The sun., 1908-05-08
REVIVNG ship SUBSIDY BILL
WILL BE REPORTED AS a RIDER
on POST OFFICE BILL.

" May Get Through the senate, but ls
likely TO Have = stormy Passage m
che House Needs Only One Enemy In
the Senate TO Put II Out Of Business.
WASHINGTON, May IA ship subsidy
amendment inserted In the post Office
appropriation bill probably will stir strife
In Congress again. II may get through
the Senate, because It passed that body
once before in an original bill Even then
II had stormy passage, and may be tempest
tossed again. When 1t reached the House
on It's maiden trip pigeon hole Of the Post
Office Committee was yawning for IT,
Advocates Of the subsidy in its modern
form, which is that Of mail carrying
contract at advanced rates, hope the way
will be clearer now under the protection
Of general post Office appropriation bill,
but there are dangers near that could not
assail II before
The post Office appropriation bill was
reported to the Senate in skeleton form
Just before adjournment tonight, The
amendments will appear in the bill as it
comes from the printer tomorrow. The
Galllnger amendment which ia the ship
subsidy provision is the same as Mr.. Gal
linger's ship subsidy bill which was put to
sleep.
The subsidy proposal cannot be quietly
laid away in committee, 1t Is possible,
however, that 1t may get knockout on
= parliamentary point of order before it
gets through the Senate a rule which could
not be invoked before when it was standing
on It's own feet.
II only needs one enemy in the Senate
now to put il out Of business, because il 80
happens that a fresh precedent Tor the
application Of the rule was filed by the
lioesPresident a few days ago when the
Diplomatic bill was up. An ehOrt was
made then to put through an apprOpria-
tion Of 500, 900 for an embassy building in
Paris, and when there was a tendency 10
shut of debate, Senator Culberson felt
constrained to spring point OF order that
II was new legislation and could not be
considered under the rule without unant-
nous consent The decision Of the Vice
President sustaining the point Of order
when Il was a matter IN an appropriation
bill which had gone through committee
in regular form surprised some Of the
parliamentarians who were back Of IT,
but il was rather generally conceded that
the Vice-President knew whereof he spoke.
On the same ruling the ship. subsidy
rider on the Post Office bill can he blown
over by any one Senator so inclined. When
il was up before only two or three Demo-
cratic Senators favored il, while the Sena-
tors from the mountain States Of the Nest1
voted against it, Il
In case the Senate deals gently with it
and permits il to slide 10 the House, there is
one chance for IT, On the other hand it has
many chances against it. The prospect
In It's favor is in the scurrying that will he
to effect an adjournment, and If the Post
Ofice bill gets in late the Representatives
will not be inclined to split hairs over it,
IL il gets into conference with the subsidy
provision intact the arguments of the Sem
ators that the subsidy is only a subsidy 30
called for the sake Of brevity but in reality
il q desirable Government contract for
facilitating the mails, may prevail In view
Of the hteness Of the hour and the political
necessity for the departure Of Representa-
tives 10 their respective districts, an emer-
gency which does not apply to senators who
do not have TO fight for their political exist
enoe.
Now all the pitfalls that might be dug in
the Senate and masked mOvemente besides
can be provided in the House If it is in a
temper Of hostility. Besides there is a
political issue in it of which Representatives
Of either party may he shy, Should 1t
lie made party measure there will still be
misgivings in the hearts OF the Republicans
from the inland agricultural States, and
again the voice of the Mountain States may
be heard.
This is the provision as it will be offered
in the Senate:
For transportation Of foreign mails. si68s.-
s69. Provided that the Postmaster General
Is hereby authorized to pay hereafter for
ocean mail service uRder the act OF March
g. 1891. In vessels Of the second class on routes
TO South America, to the Philippines to
Japan, to China and TO Aust ralasa 4. 100
miles or more in length, outward voyage
at a rate per mile not exceeding he rate
applicable to vessels Of the first class as pro-
vded in said act and IN vessels Of the third
class on said routes at a rate per mile not
exceeding The rate applicable tO vessels Of
the second class as provided IN said act. pro-
vided that il no contract is made under the
provisions Of this net for line Of ships be-
tween port on the Atlantic coast south
Of Cape Charles and South American ports
the Postmast ter .General shall provided two
or more lines are established from North
Atlantic ports require that one OF said lines
shall upon each outward and homeward
voyage touch at least two ports on the Atlantic
coast south of Cape Charles, regard being
had In the selection Of such ports OF call to
geogra phiCal location and to the volume Of
the export and import business Of the ports
40 selected and provided further that the
total expenditure Of foreign mail service in
any one year shall not exceed the estimated
revenue therelrom for that year