The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-04-01
THANKS THE WEST.
President Approves of Position ON
Ship Subsidy Bill

| Omaha Neb. April 1-Representa-
| tive z. NJ Pollard OF the First Nebras-
ka district, has received a letter from
President Roosevelt thanking him for
his support OF the ship subsidy bill
| cougratuIating him and other western
| congressman upon the view they took
Of the situation and deprecattng the de-
feat Of the bill as a serious injury TO
the commercial interests of the United
States The presidents letter follows
Washington, D. C., March -, 1901
My Dear Mr.. Pollard feel that
il IS due rot only to you, but TO the
other western congressman, the con-
greSsmen from the interior who voted
for the ship subsidy bill, that I should
express to you, not only for you. but
for all OF them also. the reasons why
I think you have rendered a great and
patriotic service
'-Ar the outset let me emphasize the
fact that the present proposed ship
subsidy DILL has nothing whatever IN
common with certain previous meas
ures % the same name There were
well founded objections TO certain
features of these previous measures;
but in the present measure all these
ob+ectionaI features have been elfr1t-
mated I should heartily favor the
present measure in any event; but the
experiences Of Secretary Root on his
trip to South America and the course
OF events OH the Pacific seem to me to
render IT of the utmost consequence to
pass the proposed bill As a matter
Of fact, my only objection to it is that
ft does not go far enough I, person
ally for instance, would like to see q
line to South America from one of our
gulf ports
Il feel that you men fro mthe west,
who stood by the cause Of American
shipping IN supporting the ship subsidy
bill, deserve the same praise that
should be accorded to those men Of
the ssacoast regions who voted for and
by their votes succeeded in esta blish-
NJ ant 81
r1gatton IN the states from Kansas
Nebraska and the DakotaS westward
TO California, Oregon and Washington.
At that time the argument was made
70 me by many men representing the
country east of the Mississippi that 1t
was not fair TO ask their support for
q measure purely to benefit states of
the great plains and the Rockies. Ny
benefited q part OF this country uItf-
mately benefited all Of IL, and that we
were in honor bound to support any
such measure, even If our particular
locality was not affected. The same
argument applies now in reference to
this shipping bill
Tt IS deeply dfscredftabIe to US as
nation that our shipping should be
driven from the high seas and it has
thus been driven partly because our
steamship lines are quite unable to
compete with foreign steamship lines
English German, japanese, French.
which are heavily subsidized by their
governm euts and partly because the
nigh STANDARD OF wages and of living
which we exact for our seamen puts
our shipnasters and ship owners at
when forced to compete
even with unSu bSidfzed ships of for
eign powers. This defense in stand
ards and the subsidfza ton of our for T
eign competitors taken together. have F
created an obstacle to the deveIo pm ent 1
Of our shipping which is insurnount-
an Hxr rI-i-s-f
obstacle must be cleared away as we
would clear away a bar from the
mouth OF a river
7 felt that the loss of the ship sub
sidy bill at the last session of congress +
was real blow to our country, and +
that ir was particularly to be regretted 4
because 1t has tended to dampen some
Of the enthusiasm for closer relations +
with this country which Secretary
Roots visit aroused in South Amer :
lea"