Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-03-18
The Senate Passes Ship Sub
sidy Bill, AZ to 81.
Several Amendments Adopted and
Numerous Others Rejected.
The House Takes Up the River and
Harbor Bill.

passed the snip SUBSIDY Dill, the Hnai
vote on the measure being AZ TO 81.
Senators Allison and Deliver of Iowa,
Spocner and Quarles of Wisconsin.
and Proctor and Dillingham; of YER
mont, Republicans, voted against final
passage of the bill, and MeLaurin of
South Carolina, voted for it. Some
amendments to the bill were adopted,
but they were all agreeable to those
| in charge of the measure, the friends
of the bill voting down all other amend
ments.
With the exception of amendments
offered by Allison and accepted by
Frye limiting the time of the opera
| tiol of contracts made under the pro-
visions of the bill to July /, 1920 and
providing that the amount of the ex-
penditure under the mail subsidy para
graph shall not at any time exceed S.
100000 annually, none of the amend
| ments agreed to materially affected the
bill as it was reported from the COM
| morce committee.
The voting upon amendments began
at o'clock, and such a flood of them
| was offered that final vote on the bill,
as amended, was not reached until just
| before 6 o'clock.
The title of the bill passed by the
Senate is "To Provide for Ocean Mail
Service Between the United States and
Foreign Ports, and the Common De-
| Tense; to Promote Commerce, and to
| Encourage the Deep Sea Fisheries"
| Title l of the measure as passed,
| deals with ocean mail steamships and
their subsidies. The postal subsidy act
of 1891 is so amended asto direct the
postmaster general to enter into con-
tracts for not less than five, nor more
| than 10 years with American citizens
for the carrying of mails on American
steamships, to such foreign ports as
will best promote the postal, CONNER
cial and maritime interests of the
United States, the mail service on such
lines to be equitably distributed among
the Atlantic, Mexican, Gulf and Pacific
ports and the contracts to be made
with the lowest responsible bidder.
| The vessels employed in the mail SER
vice shall be American built and owned
and Differed by American citizens.
During the first two years, one-fourth
of the crew must be American citizens,
during the next three years one-third
must he American citizens, and during
the remaining life of the contract at
least one-half must be American citi-
zens.
| The ships must be screw steamships
of iron and steel, and divided into the
| following classes according to speed:
| First class, 20 knots or over; second
class, ~ knots; third class, Is knots;
| fp1rth al IL
knots; sixth class, Is knots; seventh
class, IA knots.
| Ali steamships of the first four
| classes shall be constructed with par
| ticular reference to prompt conversion
into auxiliary naval cruisers and shall
be of the highest rating known to mari
| time commerce.
The rate of compensation for ocean
| mail service, to be paid per gross reg
istered ton for each 100 nautical miles
sailed from the port of clearance in the
United States to the port of entry in
the United States, according to the
route required by the post office de-
partment, shall not exceed the follow
ing: Steamships of the first class, 40
cents; second class, 2 $40 cents; third
class, $40 cents; fourth class, 2 10
cents; fifth class, l go cents; sixth
class. l 7-1O cents; seventh class, SO
cents.
The rates of compensation to any
vessel carrying mails to foreign port
in North America shall not exceed 20
per cent. of the maximum rates estab-
lished.
Mail steamships are required to car
ry as apprentices one American born
boy for each 1000 tons gross register.
He shall be educated in seamanship
and engineering and rank as a petty
officer.
Title of the bill provides for the
general subsidy to be paid. 1t directs
the secretary of the treasury to pay to
the owners of any vessel in the United
States, duly registered and engaged in
the foreign trade of the United States
a compensation amounting to l cent
per gross registered ton for each 100
nautical miles sailed, not exceeding 16
entries in any one year: and on each
entry, not exceeding is in any one year,
for period of five years from the date
OF registration of a vessel of 1000 gross
tons, which shall be completed after
the passage of this bill one-fourth of
| cent per gross ton for each 100 nauti-
cal miles sailed, in addition to the
above mentioned compensation. The
bill specifies certain vessels, which shall
not receive compensation under it's
provisions. among them being vessels
engaged in the coastwise trade exclu-
siyely.
Each subsidized vessel is required to
carry as a member of its company one
American boy for each 1000 gross tons.
who shall be taught seamanship and
engineering. The owners of the vessel
must agree before receiving compensa-
ton that the ship in emergency may be
used by the United States for the ma
tional defence or for any public pur-
pose at a fair valuation for this service.
Title of the bill directs the secre-
tary of the treasury to pay to the own
er of documented vessel, engaged in
deep sea fishery for at least three
months in any one year, 81 per gross
ton per annum. provided that at least
one-third of the crew shall be citizens
CONTINUED on page 81