The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-03-12
FIGHT ON SUBSIDIES
SENATORS PROBE PROPOSITION To
GIVE LARGE BONUSES TO SHIP
PING CORPORATIONS
LIVELY DEBATE THE RESULT
Only Big Liners, Declares Mallory,
Will Be Aided by the Pro-
visions of the Pro-
posed Law.

WASHINGTON, March 11-For several
hours today the senate had the ship sub
sidy bill under consideration. Mr.. NAL
!ory of Florida, made an extended speech
In opposition to the measure. He an
alyzed the bill carefully and held that
there was no good reason for its enact
ment into law, saying he believed it
would not accomplish the results hoped
for it by its promoters. His oppo-
s1tion was based chiefly on the ground
that it would extend the favor of the
United States treasury to private indi-
vlduals and corporations without a just
return for the expenditure.
Prior to consideration of the subsidiary
measure, a lively debate occurred over an
effort on the part of Mr.. Berry of Arkan-
sas, to ascertain when the committee on
privileges and elections might be expected
TO report to the senate the resolution pro-
Vldlng for the election of senators by the
direct vote of the people Mr. Hoar
(Mass). indicated his vigorous opposition
to such resolution on the ground that
1t would subvert the fundamental prin-
ciples upon which the senate was found
ed.
Mr.. -1allory contended that the propo-
sltlon to give subsidies to great carrying
vessels would achieve little in aid of com
merce, because majority of the ports
of this country and in South America
We're so shallow that vessels of a draft
greater than % feet could not enter them.
Southern Senator an Director.
After Analysing at length the provis-
IONS OF the measure, Mr.. Mallory de-
clared: Congress never in it's history
passed measure of this character. 1t
has passed many laws to advance private
gains under the pretenses of public policy,
but never one so absolutely BALD and bold
in its advancement of private purposes as
this measure"
He felt Inundated, he said, every time
he visited the water front of his city, in
the fact that with the exception of
schooners and coasting vessels, the Amer
lean flag never is seen upon q mast in
that harbor.
He would go as far as any senator to
put the American merchant marine on q
footing of equality with that of other
nations, but he could not indorse meas
ure 50 at variance with every principle
of right and justice.
Mr. McCumber IN. ID and Mr. Depew
On. YD gave notice that they would ad-
dress the senate tomorrow on the ship
subsidy bill.
Mr.. Frye referred to the fact that 1t
had been claimed that the clause in sec
ton of the snip subsidy bill, which
directs payment to the owner or owners
of any vessel of the United States duly
registered by a citizen of the United
States" would place under the provisions
of the bill the four ships that had been
admitted to an American register He
therefore submitted an amendment, which
was adopted. making the clause read:
Hereafter built and registered in the
United States or now duly registered"
Allison Asks Some Questions.
Mr.. Allison. trying" as he said, ito
get an Interpretation of provisions that
ara little blind to me-" directed some
questions at Mr.. Frye. His desire. he
said, was to ascertain whether proper
safeguards had been thrown around the
bill to protect the government in the
making of SO large an expenditure as it
proposed.
The questions asked by the Iowa sena-
tor Were largely technical, relating to
the classification of ships, the number
OF vessels to be benefited by the act
and the amount of money paid in the
aggregate
The colloquy which ensued developed
the fact that a coastwise vessel might
register at any port which it touched
and enter from that port the ocean car
ry1ng trade and receive a subsidy under
TINS bill. 1t developed also that a vessel
engaged in trade between the United
States and the Philippines would receive
the subsidy until the coastwfse nayiga-
ton laws should be extended by congress
to the Philippine archipelago. Afterward
no vessel engaged in the Philippine trade
would receive the subsidy.
Mr.. Frye explained that the subsidy.
pelng based on the classification of yes
sells, would be paid to ships without re-
spect to their age, the worth of a vessel
oelng dependent entirely upon its classi-
flea ton.