Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-03-20

not at all certain that the Dill would
accomplish the great results which
its advocates claimed for it and he
urged that before its enactment into
law definite information upon that
point ought to be furnished congress
He did not care to vote for a measure
making an appropriation that not
only would not accomplish definite
results, but which might be simply a
largeSS to ship owners. He gave
notice of an amendment which he
proposed to offer, providing that the
bill might be amended or repealed by
congress without. however, impairing
any contract made under it's pro
visions. The amendment would be
notice, he said, that subsidy would
not be a safe foundation upon which
TO build largely.
Mr.. Allison rep. Ia.l indicated
that he was not quite satisfied with
the measure as it stands now and
save notice of amendments he pro
posed TO offer to it, limiting the time
money annually to be paid from the
| treasury on account of it.
Mr.. Teller lind, Coll made i
| speech in opposition and Mr.. Elkins
| (rep., w. Va one in support of it.
The West Virginia senator admitted.
however, that he would much prefer
the adoption of a policy of discrimi
mating duties.
MI. Berry (dem., Ark, represent
ing the minority of the senate com
m1ttee on commerce presented the
report in opposition TO the pending
ship subsidy bill. The accuracy OF
both the predictions and the facts in
the majority report was denied
The minority members urge that the
bill is wrong in principle. and declare
that it will utterly fail in the &C
complishment of its professed oh
| jects. The minority continues: The
| bill proposes to tax the whole people
to the extent of several millions for
4 the benefit of one single industry.
Besides the statistics of the last two
years prove that the ship-building in
GUstry does not need such special
assistance, but is rapidly Increasing
under natural conditions The high
!, est rate of subsidy is given to twenty
!, knot vessels while the fast ocean
: mails are really carried in 90 and "a
knot vessels. The mail compensation
, to the slow American vessels, already
&c IL,
service than England pays for semi
: weekly service by much faster ships
than ours. The report closes by say
ing: We know that there are hun
dredS and thousands of industries in
: our country doing a losing business
but we deny that congress for this
reason can go into the public
treasury and save them from bank
ruptcy. We sympathize with all men
-. in the hard struggles of life, but it is
not the duty of our government to
l Interfere in the private business
affairs of the citizen. We believe
that all men should have an equal
and fair chance in the race for
wealth and happiness-every citizen
. should bear his share of the bur
3 dens of the government; one class
should never be the recipient of bene
fits 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.
In the house Mr.. Minor (rep.
= Wis.,, rising to a question of per
sonal privilege, denounced the pub
= lished statement regarding the
- speaker and himself as false
Speaker Henderson also stated tha
= there was not a shadow of truth If
the article. The article in question
was Washington dispatch in Gin
4 cinnati newspaper to the effect thai
Mr.. Minor had changed his position
on the shipping bill and on the Cuban
G tariff question because of the speak
! er's intention to advance the loca
/ revenue cutter measure in which the
, Wisconsin member was interested.