The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-03-11
VEST ON SUBSIDIES
MISSOURI SENATOR DENOUNCES
PENDING SHIP SUBSIDY
BILL
WILL NOT HELP COMMERCE
Declares That One Company Would
Get 73 Per Cent of the Subsidy
and Give Nothing in
Return.

WASHINGTON, March 10-In the SEN
ate today Mr.. Vest (Mo) maze
speech in opposition to the pending sub
sidy bill comparing it in it's details with
the postal subsidy act of 1891 and show
ing that in the pending bill it was pro-
posed to increase the subsidy because it
was claimed by the majority that the
present postal subsidies were not suffi-
Gent to achieve the results hoped for
from the pending bill.
The Missouri senator declared that 70
per cent of the subsidy which would be
received by ships on the Atlantic would
go to the International Navigation COM
pany-the American line. The pending
bill, he said, would take money out of
the treasury of the United States without
giving anything of value in return for it.
The vessels would get the subsidy whether
they carried a single postal card or not.
The peoples money ought not to be paid
out to individuals or corporations upon
any such hypothesis as that suggested in
the present bill
Mr.. Vest said that Mr. Frye and Mr.
Hanna had presented roseate pictures of
the additional commerce which the United
States would acquire through the opera
tions Of the proposed bill, claiming that
trade would follow the mails. AS a mat
ter of fact, he asserted, the mails followed
the trade that had been proved by the
history Of the world
Mr.. Vest sharply criticised the provis-
ion Of the pending bill looking to the i'm
provement of the deep sea fisheries He
said he did not complain Of the senator
from Maine Frye) because he proposed
to take $175.000 a year from the taxpay-
ers for the benefit of New England's deep
sea fisheries. He thought New England
ought to be satisfied with the legislation
for her special benefit already on the
statute books.
Mr.. Vest maintained that ships could
be built in this country as cheaply as
they could be built anywhere and that
the contention of the majority to the
contrary was not we'll founded He made
vigorous attack on the navigation laws
of the United States. declaring that they
were responsible for the decline of the
merchant marine. They embodied he as
serted, semi barbaric system which even
China had thrown aside They had
weighed down the merchant marine until
it amounted practically to nothing. The
remedy was TO abrogate the navigation
laws and permit citizens of the United
States to buy their ships where they
could buy them cheapest. No subsidv
would enable them to do that
Democrats Against Subsidy Bill.
He asserted that if the Democratic par
ty should regain power no ship subsidy
statute books. He concluded by saving
that he hoped the time will come when
the glory and power of the United States
Will be greater than that of any other
people on earth. But it will not come"
he said, from unequal and unjust dis
elimination in favor of one interest
against all others
Mr.. Tilfman. speaking on the subject OF
the ship subsidy bill, declared that the
foreigners will not surrender the trade
they enjoy without a struggle, and If
necessary win resort to the cutting Of
rates in order to hold it. He said that
the bill would foster monopolies, and iR
cidentaliy referred to the proposed incOr-
poration Of the United States Shipbuild-
ing company, which would absorb the
large ship yards of the country.
Speaking of the use of vessels in case
Of emergency by the government, Mr..
Tillman said he would cite as a COM
mentary on patriotism and love of coun-
try the fact that the four scout ships. St.
Paul, Paris. New York and ST. Louis
used during the Spanish-American war
cost the government $2,S64.S35, and these,
he said, had been subsidized under
pretence that they would serve us in
time of emergency He said he was sur
prised to find the Republican party
which claims to be the peculiarly Amer
lean party, stand sponsor for such a
bill
At 4:35 the senate went into executive
session, and at 4:40 p. m. adjourned.