The Irish standard., 1908-02-29
CALL|NCER SPEAKS
FOR ship SUBSIDY
SENATOR DECLARES GRANT is
NECESSARY TO SAVE AMERI.
CAN MARITIME TRADE.
CITES ADVANTAGES TO
COMMERCIAL INTERESTS
Congressman Hayes Of California De.
nounces AIdrich Measure In House
Formal Charges Against Electric
Boat Company Are Made.


Formal Charges Against Electric
Boat Company Are Made.
Washington, Feb. 25.-Speaki in
favor Of the passage of the oce,ln mail
subsidy bill in the senate Monday, Sen
ator Gallinger reviewed the conditions
under which the merchant murine Of
this country is operating and cited
many advantages that he believes will
accrue to the commercial interests of
the United States if better mail facili-
ties to South American and other
ports are established.
"The bill raises no new issue, intro
duces no new principle" said Mr..
Gallinger. 1T leaves existing and
prosperous steamship services exactly
as they are now, and without chang
ing one iota the tried and approved
methods of the present law, increases
the compensation on routes which 16
years Of experience have conclusively
proved to be inadequate-the long
costly and important routes to South
America and the orient, tho routes
where our lack of steamship service
is severest, and our need of such SER
vice most imperative"
Only eight of Is ships that were
plying across the Pacific ocean last
March are left. he said.
"Since the shipping bill Of the last
congress was defeated almost one-half
Of our feeble American Pacific naval
reserve has disappeared" he added,
land when Admiral Evans steers up
through the Golden Gate from the
Straits of Magellan we shall have the
grotesque disproportion in the Pacific
Of two battleships to every CONNER
cial vessel engaged in foreign trade
a sight which has never yet been seen
beneath the sun.
"And unless the new shipping bill Is
speedily passed, we shall see an even
more grotesque disproportion than
that-16 battleships and not one COM
mercial steamer in the Pacific away
from the ports Of the United States
For the remnant Of our merchant
marine in that mighty ocean is now
facing the absolute extinction which
long since overlook our commercial
feet on the routes to South America" :"
Will Revive American Marine.
The passage Of this bill, he predict
ed, will revive the waning American
marine and all that the bill seeks can
he accomplished for 100000 a year.
II would strengthen the Pacific lines
and create new lines to the southern
hemisphere. 1t would. he said, prompt
ly establish a line from the Atlantic
coast to Brazil and another to Ar
gentina, line from the South Allan
tic or gulf coast to South America and
similar communication to the Pacific
ocean.
The proposed payment for these ad-
vantages is about half the amount
England and France now pay for their
steamship service and less than is
paid by Japan. Last year the United
States made a profit of $3.600.O00 on
It's carriage of foreign mail and he
hoped to have at least that amount
devoted to building UP the foreign
mail service.
Mr.. Gallinger obtained unanimous
consent to take up the ocean mail
subvention bill during the morning
hour next Thursday.
Mr.. Gallinger said the $3,600,OO
profit made by the United States an
nually in carrying its foreign mails
should be devoted to building up the
foreign mail service. He said
more than 26 new and powerful steam
ships available as auxiliaries of war
would be built by the influence of the
bill II passed.
AIdrich Bill Denounced.
Representative Hayes of California
Monday addressed the house on the
financial question. He held up the
currency system of the United States
as "the worst used to-day by any coun-
try" denounced the Aldrich bill, and
ridiculed the proposition for a CEN
trail bank
Used Wrongful Methods.
Representative Lilly of Connecticut
Monday submitted to the rules com.
mittee of the house formal charges
that the Electric Boat Company had
used wrongful methods to secure legis-
lation. He declares his ability to
prove his charges when the committee
takes them up for consideration. The
standing committee Of correspondents
Investigated charges that Washington
newspaper correspondents are in.
volved in this matter.