The Washington herald., 1907-03-02
MAIL SUBSIDY BILL
PASSED BY HOUSE
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toward asperity, and Mr. Dunwell hnslIy
asserted that he believed he was in the
chamber when his name was called, or
should have been called.
Say you were here" advised many of
the Republicans around him, who could
not be identified in the confusion.
Minority Leader Williams and other
Democrats Immediately objected to the
vote being recorded, several of the latter
positively declaring that the member from
Brooklyn entered the chamber after the
last roll call
The Speaker repeated the question once
more. and MIR. Dunwell. who by that time
was conspicuous figure, as a result of
the enforcement OF the Speakers demand
that members be seated, then answered
that he was in the chamber when his
name was called, or should have been
called, The Democrats greeted this an
nouneement with groans, but as the word
OF each IN iyidual member must be relied
on IN SUN cases, there was no further
objection, and Mr.. Williams made an
announcement to that effect. There was
much con. usion In the chamber. and at
one time she Speaker. in an Ominous
tone, asked Mr.. Williams 70 be seated.
Mr.. Dunwell's position was made all
the more conspicuous Immediately after
ward, when two Democrats asked the
same privilege that he had requested.
They were Representatives Flood. Of Vir-
ginia. and McNary, OF Massachusetts At
first both evaded giving direct answers
TO the usual interrogatory from the
Speaker but ultimately both admitted
that they were not I'm the chamber when
their names were called, or should have
been called, and they thus lost their votes.
Had they taken advantage Of the stu
alton, as Mr. Dunwell did, and had the
Speaker not voted in the negative the
result Of the division would have been
tie; and had not several Of the Democrats
left the chamber after the first vote, Mr..
Williams motion to table would have pre-
vailed.
Minority Leaders Statement.
After the battle had been fought and
lost by the anti-subsidytes, the minority
leader declared that the Democrats who
absented themselves did 50 because they
thought the matter had been settled by
the first vote. and not because any Of
hi4NAf iofbiOu GuuSlA1s dllu NtlE htiAiiib
10 bring # about by indirect means after
going on the record against Il. How
ever. We would have won had all the
Democrats remained IN the chamber" he
said
Representative Brooks, OF Texas, at
tempted to have his vote recorded against
the subsidy by pleading that, on account
of Illness. he was not in attendance early
In the day. but had left his bed and come
to the Capitol when sent for. The
Speaker decided that he was not entitled
TO vote. According TO Representative
Burleson. Representative Garner. another
Texan, had left the House and started
for his home in Uvalde, under the i'm
preston that he was paired against the
bill with Representative Butler. of Penn
sylvanla. Mr. Butler declared that he
had agreed 10 pair with Mr.. Garner. but
had stipulated that the arrangement was
not to become effective until to-day
Minority Leader Williams sent a messen-
ger after Mr.. Garner, and caught him as
be WAS boarding a train, but the Texan
insisted that he was paired and did not
return 90 the House,
Representative Watson, Of Indiana, the
Republican whip. and one OF the most
said after the final vote that Democrat
had been In close consultation with him
during the day, and intimated that that
Democrat was responsible for the defec-
ton Of some Of the minority members.
He refused to say who the Democrat was,
however. lie also made a statement
which could not be intelligently and fairly
construed as being anything else than
an admission that Mr.. DUnwell was not
IN the chamber when his name was called
on either the first or the supplemental
roll call on the motion Of Dir. Williams
to table the Littauer motion to recon
slider.
Provisions of the Bill.
The Littauer bill, as substituted for the
Senate bill, and passed, provides mail
subsidies for but four steamship lines.
Two Of these are from a port or ports on
the Atlantic coast TO ports in Brazil and
Argentina, respectively; another is from
Gulf Of Mexico port 10 Brazil, and the
fourth is from a Pacific port to Panama.
Peru. and Chile. The amendments relat-
ing to Oriental lines. and the Australasian
line. were eliminated by the Committee
OF the Whole during the day, as was that
providing for q line from a Gulf port TO
Panama. Furthermore. in order TO secure
certain Republican votes. the managers
of the Littauer bill were compelled TO
promise that one OF the Atlantic lines
would be stricken out I'm conference, thus
leaving but three lines TO South American
ports-One from the Atlantic coast, one
from the Gulf coast, and one from the
Pacific coast. The bill as it passed the
House provides for an expenditure Of
from $4,000 to 100000 a year. accord
ing to whether the schedules shall be
fOrtnightly or monthly.
In order 70 benefit from the proposed
subsidy, ships must be hereafter built In
the United States, and must maintain a
speed of at least sixteen Knots an hour.
1t is provided, however, that the require
ments as TO speed shall be deemed 10 be
compiled with IF said rates are developed
during a trial of four hours continuous
steaming at sea In ordinary weather in
water of sufficient depth to make the test
a fair and lust one and IL the vessels are