The Washington herald., 1906-12-03
REVIVE SUBSIDY BILL
Friends of Marine Measure
Hopeful of Success.
GROSvENOR DISCUSSES PLANS
ohioan, with Senator GaIIInger, Init
mates that River and HarbOr Bills
viii Be Antagonized IL Representa-
tive Burton Does Not See Fit to
support shipbuildIng Act.

The friends of the ship-suDsiuy meas
ure are walking in sunshine these days.
They have had undoubted assurances
that the President in his message to
Congress, will follow up the keynote
sounded by Secretary Root in his Kansas
City speech. and urge. in his trenchant
way, the immediate passage Of the bill.
Gen. Charles H. Grosvenor, chairman
Of the House Committee on Merchant
Marine, which has jurisdiction Of the bill,
arrived here yesterday and has called
the committee to meet next Thursday to
consider the subsidy bill
GEOsvenOr Cannot Tell Now.
Il don't want to say a word as 10 what
will be done, said Gen. Grosvenor last
night at his old home. the Dewey 1T
would be indelicate for me to do So l
shall not say whether the bill will be
passed or not. Ny ofice of prophet
does not cover that field Of prediction.
But l will say that Secretary Roots
speech was splendid. And also, let me
say, that there viii be much trouble for
the river and harbor bin If II is 10 be
ADaAl4Nu DO a JIG 80 4ihAAS AVa AiAN SARs+Af
bill. The Merchant Marine Committee
has never voted on this bill. nOtwith-
standing statements made by one MEM
Der of the committee that a vote was
taken last session, and the bill was beat
en- by 10 to s. That is all absurdly untrue.
There is one thing that It would be well
10 think Of just now. The friends OF
river and harbor improvement want a
forty-foot channel for New York
Subsidy for English ships.
THAT is practically a subsidy for the
big English ships The largest vessel
we have In American registry draws but
twenty-nine feet. Why build channels
for foreign ships and discourage the
building at home Of our own ships to
use the improved harbors?"
Senator Gallinger. chairman Of the Mer-
chant Marine Commission which made
an exhaustive investigation Of the sub
ject, and prepared the bill which passed
the Senate last session, Is greatly inter
ested In the passage Of the bill by the
House. In discussing the matter yester-
day he was asked If he had seen the re-
port that Representative Burton, as
chairman Of the Committee on Rivers and
Harbors Of the House. proposed TO press
for consideration bill appropriating S75,-
000.0 for the rivers and har5ors of the
country. for the purpose Of antagOniZing
the subsidy bin.
Il am "a friend Of river and harbor leg
lslation." said Senator GaIlinger. but it
Is well that Mr.. Burton should under
stand that il he arrays himself against
I. els D.
are some men in public life who will!
carefully scrutinize the measure that he
proposes 20 champion. as there IS no log
ical reason why we should continue to
spend hundreds of millions Of dollars on
our rivers and harbors largely for the
benefit Of foreign shipping interests. and
refuse 70 appropriate a dollar for the re
habilitation of the American merchant
marine.
No American ships Draw 40 Feet.
Mr. Burton has asked for and obtained
from Congress several millions OF dollars
to secure forty-foot channel IN New
York hsrbor. There are no American
ships that require this; the largest Of the
foreign ships that viii use IL are the
giant Cunarders, Mauritania and Lusi-
at a nominal rate Of interest 10 the Gun
ard Company by the British government
ITO urge the spending az millions in
order 20 dig deep channels for subsidized
foreign steamships. and at the same time
10 deny a single dollar Of national aid to
American shiUowners and sailors in their
desperate fight against such subsidized
foreign competition, involves a cOntradic-
tion IN both logic and facts. which is ex-
ceedingly difficult 20 square with rfie
Golden Rule. to say nothing Of national
prudence and patriotism.
LittIeheId Arrives.
Representative Lattlefeld. who is a
member OF the Merchant Marine Com
mittee, said last night he expected the
bill would pass this session.
Il have not had time yet to talk with
members Of the committee said Mr.
Littleheld, but I am confident the bill
viii be favorably reported to the House
I presume there will be amendments. but
l do not know Of any except some touch
ing minor details"
ALASKA NEFOC IU0CEc