The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-12-21
WASHINGTON.
From our Regular Correspondent.

y
Speaker Cannon has issued one
reasonably sensible plonunciamcnt,
since Congress assembled and that
is that there is to be 10 ship sub
sidy legislation at the present ses-
sion. This started out to be a re
trenchment Congress and there is
abundant need for all the economy
that the House can exercise. But
that does not figure in the wishes
Of the ship subsidy people. Sena.
tor Lodge, Senator Frye and lot
of the other leaders of the House
and Senate are only waiting their
chance to get the old ship subsidy
bill to the front in a new guise.
But the speaker has given it out
emphatically that the shipping bill
stands no chance this year and it is
to be d YOU ly hoped that he will
make good hIs words. He has ar
ranged his committees pretty we'll
with this in view and the deep un-
fathomed pigeonholes of the Honse
are yawniug for the measure if it
comes their way. One of the very
strong arguments that will be used
against the measure ii it comes to
the talking stage at all is some of
the testimony thgt was advanced
before the Marine Committee last
year. That was to the effect that
steel ship building material was
sold year ago from America and
laid down there 80 per cent cheaper
than it was sold to American ship
yards. This was perfectly true
and there was howl OH the sub
ject from the English mills, not
that Great Britain was getting her
ship building material cheaper than
the home consumers, but because
the American bids were cutting
under the home prices of the
English rolling mills. 1t was one
of the strong arguments that NJ.
Chamberlin used in his protective
tariff campaign in England. This
oeing the state of affairs. it is OBJ
vious that the shipping subsidy, if
one were granted, would have to be
heavy enough to enable the Ameri-
can ship builders to get their ma
terial at least on an even basis with
the builders abroad. And this
would mean nothing more nor less
than bonus of 80 per cent. on the
cost of material to the Street Trust.
There would be besides the differ
ence in the cost Of labor to be made
up before American shipping could
be put on business basis, and al
together the game would not be
worth the candle Without spend
ing any money on shipping subsid.
les, but by carrying out the reor,
ganization plans in the Consular
service, the same thing which is
ostensibly the fostering of Ameri-
can foreign trade, could be accom-
p!ished. And the consular service
would be the better for more merit
and less politics in it at the same
time.
XXX
In connection with the reorgani-
zation of the consular service, it
may be noted that Secretary Root
was before the Foreign Relations
Committee of the Senate this week
and explained to them at some
length the changes. he proposed to
introduce. These changes are sup.
posed to be embodied in the bill
that Senator Lodge has prepared,
but the chances are that they will
not be such as to greatly effect the
working of the political system on
which the service has been run for
several generations.
Xxx
In the same connection, eX-as-
sistant Secretary of State Loomis
has again come to the front. One
of the New York papers announced
that he was after political backing
for the post of Minister to Japan.
But Mr.. Loomis declares that he is
through with government jobs and
his interest in the State Depart
ment is purely altruistic. He is
solicitous for the reorganization of
the consular service which is a
thing in which he has taken great
interest "from time to time" SO he