Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-03
SHIP BILL REPORTED
Abrupt End to Hearings on
Subsidy Measure.
LIVELY COMMITTEE ROWS
Several Times at Verge of Personal
Encounters.
NO REPORT WAS EXPECTED
Representative Humphrey, Author
of the Bill, However, Insisted
Upon a Vote.
LIVELY COMMITTEE ROWS
70 REPORT WAS EXPECTED

/ The House committee on merchant ma
rine and fisheries today ordered ia
yorable report on the administration ship
subsidy mea sure introduced by Repre-
sentative Humphrey of Washington.
This surprising action was not taken
until after there had been half dozen
rows between members Of the commit
! zee, and until personal alteration be-
tween Mr.. Humphrey and Attorney
| Dougherty representing the Merchants
Association Of New York. had ensued.
The committee decided only this week
to take up the bill at once and today S
was the first hearing. Consequently. sew
eral members OF the committee. including
| Representative Wilson of Illinois, became
indignant when Mr.. Humphrey demanded
that the committee cut the hearings off
behind the ears and make a favorable re-
port on his measure al once.
The ruction between Mr.. Humphrey
and Attorney Dougherty looked pretty
squally for a time. Both men were fight
ing mad and each questioned the sincerity
of the other in no uncertain language.
Charge of Bad Faith.
| MIR Dougherty said Representative
! Humphrey at one acute stage of the pro-
ceedings. you are here pretending to be
| in the interests of American ships, but
| you are really for foreign ships. You
can't fool me-
Mr.. Dougherty got red in the face. Il
would demand withdrawal of that re-
mark If | were not here before con-
gressional committee, he retorted.
Mr.. Humphrey was just as mad as Mr..
Dougherty. That remark will not be
withdrawn he said.
Then Mr.. Dougherty took a shot at
Mr.. Humphrey. II don't believe. he
said, that you are in earnest in your
| apparent desire to close the door
against foreign ships in this mail sub
| sidy. Your bill is not strong enough
If YOU are sincere why you not
| Wiling to accept the amendment We
propose. stating specifically that for
eign ships admitted to American regis
| try absolutely shall not share in any
subsidy or suDvention on the part of
| this government
This did not seem to calm Mr. Hum
phrey to any noticeable extent.
1T makes no difference what you
think, he cried. Il will not have you
telling me what l shall do
Demanded Vote on Bill
After some more back and forth talk
of like kind things quoted down a
| bit. but warmed up. a few moments
! later, when Mr.. Humphrey demanded
! that the committee report the bill
| favorably at once.
''what?' exclaimed Representative AL
exander of New York. DO you mean to
| say we are going to have a vote on this
| bill today? If So 1 protest.
Other members of the committee eX-
| pressed similar views and Mr.. Wilson of
| Illinois called attention to the fact that
| this was the first hearing. But all this
didn't seem TO make any impression on
Mr. Humphrey.
Il have some other matters of mpor-
lance now pressing and / want VOTE" he
declared. II have given two days to the
opposition.
You haven't given me anything"
bill"
| Chairman Green was rapping violently
for order during all this discussion. but
| without effect. Finally things auieted
down again and Mr.. Humphrey proceeded
with his statement in answer to the rep
resentation of the Merchants Association.
Declared to be Absurd.
| Mr.. Humphrey characterized as per
fectly absurd an amendment suggested
by Mr.. Dougherty on behalf of the Mer
chants Association to the effect that
when a foreign-built ship is admitted to
registry the Secretary of the Treas
ury shall require stipulation that such
vessel shall not be entitled to receive at
any time any bounty, subvention, sub
sidy or advantage from the United States
government"
| He thought this was absurd because his
bill, in his opinion, was sufficiently
strictive, and. anyhow. it was not within
the province of this Congress to legislate
SO as to control future Congresses.
The Merchants Association representa-
tive snapped back comment to the eff
feet that he was not absurd and
peated his charge that Mr.. Humphrey
was not in earnest in his expressed de-
sire to enact real ship subsidy legislation.
I'VE have been opposing ship subsidy
bills for years. said Mr.. Dougherty, be
cause no bill has yet been drawn that
absolutely closes the door to foreign
built ships Neither does this bill Make
1t certain that the door is shut against
foreign-built ships and we are for the
bill. Let these foreign ships be admit
ted to American registry, but do not
leave a loophole making it possible for
such vessels to share in the mail SUBJ
sidy II you and the committee want to
close the door. why don't you make this
bill more emphatic by saying that under
no circumstances. now or in the future
shall foreign-built ships benefit