The Washington times., 1902-01-12

An unexpected development in the
hearing on the Pacific cable bill yesterday
before the House Committee on Interstate
and Foreign Commerce was the arraign-
ment of American industrial and labor in
terests against English capitalists.
This injects into the situation labor
problem which will cause the members Of
the committee to tread very cautiously in
handling the matter before them.
Heretofore all ocean cables have been
manufactured and laid by one of the three
big English companies engaged in such
work Now two American concerns-the
Safety Insulated Wire and Cable Company
of New York City and the Standard I'm
derground Gable Company of Pittsburg-
are in competition with the foreign com
panies for the cable contract
If an American company succeeds in
landing the contract it means a severe
loss to the Commercial Cable Company,
which has already let its contract to an
English firm. This cable contract is
worth. in round numbers, $50 O.000,O 600, the
American companies both demanding 10
per cent in excess of the English com
pany's contract for protection to Ameri-
can industries.
The Pittsburg and New York manufac-
turers were represented respectively by
Thomas E. Hughes and Herbert L. Sat
terlee, both of whom declared that there
was no reason why ocean cables could
not be manufactured as well in the United
States as in England.
The committee heard yesterday the rep
resentatives of all the interests con-
cerned. The Commercial Gable Company
was represented by It's vice president, c.
G. Ward, and W. W. Cook, Its general
counsel. President Scrymser, of the
South and Central American Cable Sys-
TEN: James Ford. of the American Asiatie
Association; Francis B. Thurber, presi-
dent of the United States Export Asso-
citation, and C. L. Bayliss, attorney for
Mr.. Scrymser, also appeared
Messrs. Ward and Cook scoffed at the
idea Of an ocean cable being constructed
Or laid by American interests, contend
ing there was no plant In the country Of
a size sufficient to warrant such an un-
dertaking, and also prophesying failure
for any cable operated by the Govern
ment
Mr.. Cook came out fiatfooted in state
ment that no matter whether the United
States constructed a cable or not his COM
pany would proceed with its work con-
tracted for with the English company
He asserted that II the Government
charged fifty cents a word and his COM
pany one dollar the latter would do the
work because of superior facilities for
handling the business.
A Sharp COlIoquy.
This remark rather nettled the mem
bers of the committee and led to a sharp
colloquy.
so you are going up against the Gov
ernment?" demanded Representative
Adamson of Georgia.
II would not like to say that" replied
Mr.. Ward, representing the cable com
pany, but we are going to lay cable.
Mr.. Ward made evasive replies to the
questions of Mr.. Hepburn, chairman of
the committee. in regard to the cost Of
the cable and the contract which his COM
pany professed to have let for its con-
struction. He said he was not at liberty
to give the terms of his contract until
he had consulted with the directors of his
company.
Marconi n Factor.
Representative Hepburn asked him what
effect Marconis experiments had had on
the cable companies, and he replied that
It had caused the stocks of cable COM
panies to drop considerably. As far as he
knew. no cable company had negotiated
with Marconi, although he understood one
of them had attempted to cause him some