The Irish standard., 1910-04-16
Some Facts Relative to the
Ship Subsidy Bill.
Ex-Congressman McCleary is
a Lobbyist For 1t.
More about the Sugar Lands
of Spanish Friars.
Special to the Irish Standard.

money has been spent to create pup
lie sentiment in favor of the Taft
Humphrey $5,O0O,00o ship subsidy bill,
create sentiment against the measure,
promises to develop out of the in
vestigation now in progress before 4
special committee Of the house, Of
which Rep. j. V. Olcott of New York
city is chairman.
Testimony taken so far has brought
out the fact that large sums of money
have been spent by the Merchant Ma
rine League of the United States to
create pro- subsidy sentiment. 1t has
not developed so far that any money
has been spent at any place at any
time in opposition to ship subsidy legis-
lation.
The specific sources Of the money
spent in the campaign for a ship sub
sidy have not yet been revealed. Har-
vey d. Goulder, ex-president Of the
Merchant Marine League. testified that
when the organization was formed he
signed note for $1,000 in order that
the league might go ahead with it's
work. and that he had been informed
recently that the note. had been paid.
Asked who paid the $4,000. Mr.. Could
err said he presumed that the treas
urer of the league paid it. An attempt
will be made to learn from other wit
nesses the exact sources from which
the treasurer received this amount.
rine League put it's funds was to at
tack members of congress known to be
opposed to ship subsidy legislation. In
the cases of Rep. Halvor STEVENSON of
Minnesota and Rep. Gustav Kuster-
mann OF Wisconsin the league used
it's funds to send thousands of letters,
districts. These publications con-
tanned articles SO worded as to lead
the reader to believe that members OF
congress opposing a ship subsidy We're
in the pay of foreign ship owners. "l,e
publications averred the presence in
Washington of powerful lobby backed
by foreign shipping interests for
which charge there has not as yet de-
veloped the least foundation.
While no evidence has been produced
up to this time to show the existence
of a lobby such as STEVENSON and
Kustermann have been charged with
cooperating with, the fact has al
ready been established that at least
one ex-member of congress has been
cooperating with the Merchant Marine
League in the interest of legislation
which will bring about the payment
of approximately s5,O0O,oo0 of the peo-
pies money annually to few private
shipowners.
James I. McCleary, ex-representa-
tive of congress from Minnesota, who
spends his time in Washington. and
who is regarded by Rep. Stevenson
and other members of congress as Il
lobbyist for ship subsidy, admitted OF,
the witness stand that he had received
between 5000 and $1,000 from the Mer.
chant Marine League, but insisted that
he had accepted the money only in
the light of reimbursement of expense
country at the request of the league
\ to make pro ship subsidy speeches.
you have been attending the SEES.
sions of the house of representatives {"
asked Rep. STEVENSON Of McCleary.
II have been there occasionally"
"You have claimed the floor as an
ex-member?"
II certainly have"
Later in the cross examination, Mr.
Stevenson asked: During this time
that you have received payment from
4 the Merchant Marine League and have
had access to the floor of the house OF
representatives, have you not also dis.
cussed ship subsidy, this legislation 20,
4 are strongly interested in?"
when member of congress asked
y me a question: replied the former
4 representative, II have, to the best Of
n my ability, answered it, wherever
II happened to be-"
When the house, by vote of 131 tc
X Is, adopted an amendment to the nava
Il. appropriation bill providing that tie
as two new batteships authorized in the
measure should be constructed in ac-
cordance with the provisions of the
eight-l1our law, Democrats won a roin1
for which they have agitated for years
1t is not believed the senate will have
III the courage to kill the eight-hour law
provision. The necessity for the
s. amendment. which was introduced b,
REP. John J. Fitzgerald of New York
XVI Democrat, brought to light neculia,