New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-03-01
RLOW AT PACIFIC LINES
SUBSIDY BILL AMENDED.
No Ship NOSU AfOGt to Share ."
Mail SubUentiOR.
IFron The Tribune Bureeu,l


,,-..t,ng+on Feb 2S-Not single ship now
a.. viii be permitted 10 share in the mail
,bs,sv provided for IN the Littaue" blll, II that
.os,ra as agreed upon to-day by The House
.-,,.+aa Of the whole is p"sred The
s-,.-6s of the bill were the authors Of the
or,endr,ent 70 this effect They did II 20 meet
the accusation that the legislation would beneht
she sbips now on the Pacific controlled by hlll
and Hartman "a.
That the amendment was so sweeping IN us
character was evidently not observed by those
a charge Of the bill. for no sooner had Repre-
sentative IAttauer presented it, on behalf OF
a. Committee on Merchant Marine and Fish
,sas than he sought permission 10 withdraw It,
nc wanted 10 except from its provisions the
,tres American built ships OF the Oceanic Line.
constructed to take advantage three years ago
- the subsidy for a line TO Australia Ihe
democrats would not consent to the withdrawal
eT-,ba amendment for the purpose Of allowing
AZ Tsttauer to amend IT. They were strong
,orpb with the aid Of the ''lnsurgent' Repub-
iicans 10 obtain the adoption OF the amendment
and 10 defeat the later attempt of Mr. Lttauer
and his followers 20 amend on the floor SO as to
except the Oceanic Line. This was the nearest
"a a test vote taken during the day and showed
727 against the exception of the Oceanic Limo
and 40 in favor The majority this division
was taken as indicating the number opposed TO
the general features Of the present bill and the
minority as those I'm its favor Mr. Fordney'
Republican and subsidy man, said ON the floor.
however, that when the bin IS reported 10 the
House and an Aye and No vote taken the ac-
ton viii be reversed and the Oceanic ships eX-
cepted. An opportunity to do this will come at
3 o'clock Tomorrow. when the voting on the
bill. as reported By the committee of the whole.
VIII begin. In any event the vote VIII be close.
IN chs Of he
thing but sure that the proposed subsidized lines
to the Orient Will be agreed to.
AMENDMENTS ADOPTED.
Air. Smith. OF Iowa. presented an amendment
requiring that every contract under the bill
shall be awarded TO the responsible bidder. who
will contract under penalties prescribed by the
Postmaster General for the highest running
speed between the points named in the con-
tract. This amendment was adopted
Mr. FGrdney. Of Michigan, offered substitute
for the hin under consideration. providing for a
naval reserve and increasing ocean mail facii-
ties 10 which Mr.. Burton. OF Ohio. addressed
himself. incidentally reviewing the whole sub
ject of subsidy legislation
The argument for this class az measures"
said Mr.. Burton. rests upon the fallacy that
G subsidy TO ships is akin to protective tariff.
Il IS not so. because in the relation Of the
treasury to those receiving aid the tariff brings
money into the exchequer. while subsidy pays
1t out"
He said il was possible to build wall around
the country. but not around the seas. where
competition is necessarily unlimited and cheap
ness and fitness must prevail. THE argument
for a tariff would not be accepted if it was
contemplated that far all time there would be
a difference in cost of production between this
and other countries. The tendency Of all sub
sides is 10 induce dependence upon government
assistance. Lines that have been subsidized
have not been free from a record of corruption
and failure"
Mr.. Grosvenor reviewed subsidy discussion
in the Dist Congress- and recalled that at that
time Mr. Burton voted unWaveringly for sub
sidy measure more sweeping than the Lit
tauer bin. In reply, Mr.. Burton said he had
little respect for a man who would vote in
favor Of a measure to-day merely because he
had done so sixteen years ago.
Mr. Fordney did not press his amendment. and
no action was taken on IT,
Mr. Townsend, Of Michigan. introduced an
amendment striking out the subsidies for the
Two lines from the Pacific Coast 10 China and
Japan Mp Stevens. Of Minnesota opposed this
amendment. ''
An amendment offered by M Humphrey Of
washington, that no money appropriated nv the
OH silall be paid for any vessel directly or in
olfectly connected with any railroad conouanZ
was defeated on the theory that the Hill Dro-