be
preferable, in his judgment, to the plan
presented by the present bill.
A serious objection to the pending bill was
that 1T did not provide for new lines The
money PAID IN subsidies, therefore, would
be paid to established lines. And yet one
of the prOfeSsed objects of the bill was to
establish new lines.
Mr.. Teller read from the report OF the
commissioner of naviga ton to prove that
the shipbuilding industry was not lauguish-
Ing and in need of the assistance of boun-
ties.
Mr.. Hanna said that during the last year
or two American ship yards had been very
busy, but he said they had been busy in
the construction of ships for the coastwise
trade almost exclusively.
MT. Elk1nS CIV. Na.D, a member Of the
committee on commerce. supported the
pending bill. He directed attention to the
1act that the United States now was pay
Ing sGW.0W a day to foreign ship owners
Tor the carrying of our commerce.
Minority Report Presented.
Senator Berry, representing the minority
OF the Senate committee on commerce. to-
day presented the report in opposition to
the pending ship subsidy bill. Most of the
points have been covered In speeches in the
Senate. The members Of the minority deny
the accuracy Of both the predictions and the
facts In the majority report. They urge
tnat the bill Is wrong in principle and de-
clare that 1t will utterly fail in the accom-
piishment of its professed objects They
also say that while it is not complicated
as the subsidy bill of the Fifty-sixth Con-
gress, 1t is in some respects even more OBJ
1ectlonable The minority continue:
he bill proposes TO tax the whole people
to the extent OF several millions for the
benefit OF one single Industry. Besides, the
statistics OF the last two years prove that
the ship-building industry does not need
such special assistance, but Is rapidly in
ereasing under natural conditions
They crftioiSe the feature of the bill which
carries the subsidy for foreign mails, and
say:
The highest rate of subsidy Is given to
twenty-knot vessels. while the fast ocean
mails are really carried in twenty three and
twenty-four-knot vessels The mail COM
pensation to the slow American vessels, al
ready too high. Is made immensely higher
by this bill. We pay more for weekly
service than England pays for a semi
weekly service by much faster ships than
ours"
They further urge that the bill makes no
provision against q shipping trust and claim
that IT encourages combination leading to
such trust. They also say:
THE lines might also merge with foreign
lines to control freight and passenger rates
Thereby our subsidy would be aiding the
foreign partners Of our subsidized vessels" :"
The report closes by saying:
I'VE know that there are hundreds and
thousands Of Industries In our country do
ing a losing business, but we deny that
Congress, for this reason, can go into the
public treasury and save them from bank
fuptcy. We sympa athize with all men in the
hard struggle OF life. but 1t Is not the duty
of our government to interfere In the pri-
vate business affairs OF the citizen. We be-
heve that all men should have an equal and
fair chance In the race for wealth and hap
piness-every citizen should bear his share
of the burdens Of the government, one class
should never be the recipient OF benefits not
given TO others. Absolute equality OF rights
is a doctrine we should never abandon. The
bill Is wrong in principle. unjust. vicious,
pure class legislation
A joint resolution authorizing the Secre-
tary Of War to loan tents to the Texas Re-
union Association to meet at Dallas April
p. 1902. was passed.
Mr.. Bacon's Amendment.
Mr.. Bacon (Ga) gave notice Of an amend
ment which he proposed to offer to the sub
sidy bill providing that no contract under
the blu shall be binding upon the govern
ment until 1t should have been submitted
90 and approved by Congress.
Mr.. Bacon urged that the Postmaster
General ought not to be made responsible
for the making OF such contracts 1t was
such a delegation OF authority by Congress
as he did not think would be approved by
the American people
THE HOUSE.
When the House met today Mr.. Parker
On. J3 reported back from the committee
on military affairs the resolution intro
duced by Mr. Richardson the democratic