Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-12-20
SHIP SUBSIDIES.
Hot Fight Before The
Committee.
Strong Opposition from the
Middle West.
Most Members Care Little for the
American Shipping Interests.

Washington, ID. G., Dec. 10
fSpeciaD.-A fin" old fight over snip
subsidies is in progress in the House.
IL il c,Iit,. az sDirited as in the earlier
DAYS when Senator Frye, of Maine, and
,h. late Senator Hanna, OF Ohio, We're
battling for the principle of subsidies,
ard tnc Senate debated almost day and
night in its efforts to reach vote.
The House was ever more sceptical
than the Senate in those days. 1t re-
mains Sccptical now, apparently does
rot want to be convinced-perhap s will
not be convinced. There are stand
patters galore in the House, grim old
legislative veterans who have personal
Knowledge Of all the important Con-
gressiCnal legislation of the last fifteen
years, since the time when Thomas Il.
Reed, then in the prime of his career,
GsSt took up the House gaVcl. They
arr tremendously interested in keeping
tkSstariff schedules where they are, but
i.f4S8e who come from the middle west
sSEdhot care Il Di"ayunc about protect
. usH ships, for that is what subsidies
Z; afH0unt to-
1.-THE Senate fought the question ont
in the course Of long debates, the sub
sidy bill passed there with Senator
" Frye at the helm, ana passed again ana
again. but the House has remained
obduratc and now apparently the
battle is to be fought out there The
preliminary and also the very impor-
'ant part Of the fight is being waged in
the House Committee on Merchant
Marine and Fisheries. which is deep
down in the bowels of the Capitol
down under the terrace in the
v"rnacular Of the capitol where one
must hay" guide. to find his way
Maine has long been IL foremost
state in pressing for ship subsidy ana
whether the numerous ship subsidy
bills Of the last quarter of q century
have been before the Senate or the
House. some prominent Maine man has
been actively championinG them. In
The Senate it has gcnrrally been Mr.
Frye. because h" has long been In"
chairman of the Senate COMMITTEES On
Commerce. where subsidy hills ara
framed hut Mr.. Hall of Ailiur now
the floor leader Of tlrr S.nri, has been
gun" as a"iir" i" pressing for such
lngiSla;inn. bv.r in tn. Finl&.. tnr l,i.
Nelson, ! 'inRl'N "f M.,;irr. VA, at one
''1nnIiit'r ana I'M active. subsidy
. chamli"H. Now III :.,Ic,.s.,.r IN CON
gross. Representative. Charles T. liz
ii'iiCll. IS :: inrInh,r ~ tn. Committee.
ana "n" II III" i"T,Innst chlntiou.; of
n" r"r,linil Lii. MIR Iittl..Ii,.iI dives
down mt" tf'ai I, rr:ic, committee, room,
every htti' Will, To- yr,stlr ;,n,.w viii,
~" "Hi'"Si ion ana when H.. comes m
h%ain !" ~ c.'.riiug5 surrounding The
linus. II" h"H Il wn.fl;! lrn&. lI. f,,rs
~" worst fnr IA, Hllir ::ul.4iIy I'm MI
sin fights "n
i" Ir-"n' ir"uhI" i; Of Speaker
farm'n'% making. ~ il known M,
~ CONF if"n IN" middle West where.
'h'i" are u" oceans. no rock bound
COASTS. II" sea faring populations. no
SiiirS. A%tutr IN Scn"rulship. AIr
N"'li'"a last year "packcd' the com
h'itt"' Ike did not pack it in the in
t'r2s' ~ Suhvrnti"n of ships: he
packed 1t in opposition. And there arr
row four Republican members. of that
COMMITTEES from the middle West
every :nan Of them ready to light shin
Suhsidi,s To- a finish.
There is one notable cyccntion
REPRESENTATIVE Charles H. Grosvrnnr
Of hit" Il" chairman. lie is the most
rInianh"""us Of ship subsidy adyo-
Gates. lie would vote an anrrnni.i
ton f'r about anything that ~. bic
ocean Liners want. That hurts TIE
cause. Il also hurts til" ,lr~,. th,t
Con. ''r''SN';"r is down ami ulIt pn.iti-
ralH. =" lost = denomination ami
therefore q r,.-"lr elton ANA members nc
the House ~ Representatives mr.. ~
aN"t!'' IS are m,'u in o;hcr ca;lin-s tn
following " dead one Tho com
mit;'c meetings are tcmpc&tunuS. Gen
GrnSv 'Nnr. carrying his burden of
SevcntT-thrca years ana with Two
decades Of House service behind him.
rerr.arii.s III" Republican members,
half Ms Years. for lukcWarInaoSS. They
ret"It with spirit. Repre- sentative
I.itticfi"li. fvll % enthusiasm tor thr
Legislation. strives IL Nc; AZ = mediator
but thus far 10 iittlr purno4c clever
tactics are escorted Ia by both sides
Out of tho constant scrlrring which
constitutes hy long odds III. liyrii,St
fight OF this session Of Congress. there
has already grown 4 process OF Climi-
nation. The House will Voin no ca.-n
subsidies. Freight ships. as such will
receive no subsidies. unless ii can he
voted III on the floor or forced in
should the bill get into conference be-
fore the end If this tleeting season.
That would cut Maine out ot benefits
for her sailing ships. after having made
n game fight for many. many Years
through her public men in Congress.
The subsidies To transatlantic ships
will also be cut out Of the bill in COM
mittec. 1t has been proposed Ia vote
appropriations for lines from san
Francisco via Honolulu to Australia
and the Orient. That has raised Il
great howl on the plea that it would
inure to the benefit of the Snreckl.,s.
who already have numerous ships on
the Pacific. Another line from Seattle
Continued on Page Thirteen)