Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1908-03-04
WEST AND SOUTH
ARE UP IN ARMS
Frye Bill Threatens Illinois Cement
and Industrial and Shipping Inte~-
e>t> Of Mississippi Valley and Gulf
States.

SOdth an / Mexican Gulf Coast are IN
in arms against the ,O-called Frye
Dill, which, purportins 10 benefit the
American Merchant Marine is alleged,
in reality. 10 be q well laid plan to I'M
load on the United States government
a quantity Of 81 huiha belonging 20
the New England cOast, and - place q
$7,0no.000 cement contract for the
/ Panama Canal into the hands OF Penn
sylvania interests IS against the CO.
nlent producers % illinois and the
,Middle West. With d favorable report
from Senator F-ye's commit
tee on commerce, the Senate was last
Thursday on the point OF taxing up
the concurrent resolution, when Sena
tor Foster, OF Louisiana, succeeded
in securing a delay, ana now letters
and kilograms are pouring into Wash
inston from commercial organizations
all over the South and West, clamor-
ing vociferously against the Maine
Senator S scheme to sell Maine built
ships to the government and likewise
nnllify all efforts Of Illinois cement
interests to get chance TO bid on
the new 100000 ton contract.
New Orleans is at present the storm
center Of the opposition, but when ii
lis known that the Frye resolution, if
passed, would have the effect of shut
ting out the Ohio and Missouri valleys
and Central West from competition
on all classes OF Panama Canal con
transfer to such cities as Chicago.
Minneapolis, St. Paul, Omaha, Kan
sas CITY, Des Moines, Leavenworth, st.
Louis. Indianapolis, Cincinnati and
other manufacturing centers which, if
deprived of the benefit of competition
via The gulf gateway would be Dracti-
cally completely cut off from hand
ing canal contracts, which have al
ready turned over millions of dollars
ia these localities.
Every one of the leading CONNER
clal organizations of the South and
Central States has b en- asked by
the New Orleans Progressive Union
to use every effort with Their rem
reSenta:iyes in Congress- TO kill the
measur" and so far the victory is
with them by reason OF Senator Eos
ter.s success i'll holding ND the bill.
President Philip Werlein of the
New Orleans organizat ion denounces
the resolution as job 10 sell VEN
cradle sfi ps to the Government and
in letter TO congressman and Gov
ernors in the South and West SAYS:
UNLESS the Gnlf States and Central
West get together ana defeat the
Frye resolution. New Orleans and
other Gulf ports and the nanufac-
turing interests of the Central Unit
cd States will be placed absolutely
Atlantic Scaboard in the matter of
compel ton for canal contracts. The
measure mas the two-fold sinister
underlying purpose of benefitting a
few scattered American ship own
ers. particularly in the New Eng
land States and more particularly in
the State of Maine; and likewise,
the cement interests OF Pennsylva-
MIA, as against the South and West,
Ihl5 cement contract is worth
some $7,00O,0OO and the bids will
be opened March -. the specifca-
tons calling for proposals for trans
portation in either American or for
elgn bottoms. 1t is a notorious fact
that it costs from 25 to 80 per cent
more to build and operate Ameri-
can ships that it does foreign ves-
sells. 50 the bug under the chip is
fully apparent. If the bill became
a law the cement would be trans
ported either in the vessels owned
by the Government or in ships OF
American registry and the Govern
ment would have to pay 80 per cent
more for the cement than necessary.
I'VE are as anxious as anyone to
see the restoration of the American
Merchant Marine, but we do not be-
lieve in doing this at the expense of
the construction of the Panama
Canal or to the sacrifice of the ship
ping of the Gulf coast or the indus
trial interests of the Central West
for the exclusive benefit of the
North Atlantic seaboard. The Frye
concurrent resolution, while osten-
sibly patr' otto, is the veriest mold
up and is so patent that one must
admire its boldness. The Gulf is the
nearest and natural gateway 70
Panama and we do not propose TO
permit such specious and insincerc
arguments of so-called patriotism
to delude us into agreeing to q