The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1907-03-15
FORDNFY CHARGES
DOUBLE DEALING
ON SUBSIDY BILL
Accuses Committee Of D0ctoring
Measure To Win Support
From Coast.
Michigan Man Makes a Red Hot
Speech On Measure in the House,
Punctures Claims of at Least One
Steamship Line to Governmental
Bounty.
(From the Detroit News Bureau.)


Washington, Feb. 27.-Congressman
Fordney, of Michigan, made sensation
in the house yesterday afternoon, dur
ing the discussion of the ship subsidy
bill, by charging that the bill under
discussion was not the one ordered re-
ported to the house by the committee on
merchant marine and fisheries. That
is, he charged bad faith on the part of
some member or members of the COM
mittee in making at least one radical
change in the bill.
He said he had himself made the mo-
tion to eliminate jail mention of Cape
Mendocino from the bill and that his
motion had carried unanimously, yet
that the provision relative to Cape
Mendocino was left in the bill He
further charged that this was done in
order to get the assistance of the mem
Der of the committee from the state of
Washington and that without that as
sistance the bill could not have been re-
ported from the committee at all.
Mr. Humphreys, of Washington, the
member referred to, half arose in his
seat to reply, but evidently his discre-
ton came to him in time, as he sank
back and said nothing. They have a
wholesome respect for Fordney's ability
as rough-and tumble debater in the
house. Even Gen. Grosvenor, who
tackled Fordney and who is regarded
as the very best on running debate in
the house, was glad to drop it and run
when Fordney turned upon him.
Grosvenor had interrupted Fordney for
the apparent purpose of annoying him
and breaking up the continuity of his
talk. He kept Directing to the use of
the word tonnage by Fordney and in
sisting that what he meant was Gear
GO
Il was trying to get the gentleman
to strike out the word tonnage and
speak about cargo" said Grosvenor
after considerable colloquy
FoRDNEY'S ILLUSTRATIONS.
Then" said Fordney, 1.-The differ
ence between cargo and tonnage, Mr..
Chairman, will leave to the commit.
tee to decide. 1t reminds me of an
Irishman who once said to another,
Johnnie, what is the difference between
the word satisfied and the word con-
tented? Johnnie replied: AS far as 1
can see, there is no difference. oh, a
decided difference, said the Irishman.
L am satisfied that the minister is pay
ing too much attention to my wife, but |
am not contented, by any means
Mr.. Grosvenor shrank into his seat |
and remained there
Mr.. Fordney assured the house that |
he was thoroughly in sympathy with
the presidents desire to build up such
American shipping as would develop
trade with South America, but he said
this bill would never do it. Neither
would it do any good to give a heavy
subsidy to the railroad lines operating
ships to the Orient, as they were doing
well enough and did not need any
money from the treasury. To establish
subsidized mail lines to South America,
he said, would give one or two lines q
of the business in that direc-
ton and no trade could tkkHtimulated
by a monopoly. If congr yvould give
a subsidy to all ships funrlFI exclusive
y to South Amerif n yeasing the
subsidy with the spsy Ine ship, he
would be glad to suIMI In fact,
ossd to introdu X n measure
Destitute for