Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1902-03-21
SHIP SUBSIDY BILL.
Synopsis of the Provisions of the
Measure which Has Just
Passed the Senate.

Washington, March 1S.-After pro-
| longed debate, the senate Monday
passed the ship subsidy bill, the final
vote upon the measure being AZ to 81.
| Senator's Allison and Dolliver Ua.),
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
tion of contracts made under the pro-
visions of the bill to July 1, 1920, and
providing that the amount of the ex
penditure under the mail subsidy para
graph should not at any time exceed
$S,000,000 annually, none of the amend
ments agreed to materially affected
the bill as 1t was reported from the
commerce committee.
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 co., 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 act 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.
The title of the bill passed by the senate
| is: ITO 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 y
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 gem
eral TO enter into contracts for not less than
y
citizens for the carrying of mails on Amer
lean steamships to such foreign points a
will best promote the postal, commercial
and maritime interests of the UniteC
| States: the mail service on such lines to be
| equitably 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
ficered 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,
and 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, - knots or over; second class, 10
knots; third class, IS knots; fourth class, II
knots; fifth class, l6 knots; sixth class, Is
knots; seventh class, IA 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 American-born boy for each l,O0O tons
gross register. He shall be educa ted in sea-
manship and engineering and rank as a pet
| ty officer.
Section of the bill provides for the gen.
| eral subsidy to be paid II directs the Sec
| retary Of the treasury to pay 10 the owners
of any vessel in the United States duly reg
| istered and engaged in the foreign trade of
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 l6 in any one
year, for period of five years from the
date of registration of a vessel of /, 900 gross
I tons, which shall be completed after the
/ passage of this bill, one-fourth of one cent
per gross ton for each loo nautical miles
| sailed. in addition to the above-mentioned d
| compensation. The bill specifies certain
vessels which shall not receive compensa-
tion under its provisions, among them bein g
vessels engaged in the coastwise trade ex-
clusively. Each subsidized vessel is re-
quired to carry a member of its company
one American boy for each LOCO 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, al fair valuation for this
service.
Section 3 of the bill directs the secretary
of the treasury to pay to the owner of a
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 seast one-third 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 shall
be given compensation under two or more
sections of this act at the same time; that
subsidized vessel shall not be sold to
subject of a foreign power; and that the
president of the United States shall cause
proper regulations to be framed for the
execution of this act
PRINCE COMPLETELY RESTED.