Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-04-09
IS VICTORY FOR Taft
Extension Of Shipping Laws to
PHILIPPINES Was One of
Taft's Measures
TO CARRYING TRADE
Compromise by Which the Law Is Not
Effective Until July I, 1906, Thought
to Be Fair to the Shipping Interests
and to the lslands-Provisions of the
Bill.

Washington, April 9.-Ihe passage
of the Philippine shipping bill to take
effect July /, 1906, year later than the
date fixed by the senate, is regarded as
fair to both islands and shipping in
terests of the United States
Secretary Taft and all the strong
friends OF the Philippine islands. 1t is
house in making the extension for an
other year. This will carry the whole
subject not only over the presidential
election. but over the short session as
well, and congress will be enabled to
deal with it judiciously and in the
light of experience gained in the mean
while during the session which will
begin in December. 1905.
Between now and July /, 1906 there
will be time enough for the shipping
interests of the United States to DEM
strate whether or not they can supply
vessels enough to conduct not only the
freight business but the passenger
traffic between the United States and
It's far-away eastern dependencies
There will be no objection in con-
gress to an extension of the coastwise
laws to the long distance trade with
the Philippine islands. provided there
were anywhere near enough ships to
take care of the business. The coast
wise trade OF the United States is all
that is left Of our mercantile marine
at the present time. and II has grown
to enormous proportions under the Qp-
GRAFTON of the law which provides that
no foreign ship shall carry either
freight or passengers between the
ports of the United tSates.
Great stress is laid by the shipping
interests upon the development of the
lake marine under the impetus given
by the restriction of traffic to Aneri-
can bottoms. They constantly call at
tention to the fact that while the clip
per ships, which once carried the stars
and stripes around Cape Horn, across
the Atlantic and into the Indian ocean,
have disappeared. the conditions on
the lakes have been absolutely re-
yersed. There the American flag Is
seen almost to the exclusion of every
other. A Canadian ship on any of the
great lakes is comparatively rarity.
but, of course, they are exclusively
employed in the traffic between Cam
adam and American ports.
1t is the hope and wish of Secretary
Taft of the insular bureau and of the
president himself, that by Jan. l, 1906,
the prospect of the restriction of the
Philippine trade to American ships will
result in the building up of new line
OF steamships between New York and
Manila by way of the Suez canal and to
the exclusion of all foreign ships from
the traffic across the Pacific ocean.
Friends OF the ship subsidy movement
are equally interested In this Philippine
shipping bill. They hope to secure the
appointment of a commissioner which
will take into consideration the entire
subject of the development of the AM
erican merchant marine in internation-
al traffic. No attempt will be made
at the short session of congress to pass
the subsidy bill, but it is hoped that
this summer the commission can go to
work to gather statistics and arrange
facts in proper order and then submit
them to congress. The issue for deter
mination Is as to whether the best way
to develop American shipping interests
is to pay direct bonus on the tonnage
of a ship as was advocated by Senator
Hanna, or whether to accomplish the
same result by discriminating duties In
favor of goods carried in American
bottoms or possibly pay direct bonus
on the actual amount of freight carried
in American bottoms.
With the presidential election out of
the way it is believed that no matter
who may be elected the long session of
congress beginning in December 1905.
will be renewal of active tariff legis-
lation. The Philippine shipping bill
necessarily will provoke tariff discuss
sion when it comes up for final action.
Coupled with that will be the general
subject of ship subsidies, which is in
timately connected with that of protec
ton to American industries and in the
case of tonnage tax. OF itself may mean
a revision of the tariff.
1t is therefore, a common guess
among members of congress that the
first session of the congress to be elect
ed next fall inevitably will take up the
tariff, revise the Dingley rates, probab-
ly give free trade to the Philippines, ex-
tend the shipping laws to every port
where the flag flies and provide for
some sort of an adequate stimulus for
the American merchant marine.