The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-02-06
New Plan Is Suggested to Aid
American Merchant Marine
UNDERWOOD FAVORS PLAN
Alabama Congressman Believes that
the Old Democratic Plan of Dis
criminative Tariff Duties Is
Best Solution of Problem

Washington, February 6.-(Special)-lo o
build up the American merchant marine
through the old democratic idea OF dis
criminating tariff duties instead of sub
sides, is the plan Of the democrats of the
House At a meeting held today it was
decided to draw up q substitute for the
Humphrey bill and offer 1t in the House.
The republicans on the committee of
merchant marine and fisheries several
days ago took snap judgment on the DEM
ocratic members of the committee and
reported the Humphrey bill to promote
the American merchant marine in foreign
trade without the additional hearings that
the democrats expected they would be
allowed to have before they were forced
to vote on the bill.
The Humphrey bill provides for the
free register of ships whose tonnage is
more than 250o gross tons, and for an ad-
ditional tax on foreign ships. and for a
mail subsidy that will amount to about a
million and q half dollars. At meeting
of the democratic members of the COM
mittee today the minority leader, Champ
Clark, and Representative Underwood of
Alabama were requested to confer with
them and consider what position they
should take in reference to the matter
1t was agreed that the democats should
oppose the Humphrey bill, largely on ac-
count of It's subsidy features and on ac-
count of the additional burden placed on
American commerce by the increased
tonnage tax on foreign ships. They con-
cluded to offer affirmative legislation as
a substitute looking to the building up of
the American merchant marine. Mr..
Clark, the minority leader; Mr.. Speight
of Mississippi tho senior democrat on the
merchant marine and fisheries commit
tee, and Mr.. Underwood of Alabama were
appointed to draft substitute to be sub
nitted TO a deIn@ Fate caucus which Will
be caIlsd next week.
Mr.. Underwood stated today that he
believed the result of their work would
be a bill that would be satisfactory to the
democratic party and to their country. and
that the substitute would be reported in
a few days. He said that they had no
objection to the clause in The Humphrey
bill admitting foreign built ships to AM
erican register free, as such legislation
would go a long ways to bring ships
under the American flag. He also thought
that the increased tonnage tax would be
q serious burden on American commerce
and would hamper rather than expand
our foreign trade. and that the subsidy
feature of the Humphrey bill was not
only wrong in principle, but was so small
In amount that It could not possibly affect
the situation at all. There would only be
a little over a million and half dollars
available under the terms of the Humph-
rey bill.
Mr.. Underwood stated that he believed
the real way to restore American ships
to the seas was to follow the principles
III Ixr h. faf d0rNn-
cratic party in the very inception of our
government when Madison advocated dis
crinainatory tariff duties In favor Of Amer
lean ships He said such bill was
passed at that time and that under Its
benign influences our shipping expanded
in a way that It has never since done.
He said that it would be wise to follow
this example and thought that the DEM
oo-atio party should offer a substitute
providing for a discriminating tariff, re-
ducing the customs duties s per cent of
the amount of all duties charged by law
on all goods imported into the United
states in American ships owned by Amer
lean citizens.
This reduction of duty, Mr.. Underwood
added, would not to any extent anect the
tai riff as the American shipowner would
raise his freight rates the extent OF the
reduction of duty, that 1t was intended
that he should receive his additional COM
psnsation as q premium to promote the
development of our shipping industry.
Mr.. Underwood said the amount of
revenue collected from customs would
amount to from $500, 100000 to $s5ooOo,0Oo a
wear. that per cent Of this amount
would amount to from 600 to $l7,o :
ooo. that with this advantage over the
foreign shipowner he believed that the
American ship would be able to shortly
control all transportation of American
commerce to the ports of the world. That
he hoped and believed that the demo-
cratic party would adopt this proposition
and stand for the expansion of Amer
ican commerce as did the fathers or the
democratic party in the early days of the
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