Evening star., 1909-06-24
WORKING FOR SHIP SUBSIDY
MARINE LEAGUE
OFFICERS GIVE DINNER.
Speaker Cannon Guest of Honor.
President Lends Encouragement
by Appearing for Brief Stay.

Ship subsidy took new lease on life
last evening, President Taft being
/ guest for a short time at dinner given
by the friends of subsidy at the New
Willard The dinner was to boom the
Humphrey bill The Mercantile Marine
League, which is backing the movement.
has representatives and an organization
in 200 of the 391 congressional districts
and is willing to swap its support Tor
congressional backing to the bill when
the next election rolls around.
Speaker Cannon was the guest of honor
at the dinner and President Taft gave
encoura cement to the promoters of the
measure by dropping in on the diners
shortly after o'clock. The hosts were
| officials and members of the Merchant
| Marine League, with headquarters at
| Cleveland, Ohio.
| Avowed Purpose of Dinner.
| The avowed purpose of the dinner was
to persuade President Taft Speaker Can
non and the republican leaders that the
new Humphrey bill should be made a
part of the republican legislative pro-
| gram of next winter. Officers of the
league explained to their guests the de-
tails of a remarkable organizations with
members in eco of the 391 congressaonal
districts, to create sentiment IN pehail
| of the Humphrey bill. They offered &c
| turn this organization to the advantage
of the republican party in the next cam
paign.
| The two novel features of the Hum
phrey bill are free ships and new sys-
tenn of tonnage taxes. At present Amerl-
cans owning foreign-built ships are not
permitted to fly the American flag over
| them or have them admitted to Amerl-
| can registry unless they are more than
half rebuilt in American shipyards Inc
! bill proposes to admit to American reg
istry foreign-built steamers OF o,ooo gross
tons or more wholly owned by Americans
These ships are to be restricted to for
!, eign trade or trade with the Phllppine
and Hawaiian islands, and are to be par
red from the coastwise trade and from
mail COMPENSATION under the act OF 1871
or the Humphrey act.
As to Tonnage Taxes.
| The tonnage taxes in waters of tins
| hemisphere are to be reduced, while ton
| mage taxes in the transatlantic trade ana
| in the eastern trade are to be materially
| increased. The reciprocal law relating to
| tonnage taxes is repealed by this bill.
| This will mean an increase estimated at
\ a million dollars in tonnage taxes to be
| paid by foreign ship owners, and it is
| expected to decrease the tonnage taxes
| now paid by American ships, which trade
! is chiefly in local waters.
| Further than this, a rebate of 80 per
cent Of all tonnage taxes will be allowed
| American ships which carry American
| boys or apprentices to be trained in sea-
| manship. The other features of the bill
| are the same as those OF the last two or
| three mail subsidy bills to be introduced.
| This bill seeks. as those did, to establish
| new mail lines to South and Central
| America, Japan, China, the Philippines
and Australasia, the compensation of
/ Of hn ~ il
| receipts.
Card Index System.
The organization of the Merchant Ma
| rine League to promote sentiment for
| this bill is based on an elaborate card
index system, covering each of the 2cO
| congressional districts whose members
are opposed or lukewarm to the ship
subsidy proposition. The card devoted to
each congressional district contains the
| names of from fifty to seventy-hVe prom
| inent men. These men are being bonn
barded with publicity material. Through
| them, in this fashion. sentiment is ex-
/ pected to be developed which will reach
| the member in each case. This card in
/ dex system has been offered to the re-
publican leaders for use in the next elec-
| ton.
The dinner was private affair. Among
| the hosts, officers and members of the
Merchant Marine League were President
! Joseph G. Butler of Youngstown. ONO;
| Vice President Myron T. Herrick of
| Cleveland; Treasurer J. ]. Sullivan Of
| Cleveland and Secretary John A. Penton
| of Cleveland. Besides Speaker Cannon.
| the guests were Representatives Payne
of New York, Mckinley of Illinois,
| Dwight of New York and Burke of Penn
sylvania, Senator Gallinger, Postmaster
| General Hitchcock, John Barrett, director
| of the bureau of the American republics;
Assistant Secretary of State Wilson, Gen.
| Clarence r. Edwards, chief of the bureau
of insular affairs; former Senator Hem
| enway, former Representative Charles B.
| Lands of Indiana, former Second AS
| sistant Postmaster General McCleary and
many others interested in the ship SUBJ
l