The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1904-12-30
THU Observation-Disclosures
Modified Subsidy Plan Ready
For Congress.
FAIRBANKS FAyOGS HEMENwAY
Knox and Crane Great Friends In the
Senate and Trusted Advisers of the
President-FOster jolly Despite a
Somewhat squaIIy Outlook.

Washington, Dec. s. Special. 1.-The
ship subsidy bill, should il be recon-
mended by the joint merchant ma
rine commission, will very likely &C.
cupy some time in congress 1t is
doubtful whether such a bill will pass,
as the house has been decidedly antag-
onistic TO the subsidy plan during the
past few years when it has been pro-
posed. Ii is claimed that the new
measure will not be the Hanna-Payne
bill. which has been introduced in ev-
cry congress since 1897, but that it is
Il modified subsidy plan. Granting of
direct subsidies like bounties is not
popular. The Fifty first congress tried
to encourage sugar growing by pro-
viding Il bounty, but it was not sue
cessful. The people were dissatisfied,
ana SO were the beneficiaries. OF course
sLipbuilders and shipowners have adj
vocated a subsidy, believing that it
was the best method of rehaDilitatlng
the decaying merchant marine of the
country, ana it may be the only way
possible to bring about that result.
Discriminating Duties lmpracticable.
Members Of the commission who
have given months TO the inquiry and
who ought TO be in n position to know
say that discriminating duties are i'm
practicable, because thirty commercial
treaties with as many different Ma
tons would have TO be abrogated be-
fore the discrimination would be eff
fective and that such discrimination
would be Immediately put in force
against American products which
would prove disastrous to the farm
ing interests. as it is the surplus from
the farms that finds a market abroad.
1t is certainly Il veXed problem, and
Just how to meet the advantages given
foreign ships by foreign governments
without a subsidy is one of the cues
tions that no one can answer. 1t was
hoped by the Republican members of
the commission that their Democratic
associates would join with them in
making a report, but il it is to be
subsidy plan this is not probable.
Favors Hemenway.
Ia deciding to resign to take effect
March and allowing his successor to
be elected before that date Senator
Fairbanks has made it possible for
James \. Hemenway to secure the
same rights as TO seniority as other
senators who will be sworn in on that
date If Hemenway should have
been elected after that date he would
have been Junior to al the new sena-
tors, and it would have been counted
against him in making up the commit
tees of the next senate. Seniority is a
senatorial tradition rigidly followed,
and a few days make the same diff
ference that few months would in
fixing the status of a senator.
Knox and Crane.
Comment has been made upon the
fact that Senators Knox and Crane, the
new senators who were sworn in the
second day of the session, were seen in
each others company great deal from
the day they became senators. 1t Is not
strange, as they were seated near each
other in the senate and naturally they
would gravitate toward each other.
But these senators were friends before
they entered the senate. When Knox
was in the cabinet and Crane was an
ex-governor of Massachusetts they met
frequently. Crane was one of the men
in private life who We're frequently con-
suited by President Roosevelt. Crane,
Knox and some other members of the
cabinet were present at the meeting in
the temporary White House on Lafay-
cite square when it was decided that
the president should make an effort to
settle the coal strike in 1902 by bring
ing the operators and the miners to-
gether. They have advised with the
president on other matters of impor-
lance, and it is not at all strange that
they should be close friends in their
early days in the senate.
Foster Remained jolly.
If any one suspected that Senator
Foster of Washington had "a difficult
problem on his mind in trying to cipher
out reelection, they could not tell it
by anything in the manner of the SEN
ator during the two weeks he mingled
with senators previous to the holiday
recess His jovial manner and merry
laugh were the same as they had been
for the past six years, when he did not
have to face a legislature which might
or might not re-elect him. Senator Eos
ter frankly acknowledged that he could
not tell what was going to happen and
said that it was one of those things
that mo fellow could find out" Sena-
tor Foster is one Of the men who do
not need a senatorship as a means Of
livelihood. lie is one of the millionaire
members with vast business interests
which will engross his time if he should
happen to fail of reelection.
To Compliment Scott.
1t has been suggested out in West
Virginia that the Democrats of the leg
islature should all vote for Nathan Il.
Scott for senator and make the election
Of the senator unanimous on account
of his work for the state. He has been
nonpartisan in what he has done and
the politics Of a man has not'been ques-
toned when it came to looking after a
pension or any other matter for any
West Virginian. Senator Scott does not