Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-28
FOR A MERCHANT MARINE.
Discussion Over the Subject at Com.
mission Hearing In Detroit.

A dispatch from Detroit last night
says: When the subcommittee of the con-
gressional merchant marine commission
convened after luncheon here yesterday
Attorney Fred A. Baker of Detroit read a
paper In which he declared that the people
OF Michigan are strongly opposed to the
granting Of any government aid. or bounty.
or subsidy to private enterprises. Mr..
Baker cited the late Justices Cooley, Camp
bell. ChristiancY and Graves OF the Michi-
gan supreme court authorities for this
opinion. The decision OF the Michigan su-
preme court declaring unconstitutional
state sugar bounty law. Mr.. Baker said,
was the most recent instance In which
this question had come before the Michi-
gan supreme court.
while 1t looks plausible to start our
merchant marine with subsidy" said Mr..
Baker. you establish thereby a precedent
the consequences of which we cannot meas
ure. We in Michigan would say make no
subsidy. but accomplish In some other way
the results that we seek"
Representative Grosvenor endeavored to
have Mr.. Baker express an opinion on the
appropriation OF public moneys for irriga-
ton works In the west. but Mr.. Baker said
he had not investigated that subject.
Senator Gallinger suggested that Japan
csc companies subsidized for $2O0.O00 or
800 900 year carried cheap Chinese labor
on their ships. Senator Gallinger asked
Mr.. Burns of Detroit how this competition
could be met. Mr.. Burns replied that It
would be better to keep out than to enter
this competition to the detriment Of Ameri-
can wage earners and in a way that would
tend toward reducing American labor to
the level of the collie labor of the orient
Senator Gallfnger asked Mr.. Burns II
revival of shiDbulding would alone be
q great benefit to the wage earners of
America. He stated that In the past two
years there had not been a single keel laid
in the United States of q foreign-going ship.
While admitting that revival of ship
building would be beneficial, Mr.. Burns in
sisted that exclusively American labor
should be employed on any tonnage subs-
died by the United States.
NJ. A. H. Morley of Detroit, who Is in
terested in the carrying trade with Cuba,
read a paper In which he deplored the
fact that trade with Cuba, built up under
the recent reciprocity law, was falling al
most entirely into foreign hands.
Senator Gallinger interposed that a clause
should have been inserted in the law re-
Qutring the use of American bottoms. Sem
ator Gallinger said this was a serious over
sight. Representative Grosnevor said the
point was brought up at the last minute,
but the insistence upon IL would have en-
dangered the passage of the bill
Gen. GrosvenOr and Senator Gallinger ex-
planned that this point should have been
raised by the shippers along the Atlantic
when attention was finally brought to Ii,
just on the eve of the ratification Of the
Cuban treaty. II was too late to do any
thing without altering the treaty itself,
which was deemed impracticable at that
hour
misrepresentation ]. b. Corliss of De-
troit and George H. Barbour. general man.
ager of large stove plant here, were also
heard by the commission.
This evening reception was rendered the
commissioners at the offices of the Detroit
board of commerce before their departure
for Cleveland. where sessions will be held
tomorrow.