Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1902-03-20
SPOONER HITS
SHIP SUBSIDIES
OPPOSES SOME PROVISIONS OF
PRESENT BILL.
VIAL SUBMIT AMENDMENT
To Allow Congress to Amend or Re-
peal Measure, but Without Impair
ing Any Contracts Made Under 1t
MIR Minor Denies Story Printed
in Cincinnati About Him.

Washington. March 16-Differeuces
II opinion on the republican side ap-
peared in the senate debate on the
ship subsidy bill Saturday. Mr..
SpoCner rep, Wis., took exception
to some Of the provisions OF the
measure. He was not at all certain
that the bill would accomplish the
great results which it's advocates
claimed for it and he urged that be
fore its enactment into law definite
information upon that point ought to
be furnished congress. He did not
care to vote for measure making an
appropriation that not only would not
accomplish definite results, but which
might be simply largeSs to ship
owners. He gave notice Of an amend
ment which he proposed to offer, pro
yidiug that the bill nioht be amended
or repealed by congress without, now
ever imDairing any contract made
under its provisions. This amend
meDt would be notice, he said, that
subsidy would not be safe fOunda-
ton upon which to build largely.
M Allison (rep., Ia indicated
that Ac was not quite satisfied with
the measure as it stands now and
gavt notice Of amendments he pro
poseC 10 offer to it, limiting the time
Of It's operation and the amount Of
money annually to be paid from the
treasury on account Of it.
NJ Teller Ond., COLI made a
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 policy of discrimi-
mating duties.
Nj Berry (dcm., Ark), representing
the minority Of the senate committee
on commerce presented the report in
DDpOsitiOn to the pending ship subsidy
biB The accuracy of both the prcdic-
tons and the facts in the majority re-
Iort was denied. The minority mem
hers urge that the bill is wrong in
principle and declare that it will ut
teriy fail in the accomplishment OF its
profcssed objects. They also say that
while it is not so complicated as the
subsidy bill of the Fiftysixth congress
Il is in some respects even more Objec-
tio0abe. The minority continues:
"Thc bill proposes to tax the whole
people to the extent of several mil
lions for the benefit OF one single in
dustry. Besides the statistics of the
last two years prove that the ship
building industry does not need such
special assistance but is rapidly in
~asing under natural conditions"
They criticise the feature of the bill
which carries the subsidy for foreign
mails and say:
'"rhe highest rate of subsidy is
given to twenty Hpt vessels while the
fast ocean mails are really carried in
3 and "a knot vessels. The mail
compensation to the slow American
vessels, already too high is made
more for a weekly service than Eng
land pays for semi-weekly service by
much faster ships than ours.
They further urge that the bill
makes no provision against a ship
ping trust and claim that it encourag-
IS a combination leading to such a
trust. They also say:
THE lines might also merge with
passenger rates. Thereby our subsidy
would be aiding the foreign partners
Of our subsidized vessels
The report closes by saying:
We know that there are hundreds
and thousands of industries in our
country doing a losing business, but
We deny that congress for this reason
can 80 into the public treasury and
save them from bankruptcy. We
symrathiZe with all men in The hard
struggles of life but it Is not the duty
81 our government to Interfere in the
grivate business affairs of the citizen.
n" believe that all men should have
an equal and fair chance in the race
.or wealth and happiness-every Citi-
Ken should bear his share of the bur
a"os of the government: one class
should never be the recipient of Dene-
its not 2ivon to others. Absolute
equality ut rights is doctrine we
should never abandon. The bill is
wrong in principle, unjust. vicious
nure class legislation"
The House
Washington. March 16-In the
house Mr.. Minor lrCp.. Wis.,. rising to
a question of personal privilege, de
nounced the published statement re-
Sarding the speaker and h..nSelf as
false. Speaker Henderson also stated
that there was not a shadow ui truth
IN the article. The article in question
was a Washington dispatch III Gin
elnnati newspaper to the effect that
MT Minor had chaTfuad his I,nS;+;,,r, -