The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-03-18
SHIP SUBSIDY
BILL PASSED.
Hanna's Pet Measure Got
Through the Senate
BY Vote of 40 to 81 After
Hard Fight.
M'LAURIN WAS FOR Il
Three Republican States Voted
SOlidly Against.
Iowa, Wisconsin and Vermont
With the Democrats.

Washington, March 18-After pro-
longed debate, the senate passed the
ship subsidy bill, the final vote upon
the measure being AZ to 81. Senators
Allison and Dolliver, of Iowa; Spooner
and Quarles. of Wisconsin, and Proctor
and Dillingham;, of Vermont, Repub
iicans. voted against the final passage
of the bill, and Senator McLaurin, of
South Carolina, voted for it.
Some amendments to the bill were
adopted, but they were all agreeable
to those in charge of the measure, the
amendments. With the exception of
amendments offered by Mr.. Allison, and
accepted by Mr.. Frye, limiting the time
or the operation of contracts made I'M
der the provisions of the bill to July /,
1902, and providing that the amount of
the expenditure under the mail subsidy
paragraph should not at any time ex-
coed $S,000.0 900 annually, none of the
amendments agreed to materially
affected the bill as it was reported from
the commerce committee.
The voting upon amendments began
at O'Clock, and such a flood of them
was offered that a final vote upon the
bill, as amended. was not reached until
just before o'clock. Amendments Of
fered by Mr.. Vest, of Missouri, provid-
ing for free ships and for the appli-
cation of the provisions of the anti
trust law to the shipping industry, were
rejected, as was the amendment pro-
posed by Mr.. Patterson. of Colorado.
providing that no Chinese person should
be a member of the crew of Subsi-
died vessel Mr.. Pettus, of Alabama,
offered an amendment providing that
the total expenditure under the bill
should not exceed SO, 600, 900 in any year.
1t was adopted in committee of the
whole. but later in the senate was re-
jected by a decisive vote
The senate agreed to an amendment
offered by Mr.. Spooner providing that
congress should have power to amend
or repeal the act, without impairing any
contract made under its authority. Mr..
Hanna, of Ohio, offered. and the senate
adopted, three amendments applying d.
rectly to the acquisition by Mr.. J. Pier
pont 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
prevent American citizens or corpora
tons 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 American
registry.
The title of the bill passed by the
senate is:
ITO provide for ocean mail service
between the United States and foreign
ports, and the common defense, to pro-
mote commerce and to encourage the
deep sea fisheries
Title of the measure as passed deals
with ocean mail steamships and their
subsidies. The postal subsidy act of
1891 is SO amended as to direct the post
master general to enter into contracts
for not less than five nor more than
fifteen years with American citizens for
the carrying of mails on American
steamships to such foreign points as
will best promote the postal, commercial
and maritime interests of the United
States; the mail service on such lines
to be eauitably distributed among the
Atlantic Mexican gulf and Pacific
ports, and the contracts to be MADE
with the lowest responsible bidder.
The vessels employed in the mail ser
vice shall be American built and owned
and differed by American citizens
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 contract at
least one-half must be American citi-
zens. The ships must be screw steam
ships of iron or steel and divided into
the following classes, according to
speed:
First class 90 knots or over. /
Second class, 10 knots.
Third class, Is knots
Fourth class. II knots.
Fifth class, 16 knots.
Sixth class, Is knots.
Seventh class, IA knots.
shall Sc With
ence to prompt conversion into aux1ilary |
cruisers. and shall be of the highest rating i
known to maritime commerce.
The rate of compensation for ocean mail |
service ito be paid per gross registered ton |
for each 100 nautical miles sailed from the |
port of clearance in the United States to |
the port of entry in the United States, ac-
cordfng to the route required by the post
office department, shall not exceed the fol- |
lowing:
Steamships of the first class 7-10 cents; |
second class, 2 5-10 cents; third class, $40 |
cents; fourth class, 2 lilo cents; fifth class, |
j s-1O cents: sixth class, ITO cents; sew |
enth class, 5-10 cents
The rate of compensation to any vessel |
carving mails to foreign ports in North !
America shall exceed 20 per cent OF /
the maximum rates established,
Title of the bill provides for the general |
subsidy to be paid. 1t directs the secretary |