The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-06-12
CABLE BILL
A DEAD ISSUE
-
Cannon Says We Need the Money
and Has His Way.
NEWLANDS PRAISES MACKEY
APPROPRIATIONS FOR TOWNS IN
NEW OKLAHOMA COUNTRY.
NEWLANDS PRAISES MACKEY


vote of eleven to seventy-seven. thus
giving no opportunity to test the
strength of the Dalzen substitute,
which authorized the president to con-
tract with private company for the
laying of cable The speakers today
were Messrs. Shackelford of Missouri
Mann Of Illinois, Morreu of PennsyI-
vania and Tompkins of Ohio for the
bill, and Messrs. Richardson Of Ala
bama, Newlands of Nevada, Loud of
California and Cannon of Illinois
against it.
Without preliminary business, the
house today went into committee of
the whole and resumed the debate upon
the COrliss Pacific cable bill.
Mr.. Coriiss supplemented his speech
OF yesterday in favor of the bill with
a few additional remarks, in the course
of which he declared he had learned
within tWenty-four hours that not a
foot of the proposed commercial Pa
cific cable had yet been laid. Mr.. Rich
ardson of Alabama then took the floor
in opposition. He called attention to
the speech of Mr.. Cannon yesterday. in
which the latter showed that the ap-
preparations for the next fiscal year
already exceeded the estimated rev
enues by ISL COG, 600, and urged this as
the first reason why the government
should not enter upon the expensive
work of building cable to the Philip
pines.
May Use Wireless Telegraphy.
He referred at some length to the
possibilities in the development of wire
less biography, and argued that it
would be unwise on the threshold of
the development Of the new system for
the government to expend ST., 000, 900 or
S2O, 600, 600 for submarine cable which
might be valueless in few years. It
was better, he insisted. TO allow a pri-
vate company to take whatever re-
sponsibility there was involved. Mr..
Richardson then read the contract IN
der the post roads act Of 1886 which the
Commercial Gable company agreed to
make with the secretary of the treas
ury covering the sale Of the cable in
case Of necessity to the government,
the priority of government message
the rates to be charged mot to exceed
so cents per word to Hawaii and 81 a
word to the Philippines and China,
with half rate for government business;
the control Of the cable by the govern
ment in time of war, etc. He argued
that these terms were in every way
advantageous . the government.
Richardson Is Sarcastic.
Mr.. Richardson, while replying to the
argument OF Mr.. COrliss submitted yes
terday, undertook to score Mr.. COrliss
by commenting in a sarcastic vein on
a synopsis of the latter's speech, which
he said had been distributed before its
delivery.
Mr.. CorIiss was described as saying
certain things with dramatic effect,
etc
MIR. Corliss asked if the attorney gen
eral had not refused to consider the
contract which the Commercial Gable
company had offered to make.
Mr.. Richardson replied that the at
tOTney general and other government
officials had declined to interfere in the
matter, and that the company was
proceeding to lay the cable under the
post roads act. In explanation of the
reason the cable was being built in
England, he said the telegraph COM
pany was building d cable that they
guaranteed for two years. No other
would guarantee a cable for
thirty days.
Would Cost S15,0OO.OOO.
Mr.. Richardson declared that as an
economic business proposition the gov
eminent cable was unjustifiable, and
he quoted from the commerce commit
tees report against a former bill of
this kind TO the effect that il would
cost the government $4,000, 600, and
would chiefly benefit 800 foreigners and
100 American citizens. He read a let
ter from John L. Mackay of the Com
mercial Gable company guaranteeing
that the company would build an all
American cable, and not touch upon
Foreign soil. The objection to the
project Of the cable company because
the cable was not built by American
labor, he said, would not stand inves-
tisation. He produced figures to show
that only II per cent of the cost Of
cable was expended for wages.
Commercial Company's Plans.
The letter of Mr. Mackay was ad-
dressed to Mr., Hepburn, chairman of
the committee, and says:
My cable engineer through your
kind offices and the courtesy of Mr. /
Moody, the secretary of the navy. and
TO examine the charts of sOundings on
file in the navy department, showing
that il Is feasible to land a submarine (
cable on the island of Guam. in the |
Pacific ocean. Mr. Cuttriss has just
-elegTaphed me that these soundings
show that such a landing is practica-
bic. This removes the only doubt as
TO the feasibility of an American cable /
from San Francesca to Manila and !
write this letter to you to state posi- |
lively that the submarine cable, which |
the Commercial Pacific Gable company
has agreed TO construct, lay and oper- I
ate from San Francisco to Manila will |
be an all-American cable and will not I
touch on any foreign island or terri /
tory whatsoever. 1 give you my per
iOnal assurance TO that effect The
first section of this cable will be in 1
operation in November, 1902, and we /
expect to be able to arrange for the 4
sections to be completed and /
opened for traffic during the year 1904. /
Newlands Defends Mackay.
Mr.. Newlands of Nevada defended /
Tohn W. Mackay, president OF the Com /
nercial Gable company, from the as ]
PENSIONS cast upon him yesterday. He I
paid a high tribute TO Mr. Mackay VINO.
Ac Sd4ut udQ ldlQ the FOUNDATION or ms I
great fortune in an humble way in Ne !
-ada. Instead Of being a monOpolist,
ne said, Mr.. Mackay had entered a con- /
est on the sea against the great At
antic cable monopoly and on land
against the Gould telegraph system
He also had built the Hayti cable. the 4
control Of which was surrendered to
he United States during the Spanish
VAR In the same way he said the
able to be built 10 the Philippines also /
would be at the service of the govern
nent in time of emergency. Mr..
Nackay, he said, was noted for his rO-
lust Americanism- The very name of /
J. w Mackay. he said. was a guaran-
ZEE of the legitimacy of the enterprise
Mr.. Loud Of California opposed the
pill on the ground that government (
operation Of telegraph systems in Eu-
'ope was not "a success. Since 1872
england had lost about S35 GOO coo in Z