The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-01-24

<<St us oe cOnSiStent, anu IT our SnlpS are to De driven from the seas let us do away with our navy" tE..
 Thomas P. Clyde, of William T. Clyde Co. ironically referred to the poor cordage manufacturers" He had the highest possible respect for vested inter- esss and was glad to know that the cord axe manufacturers were so free from for eisn competition and yet only charge fafr profit After this when he paid for the cordage for his ships he would be bet ter satisfied as he had been informed that the ship owner received part of the F.oO ton rebate. ITO believe their statements" ne said, with a bow to the manufactuf- ers. they are the squarest knights that ever sat at a round table" referring to their "sociar' organization. The Philip pine trade IS now in its infancy. "lf you are ever going to do this" he said, now IS the time to do it for 1t will never again De so easy to do it, The circumstances were extremely favorable to make this change at the present time. he said. with the least possible disarrangement of American interests. ''and we don't care about foreign interests" He predicted the bill would develop the American mer- chant marine to great extent by giving 1t a chance to enter the ocean carrying trade.
 Samuel s. sewall, of Arthur sewal & Co.,. Bath. Me. the largest individual firm of sailing ship owners in the United States. told the committee that the cord age trust had bought and closed out factory in his town. He met the objections of the opponents of the bill seriatim. His firm alone could take several times the hemp tonnage. How much can you car ry?" came from the opposition. "All the crop, if you want it, replied Mir. Sewa!l tror.e tnnV shone quite sufficient to carry all the hemp produced in the Philippines. He had carried many cargoes of hemp and today one of his ships was on its way to the United States loaded with 1000 bales of hemp which was one-twentieth of all the hemp used in the United States in one year. "In one ship echoed several Senators. ''Yes, sir" He had bid for tho transportation of coal for the navy but had been defeated by French vessels ''You had no bounty" interiected Senator Lodge. T had no bounty he replied. Ills ships were built of protected steel and by protected labor but had no pro- lection on the seas.
 The most bitter opposition to the bill, he said came from the foreign shipping interests. While he considered it unnec- essary to defend American interests against foreign interests in the capital of the United States he wished to refer to the domination of the Maritime Ex- change of New York for foreign interests which blocked the efforts of the Ameri- cans. "The foreign shipping interests" he declared, had spies in every branch of the government where ships are re- quired and when one is required he is mo- tified of it first and he gets the business. Senator Hale produced railroad schedule showing that through rate of freight by rail and water had already been estab- lished of 75 cents per hundred pounds from Boston, New York. Pittsburg and other points in the East to Manila. MT. Sewall thought this rate would never be exceeded Senator Lodge pointed out that Mir. Loring had maintained that there would be a rate of $1 .46 a hundred, where as there was already rate In existence of 75 cents.
 James Jerome of New York representing the Michigan Steamship Company, said he had six ships of which three were fit- ted for carrying coal to the Philippines. He thought the rates under the bill would be about 9 to % per cent higher and he was ready to embark in the business at any time. E. F. Luckenbauch, represent ing Lewis Luckenbauch of New York, stated that his firm owned twenty1twO thousand tons of American ships available for this trade. That's the business we are IOOklilK We sCdu OuT GOdl and bring back hemp, at a rate that would not injure the coal or hemp busi- ness, There was no fear of high rates as there was six times as much tonnage as there was business. 7 Have you gen. tlemcn any social arrangement" inquired Senator Burrows, quizzically. "We have none,'' was the reply.
 George s. Dearborn of the American and Hawaiian Steamship Company. sad Fl ,aytN ko f,,k4 khn Philippine trade. Competition with lsal- ing vessels kept the rate down. The rates to Hawaii were lower now than before the navigation laws were applied. He assured e. w. Hummer of New Bedford, Presi- dent of the New Bedford Cordage Com pany that there would be plenty of ships.
 We have no social relations with any other house in this business,' said Henry w. Peabody of Boston, in opposing the bill. at which there was much laughter. He assured the Committee that if the bill became a law. it would menace the commerce of Atlantic ports.
 Do you mean that this is all plot to bring hemp by way of the Pacific coast" Inquired Senator Lodge rather sharply. By this kind of legislation we are irri- tatIng our neighbors in Europe" said Mr. Peabody,
 Do you thnk our neighoors consider our feelings" responded Senator Lodge.
 Mir. A. Downey of the Townsend Downy Company, Shooter Island. New York, whose ship yard Is now in the hands of receiver, said that pending the passage of a ship subsidy bill this bill and the naval stores bill would help shipping most ma teriaIly. He thought that under them Thy yard can come out of a receivers hands and again pay one million dollars per year to American labor"
 And Americans will be building their 2wn ships" added Senator Beveridge.
 Whether on account of 'sociaI meet ings" or not, he could not tell, said w. w %ivright of Hutchinson. Kas. d dealer in farm implements. but for some reason the International Harvester Company of Chicago, popularly known as the ''Binder Trust" threatened to advance prices if this bill becomes a law He did not know whether he was opposed to the bill or not except that he wanted the farmers to get their 'twine as cheaply as possible.
 Among others present in favor of the bill were F. s. Pendleton of Pendleton Bros. New York City, De Coury May and Samuel M. Knox of the New York Ship Building Co.,, of Camden, N. J.
 R. H. Watkins.