New-York tribune., 1907-12-22

rho ,e7corS elected were as follows President,
Harvey D. Goulder; secretary, john A feh'oh'
treasurer. J. j. Sullivan
over two hundred persons attended the oahduel
,onfpbt Much interest was aroused over the
speeches delivered by Senators Foraker and 0al-
linger 1t was expected that political history "ouiu
be made and situations created, but the spear
ers confined themselves the text of the subjects
assigned TO them Senator Gallinger spoke Oh ti0
decline Of the American owned ocean marine III
terestS.
SENATOR FoRAKER'S SPEECH
Senator Foraker told of the history Of the Iner
chant marine, advocated the passage OF lhe pl -
subsidy bill pending in Congress and palo u
to his late colleague, NJ. A. Hanna, VINO "ae @
stanchest supporter of the ship subsidy and piazeo
the trail against popular antagonlsfn. SeHo' ~
aker spoke in part as follows;
The application of our interstate commerce law. laws
to our foreign commerce is handicap ol s, on ~
serious characeT not o1ly lsfyv 70 of the sea The
law should amended in TINS respect; 2 + ni1bc
Sentiment is in such state that there Is general
hesitation TO act
II is inpossfbIe he said. for American agents
abroad successfully to compete with agents VI
foreign nations when American rates for snip
,onts were fixed and published all over the Worid
and could not be changed except on thirty Gays
notice. The Senator continued:
We are passing through strange experiences, me ne
planest common sense proposlnom5b biId St down the
d ,f they do not happen TO suit the excited fancy
oIIepad % Toorai regeneration of the business world
All this is unnatural. unwarTarlteo ano HUI lhyu.
np1dos aHo are propery the world has witnessed
has been checked and chilled ,oeoro MO re
cover and we will never recover unless we regain
confidence in the integrity OF eacn obI. and con-
regard success IN business as noiiot b x,iIi MN
tent ourselves with regulations that VIII pun
fish wrongdoers without bringing wholesale osaS'ei
1t is not foreign to the discussion OF our meT r.
chant marine and its restoration to prosperity 10
thus consider the prosperity Of the nafi6n Iaed aSd
recover the ground have been losing we must
understand and remedy the causes OF our lrol@pIe. @
more money and better money to-day than ever
before 1t IS not due TO over-specuatlon nor 10
unreasonably extravagant in either respect: 1t rs
themselves and the whole country for p9liticat pur
poses Many things have contributed, put IL was
some such experience are now having whsn tss
provided by law that the revenues OF more ] In
senting more than fourteen billions OF securlues,
should be tg5rsa sgr in 70 The
signed to them was an imposslhiIy 3I SuSH iias
Senator Foraker paid strong compIrneRt 10
Senator Hanna He said:
seeing our nag more flying over AmeT5can ,Id IN
ships in the trackless paths OF the ocean I an his is
patriotism well sound business Judgmen, afI
hard common sense and aroused all MS wonoerlui
powers.
The speaker reviewed legislation relating to our
merchant marine. and added:
This very moment marks our deepest humilia-
ton. We now have less satisfactory conoitlons
than eny that have yet been known. ana
there is less promise OF improvement. except as
we ind it in the hope and belief that the ex-
trenity to which have come may for very
shame compel attention and precipitafe action
7 continue To believe that the sureSt and best way
TO restore our merchant marine is by return TO
5 des aT ad done h5 our 70 flag W
again soon be flying all the oceans. We should
take that step at once. but that seems to be for
the present impossible In the meanwhile there
Is no chance for any kind Of help except only that
which is in the nature Of bounties subsidies. 1t
IS that or nothing. and that is far better than
nothing.
Senator Foraker approved the Gailinser bill now
before Congress and said IT would do much to
build I'D American shipping interests A merchant
marine he said. would supply American
for American ships.