The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-01-13
SHIP BILL REPORTED
BAILEY MAKES POINT AGAINST
 COMMISSION.
Says it Was Pledged to Decide in Favor of Discrinainpttng Du- ties in Preference to
 subnldfeN.

Washington, Jan 12.A-The legisla- tive. executive and judicial appropria- tion bill was today read at length in the Senate and there was considerable discussion of the civil service. ques- tion and the provision for an investi- gation of foreign trade conditions by the department of commerce.
 The bill for the encouragement of the merchant marine was reported to the Senate and MT. Bailey made the point that the commission had been pledged to report in favor of discrim- mating duties and not in favor of ship subsidies The suggestion was conn batted by Senators Gallinger and Lodge who were members of the com mission.
 Immediately after the Senate con vened today. MT. GaIlinger, from the Committee on Commerce reported back the Merchant Marine Commission ship subsidy bill and said the committee would file the report of the commit tee as its own.
 Mir Berry stated that minority of the committee opposed a favorable re- port.
 Mir. Bailey asked if the bill proposed a direct subsidy and Mir. Gallinger re- piled that it provided for certain sub
 
 meet the requirements prescribed. MT. Bailey stated that this provision was contrary to the understanding when the resolution providing for the ap- pointment of the Merchant Marine Commission was adopted. When unanimous consent for the considera- ton of that measure was asked" he said, T objected and was induced to withdraw my objections on the promise of the committee they would reoom- mend discriminating duties and not a subsidy"
 MT. Gallinger said he had no knowI- edge of such an agreement. If ! had known of such an understanding" he said, T whouid not haAe accepted a place on it, because I would not have undertaken the work with my hands tied. No hearings would have been necessary with that pledge out; 1t would have been most extraordinary, not to say preposterous." . "There would have been no commits sion" responded MT Bailey if the promises had not been made; the record will show that the colloquy occurredeAs I have indicated"
 Consideration of the Merchant Marine bill was dropped and a bill was passed authorizing the construction of a bridge across Pearl River, Missis- sfppi, by the Mississippi Central Rail- road Company.
 The Legislative. executive and judicial appropriation bill was then taken up and the amendments made by the Com mittee on Appropriations read and acted upon.
 MT. Bailey interrupted consideration of the appropriation bill to read from the Congressional Record a colloquy between himself and MT. Frye at the time the resolution providing for a merchant marine commission was passed. It appeared that MT. Bailey had withdrawn his objection to the bill because MT. Frye expressed the opinion that the work of the commits sion would result in a provision for discriminating duties"
 Mir. Lodge said the statement by MT. Frye was merely the expression of personal opinion and in no sense Binding. Discriminating duties would involve retaliation by other nations; the abrogation of thirty or more treaties and the imposition of duty on all articles now on the free. list when imported in foreign bottoms. MT. Foraker expressed the opinion that there would be as much opportu- nity for retaliation under a tonnage ldA systeH SucH db Iau been reCOm- mended, as under a system of discrim- mating duties. Speaking of the re- ciprocal treaties. Mir. Foraker said this country had been inveigled into mak- ing them by other nations which had then avoided the obligations by adopting a system of subsidies such as the United States could not enter upon.
 The legislative appropriation bill was then taken up9
 In connection with paragraph transferring t. the classified service number of laborers employed as clerks. a discussion of the civil ser vice was participated in by Messrs German. Cullom, Allison, Stewart and others. MT. Gorman complained of such legislation as unfair to persons who have taken the civil service ex- animation. On motion of Mir. Foraker the provision requiring the labelling oi carriages occupied by government of ficials other then cabinet officers was stricken out,
 Mir. Berry made a point of order against the amendment increasing the salaries members of the civil ser vice commission from $3,500 to $4,O00