The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-08-24
SHIP SUBSIDY
PROMISED BY
CONGRESSMAN
Visiting SOIOns Admit Necessity
OF Aiding Merchant Marine;
Will Work for Measure
Delegation Spends Day Inspect.
ing Points of Interest Around
San Francisco Bay

OF san Francisco last evening by A J.
Barchfeld. congressman from Pennsyl-
Nania, and chairman of the house COM
mittee on the merchant marine. Speak
ing at the banquet given last evening
10y the San Francisco chamber of com
merce, the Merchants association and
he Merchants exchange. in the colonial
ballroom at the St. Francis hotel to
the delegation Of % congressman bound
10 Hawaii as the guests of the Ha-
waiisn chamber of commerce, Barch-
field declared that at the next session
of congress provision would be made
for the subsidy.
The time has arrived, said Barch-
field, the people are not only aroused,
but are absolutely alive TO needs of
the merchant marine. They viii in
sist that the sixty-first congress write
on the statute books a ship subsidy,
which viii produce a merchant marine
OF which no citizen need be ashamed.
= What this nation needs and Will have
are American ships, built in American
Yards Of American material. by Ameri-
can ship builders. manned by American
sailors and flying the American flag.
We will either do it right or not at
all"
In his preamble Barchfeld declared
that he brought that greeting from the
president OF the United States and the
speaker Of the house of representatives.
SHIPPERS ADDRESS MAKES HIT
While noted public speakers held the
floor last evening at the banquet. in
Guiding men experienced in the arts of
after dinner oratOry. il was a Tener-
able ship owner, Captain Robert Dollar
of this city who by his crude force, his
terse illustrations and his ready wit.
made the greatest hit OF the evening.
The banquet was unique in the his
tory of semipublic functions Of this city
ia that when the speaking began, the
women Of the congressional party and
women OF the California club filed into
the boxes that line the upper walls of
the ballroom and sat throughout the
oratory. During the course OF the feast
the women OF the congressional party
were given a reception by members of
The California club in the tapestry room
at the St. Francis.
Two hundred guests and members of
tie commercial bodies gathered at the
banquet The hall was lavishly deco
rated with American flags. the banner
which the diners would have fly at
the peak of all merchantmen. James
McNab. president of the chamber of
commerce. was chairman on his right
sat Mayor Edward r. Taylor and on
his left Congressman Richard BartholdI
Of Missouri. chairman OF the committee
on public buildings and the 1eau of the
delegation. The subject OF the even
ing's discussion was the merchant ma
rine. and the handsome menu cards
cleverly introduced references to the
topic along the lines OF the courses.
MAYOR FIRST STEAMER
Mayor Taylor was the first speaker.
He complimented the three commercial
organizations. the hosts of the evening,
in glowing terms, and spoke of the
renaissance Of San Francisco" The
mayor expressed his feelings on the
needs Of an American merchant marine
and concluded by inviting the delega-
ti0n TO the Portola festival
Richard Bartholdt was next intro
duced- He humorously stated that his
friend and neiehbor in St Louis. Adolph
Busch, gave 100000 TO the San Fran
cisco sufferers. and expressed the hope
that he. the chairman Of the public
buildings committee could use the
treasury Of the United States for the
purpose OF contributing more than
Busch for the upbuilding of the city"
In his speech BarthOIdt launched into
an eloquent appeal for international
peace. He declared that the recent in
Ventions showed that battleships and
armament were no protection to a
country in time Of war. Our national
security does not depend" he said.
upon battleships, but upon our ability
10 deal with nations honestly and
justly
Charles F. Scott Of Kansas, chairman
81 the committee on agriculture, and
mentioned as the possible secretary of
the department Of agriculture, con-
graduated San Francisco first on its
wonderful recovery from the disaster
lie referred affectionateIy to the part
n 1Cf7 m - Il ala- 4
Funston, had played after the disaster
and the reference was greeted with
loud cheers. He explained the decay
Of business shipping by staying that
American capital had been put into in
ternal development. He said that
while he came from a middle west dis
trict he had always voted for the sub
vention Of the merchant marine and he
believed that he could always success
fully defend his vote before his intel
ligent constituency. He said his best
argument would be the fact that the
roads was accompanied by q feet of
- foreign golfers. Something will be
DONE" he asserted, ito make the Pa
cihc ocean an American sea-
ROBERT DOLLAR MAKES ADDRESS
Robert Dollar. the venerable head of
2 steamship line, read his paper.
Drawing his Illustrations and argu-
mentS from facts which he presented,
Dollar made a deep impression on his
hearers. He spoke of the development
Of China and advised the merchants to
turn their attention TO that empire
The fact that American capital was
Ioane dto China for its railroad enter
prises gave Americans a right to sell
supplies for the road. I'VE talk of
China waking up" he said. but il is
the American merchant who must be
waking UP in regadd to the Chinra
trade.
When friend asked me Why 1 per-
sisted in lighting for the American
merchant marine I answered him in
one word, Patriotism I demand the
right TO fly the flag Of my country
over my property" the white bearded
shin owner shouted.
with considerable detail CAPTAIN
Dollar went into the facts of the
oceanic steamship line which John d.
Spreckels and brothers conducted 10
Australia Dollar referred 10 the
liners rusting in the bay.
--Spreckels and brothers did some
thing out Of patriotism when they con-
ftfnued the operation of their ships until
they ran their line sl,400, 600 into debt.
They could not compete with the lib
eraI subsidies made by Canada We