The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1906-02-21
the LEXINGTON DISPATCH.
Wednesday, February q, 1906.
Ship Subsidy Bill Passed.

washington, 90. LIZ 9-at 40"
minutes after 6 o'clock today the
senate cast it's final ballot on the ship
subsidy bill, which was passed by q
yose of 38 to "a. All the votes for
the bill were by Republican senators,
and FIVE Republican senator's voted
with the Democrats in opposition.
They we're: Messrs: Buskett, Dolli.
yer, LsFolle.te. Spooner aud Warner.
The vote on the bill was preceded
BY ACTION upon number OF amend
ments and this by an entire day OF
debate. Many important amend
ments were accepted, bat in only
one case was modification agreed
TO that was not in accordance with
the wishes of the managers OF the
bill. The exception was on an amend
ment offered by Mr.. Spooner elimi-
mating the provisions giving half pay
to members of the naval reserve who
have served less than six months.
As passed the bill establishes IL
new contract mail lines and increases
the subvention to the oceanic lines
running from the Pacific coast to
Australasia. OF the 13 new lines
three leave Atlantic coast ports,> one
running to Brazil, one to Uruguay
and Argentina and one to South
Africs; six from ports on the Gulf OF
Mexico, embracing one to Brazil, one
to Cuba, one to Mexico and three to
Central America and the Isthmus OF
Paname; four from Pacific coast
porte, embracing two to Japan, China
and the Philippines direct, one to
Japan, China and the Philippines via
Hawaii and one 20 Mexico, Central
America and the Isthmus ofPanama.
The bill also grants a subvention at
the rate Of $5 per gross ton per year
to cargo vessels engaged in the for
eign trade of the United States and
at the rate of S6 so per ton to vessels
engaged in the Philippine trade, the
Philippine coastwise law being post
poned until 1909, Another feature
of the bill is that creating q. naval
reserve force of $4,000 officers. and
men, who are to receive retainers
after the British practice. Vessels
receiving subsidies are required to
carry certain proportion of naval
reserve men among their crews. The
aggregate compensation for mail
lines is about S3,oO0,000 annually.
No steam vessel of less than 1000
tons is to receive aid under the bill.
When the shipping bill was dis
posed of the statehood bill was made
the unfnised business.
Mr.. Frye made general speech
in support of the bill, saying that
the $20O,00O.O00 paid annually to
foreign ships should be ssed in de-
veioping an American merchant
marine.
Mr.. Clay contended that the effect
ct the bill would be to make the
10000 persons who are employed by
the ship owners of the United States
members of the paval reserve and
place them on the nations pay rolls.
For this outlay, he said, there would
be no service to the United States
He thought the proposition to give
bounty to sailors engaged only in
the cosstwise trade especially repre-
hensible.
MIR. Clay predicted that the sub
sidy feature of the bill would prove
interminable and declared that the
shipping interests had no more right
than any other industry to come to
congress and ask assistance because
of failure.
Replying to Mr.. Clay, Mr.. Hale
attributed the destruction of the
shipping industry to the Civil war.
he said that the old fashioned doe
trine that there should be 30 govern
mental aid to any industry had long
since disappeared and he instanced
many cases in which such help had