The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-03-15
TALKING SHIP SUBSIDY
FORAKER OF OHIO DEFENDS
THE MEASURE.
Messrs. llcLaurin Of Mississippi and
Harris Of Kansas Take the
Other Side Of the
49,. Discussion.

-, Washington, March M-Throughout the
session of the Senate today the ship sub
siiy bill was under consideration The
measure was discussed by Mr.. Foraker
OF Ohio. Mr.. McLaurin Of Mississippi and
Mr.. Harris Of Kansas. Mr.. Foraker sup
ported the bill. although he admitted that
he would have preferred to build up the
American merchant marine by the levy
ing of discriminating duties.
Both Mr. McLaurin and Mr.. Harris op-
posed the measure on the ground that in
their judgment was not constitutional.
They maintained that IT was class iegis-
iation which amounted to little short of
robbery Of the people for the henefit Of
q few ship owners. Mr. Harris made the
point that the United States was now
paying more to the American line for the
carving Of ocean malls than was paid
for foreign ships for greater service.
AT the conclusion or routine business
the Senate resumed consideration Of the
ship subsidy bill AMI Mr.. Foraker of
Ohio. addressed the Senate. He said that
while he expected to vote for the bill, ne
was not entirely satisfied with 1t. Ever
since he had studied the question he had
been OF the opinion that the most equita-
BILE and scientific way to rehabilitate the
merchant marine OF the United States
would be to inaugurate the policy of dis
eliminating duties under which the faith
ers of the country made our merchant
OF the opihion that under the circum-
stances II would he impossible to return
to the policy Of discrimina ting duties.
he had followed the trend OF legislation
closely enough to learn that it was high
~ necessary to have a majority in favor
OF any proposition before IL was enacted
into law. He had consulted with his col
leagues In the Senate and recognized the
tmpossibilitS Of securing majority in
favor of the policy of discriminating du-
ties. Being DESTROYS of building up the
merchant marine, he looked therefore for
the next best scheme for accomplishing
this result.
The Senator in charge Of the bill. Mr.
Frye had stated clearly the objections to
the adoption of the plan Of discriminat-
ing duties twenty-one treaties being an
absolute bar to that policy.
Mr.. McLaurin MISSY said he was OPP
posed. not only to the bill. but to the
principles 1t represented. Whatever is
given by the government as a subsidy Mr..
McLaurin charged. would be simply
contribution to the dividends Of those
engaged in shipping instead OF for the
purpose of encouraging ship building In
this country. He said there had been no
decadence in ship building in the United
states; <hat that industry is now ex-
had in fifty years. He called the pro-
posed United States Ship Building Com
pany a combination to employ labor as
economically as possible.
Referring to his amendment introduced
recently requiring the names Of persons.
firms and members Of corporations that
would be benefited by the bill to be made
public. Mr.. McI.aurin said that the tax
money Is paid. Speaking Of that portion
of his amendment prohibiting Senators
and members from enjoying any Of the
benefits of the bill. he said that the ne
cessity of eliminating ones interest when
it conflicts with duty to the United States
Is apparent.
He cited the charges against Ambas-
sador Clayton and said government
official must not have his duty on one
side and his private interests on the
other. He said he was as anxious as any
Republican Senator to rehab!lltate the
American merchant marine. but he would
rather not see the American flag float
over our merchant vessels than to see
one stained with the faint of money
which did not legitimately belong to its
owner.
Mr.. Harris CKasD took exceptional
ground against the DILL. maintaining IL
was class legislation such as Justice Mil
Ter had denounced as on the verge of
robbery. Mr.. Harris declared that under
the pending bill there would be few bid
derr for the mail contracts and that the
price paid by the United States for car.
rying the mails on the ocean would be
AZ least twice as much as that paid by
Great Britain for similar service and
twice as much as this country would
have to pay foreign vessels for carrying
the mails. -
The principal objectitn he had to the
pronosed mail subsidies as we'll as the
nresent subsidies was that they were too
large He asserted that the United
States was now aging the American line
twice as much as was paid the Cunard
liae for CARRYING nearly twice as much
mail matter. The proposed mail subsidies
he Inc and MpitIqf
The Senate. at 4.3e went into executive
session and at 500 n m ad iourned