The Oskaloosa herald., 1902-03-20
PASSES THE SENATE.
Ship Subsidy Bill Wins by a Fair
Majority.

passed the ship subsidy bill, the final
vote upon the measure being AZ to 81.
Senators Allison and Dolliver Qa.),
Spooner and Quarles (Wis.), and Proc
tor and Dillingham; (Vt.), republicans,
voted against the final passage of the
bill, and Senator McLaurin Is. c. voted
for it. Some amendments to the bill
were adopted, but they were all agree
able to those in charge of the measure,
the friends of the bill voting down all
other amendments. With the excep-
ton of amendments offered by SEN
ator Allison, and accepted by Senator
Frye, limiting the time of the opera
ton 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 should not at any time exceed
$S,000000 annually, none of the amend
ments agreed to materially affected
the bill as it was reported from the
commerce committee.
Flood of Amendments.
The voting upon amendments began
at three o'clock, and such flood of
them was offered that final vote upon
the bill, as amended, was not reached
until just before six o'clock. Amend.
ments offered by Senator Vest (Mo.),
providing for free ships" and for the
application of the provisions of the
antitrust law to the shipping industry
were rejected, as was the amendment
proposed by Senator Patterson (Col.),
providing that no Chinese person
should be member of the crew of
subsidized vessel. Senator Pettus
(Ala) offered an amendment providing
that the total expenditure under the
bill should not exceed $4,000 900 in any
one year. 1t was adopted in commit
tee of the whole, but later, in the SEN
ate, was rejected by decisive vote.
Amendments Adopted.
The senate agreed to an amendment
offered by Senator Spooner, provid-
ing that congress should have power
to amend or repeal the act, without
impairing any contract made under its
authority. Senator Hanna (O) Of
fered, and the senate adopted, three
amendments applying directly to the
acquisition by Mr.. j. Pierpont Morgan
and his associates of the Leyland line
of British ships. They provide that
no foreign built ship shall participate
in the proposed subsidy; that nothing
in the set shall be construed to pre-
vent American citizens or corporations
from holding or operating foreign
ships in the ocean-carrying trade; and
that no foreign-built ship of any line
thus acquired by American citizens
shall be admitted hereafter to Ameri-
can registry.
Provisions of the Measure.
The title of the bill passed by the senate
Is: "To provide for ocean mail service be-
tween the United States and foreign ports,
and the common defense; to promote COM
merce, and to encourage deep sea fisheries.
Section / of the measure as passed deals
with ocean mail steamships and their sub
sides. The postal subsidy act of 1891 is so
amended as to direct the postmaster gen
eral to enter into contracts for not less than
Ave nor more than Is years with American
citizens for the carrying of mails on Amer
lean steamships to such foreign points as
will best promote the postal commercial
and maritime interests of the Unitet
States; the mail service on such lines to be
equltably distributed among the Atlantic,
Mexican gulf and Pacific ports and the con-
tracts to be made with the lowest response
Bile bidder.
The vessels employed in the mail service
shall be American built and owned and Of
fcered 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 be American citizens,
ana during the remaining life OF the con-
tract at least one-half must be American
citizens. The ships must be screw steam
ships of iron or steel, and divided into the
following classes, according to speed: First
class, 30 knots or over; second class, 10
knots third class, Is knots; fourth class, II
knots fifth class, l6 knots; sixth class, 10
knots; seventh class, ID knots. All steam
ships of the first four classes shall be con-
structed with particular reference to
prompt conversion into auxiliary naval
cruisers and shall be of the highest rating
known TO maritime commerce. Mail steam
ships are required to carry as apprentices
one Amerlcan-born boy for each 1000 tons
gross register. He shall be educated in sea-
manship and engineering and rank as pet
ty officer.
Section of the bill provides for the gen.
eral subsidy to be paid. 1t directs the sec
rotary of the treasury to pay to the owners
of any vessel in the United States duly reg
the United States compensation amount
inng to one cent per gross registered ton
for each 100 nautical miles sailed, not ex-
ceeding l6 entries in any one year; and on
each entry, not exceeding 10 in any one
year, for a period of five years from the
date of registration of vessel of i, 900 gross
tons, which shall be completed after the
passage of this bill, one-fourth of one cent
per gross ton for each 100 nautical miles
sailed, in addition to the aforementioned
compensation. The bill specifies certain
vessels which shall not receive compensa-
ton under its provisions, among them being
vessels engaged in the coastwise trade eX-
clusively. Each subsidized vessel is re-
quired to carry as a member of its company
one American boy for each 1000 gross tons,
who shall be taught seamanship and engi-
neering. The owners of the vessel must
agree before receiving compensation that
the ship in emergency may be used by the
United States for the national defense or
for any purpose, at fair valuation for this
service.
Other Provisions.
Section of the bill directs the secretary
documented vessel engaged in deep sea fish
cry for at least three months in any one
year two dollars per gross ton per annum,
provided that at least one-thrd of the
crew shall be citizens of the United States;
and he is directed to pay also to a citizen
of the United States serving as a member
of such crew one dollar per month for the
time he Is necessarily employed
Section 4 provides that no vessel shs
be given compensation under two or more
sections of this act at the same time; that
a subsidized vessel shall not be sold to
a subject of foreign power; and that the
president Of the United States shall cause
proper regulations to be framed for T..
execution of this act.
House.
Washington, March 1s.-The house