The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-04-09
ROUGHLY HANDLED
WAS GEORGE
DUvALL
Before the House Committee
on Merchant Marine
Wednesday.
BY e. c. Snyder.

George l.. Duvall, chairman of the
committee on ship-subsidies and ship
ping of the Merchants association of
New York city, was roughly handled
before the house committee on mer-
chant marine Wednesday morning last
where he appeared to attack the ship
subsidy bill. MIR. Duvall has led an
aggressive fight against the bill on
behalf of the association, and, being
largely interested in foreign shipping,
his activity against the bill gave a
basis for the charge that the associa-
ton was more interested in foreign
than American shipping. Members of
the house committee, irritated at the
continued hostility OF this association.
which has spent considerable money
to defeat the bill. were inclined to
question Mr.. Duvall's good faith in the
matter. The principal contention of
the association is that if this govern
ment is to subdivide ships the foreign
ships should be given chance at the
subsidies and the first chance, at that
This is to be accomplished by the
ingenious device of an amendment
which practically shuts out all Ameri-
can ships now existing from the pro-
posed South American mail subsidies
but permits foreign vessels to operate
under contracts with the postmaster
general for from three to five years at
half the subsidy which American YES
sells would receive. Few OF the re-
publicans on the committee saw the
point of substituting foreign vessels
and several, among them Representa-
tives Humphreys of Washington and
Minor of Wisconsin, were inclined to
speak harshly OF Mr.. Duvalls attempt
to load the bill with subsidies for for
eign vessels. Representative Humph-
reys asked if Duvall did not appear in
behalf of foreign steamship owners.
Mr.. Duvall replied that he appeared
in behalf of the Merchants associa-
ton. Pressing his question, Mr.. Hum
phreys asked if the leading spirits in
The association who opposed the bill
were not foreign steamship owners.
His method of questioning the witness
brought indignant protests from Rep
resentative Sherley of Kentucky, and
other democrats and some of the re.
Dublicans who seek material against
the measure.
I'VE know this man; we have had
dealings with him before" interrupted
acting chairman Minor. Fair play was
demanded by the protesting members
of the committee and Mr.. Minor as
sured them the witness should have it.
The encounter led to several sharp
exchanges between the members Of
the committee. after which Mr.. Duvall
read a paper Nrging that all CONNER
cial subsidies should be confined to
American ships and that until
American built ships were ready to
- No Ito tn
foreign ships would have the con-
tracts. The effect of Mr. Duvall'e
proposition would be to eliminate all
foreign built ships of American regis
try to the dies, but would admit for
eign- built ships of foreign registry to
the mail subsidies. The provision is
highly satisfactory to the owners of
foreign vessels, if there is to be a
subsidy bill at all.
Mr.. Duvall was followed by ]. Ham
den Dougherty. counsel for the Mer-
chants association. who defended the
association from the charge OF being
biased in favor of the foreign lines
Mr.. Dougherty was inclined to wander
from the point of his argument which
caused Representative Watson of In
diana. to interrupt him sharply with
the comment: will you kindly get
down to the meat of the proposition
and give your objections to the billo"
At the afternoon session Representa-
tives Littlefield, Minor and Humphreys
closely questioned Mr.. Dougherty who
called on Mr.. Duvall for support. Com
bined. they drove Mr.. Duvall into a
corner where he said the Merchants
association had not contemplated the
possibility Of the foreign steamers OBJ
tanning long term contract.
Representative Littlefield character
lied Dnvall's proposition tina; the mail
steamers should make fourteen knots
in ordinary weather" and Gin water
of sufficient depth" as IAN awfully
vague and indefinite proposition from
maritime standpoint" to which Rep
resentative Humphreys sarcastically
Clipped in: DO you know any place
in the ocean where there is not suffi-
Gent depth to make II knots?"
Representative Minor stated that the
object sought by the Maritime COM
mission was not so much to develop
speedy vessels for mail carrying pur-
= poses as to provide means for car
rying American products to American
ports. 1t is unnecessary to carry mails
at high Speed" he continued, earnest
ly. Il have hitherto opposed such
bills, but / feel this one is in the in
terest of the farmers and manufacture
ers of the interior. l believe We should
have American capital. invested in