Warren sheaf., 1912-06-06
CONGRESS HAS
4 BUSY DAY
NELSON GETS s1Eu MoNTH PEN
SION FoH WIDOW OF Ap
MIRAL scHLEY.
NEW OCEAN SAFETY BILL
senate RESTORES 9attiesf1ip Proyision
70 Naval Apprupriation-costs
Six Dollars 10 Eatfre a a.. s..
Senator.

ok botiarss 10 Edt1e u. s..
Senator.
washington, June 4-WitT1 tears
shining in his eyes and his Voics
DroHen with the emotion he felt, SEN
aIor Nelson paid a tribute to- the mem-
ory OF Admiral SchIey,, and contribut-
sd IN great measure toward inducing
the United States senate ta break an
estaolisned precedent and vote an un-
usually large pension to- the widow of
she admiral.
Inns action by the senate followed
Speeches by Senator Raynor OF Mary
land, directly on behalf Of Admiral
schley's widow, and that Of Senator
Nelson, Who spoke eIoauent1y and
aVoWsdly as a representative of the
fighting soldiers of the Civil war. The
acEIon was also taken in the face of
pratest by Senator McCumter OF
NGrth Dakota, chairman of the senate
pension committee, who declared that
to vote pension of $150 a month tn
schley's widow would be an Injustice
70 the many widows of officers of the
army and navy tos whom the uniform
sum Of $50 a month had invariably
been voted by congress. Attention
was called to the fact that the widow
OF General Joseph r.. HawIey Of Con,
neeticuL- Who was for many years
senator Of the United States, had been
denied a pension of $50 month.
The senate rejected the policy Of
the committee on PENSIONS, and by
decisive vote Increased the pension ai
Mrs. Schley to- S150 a month.
Ocean Safety Act"
An all-inclusive bill, to- be denom.
mated The Ocean Safety Act Of 1872
designed to cover all the navigation
lessons drawn from the Titanic disas.
ter, was introduced by Senator Nelson
OF minnesota, chairman Of the com.
merce committee, which,, through q
subcommittee, Investigated that dis,
aster
The bill Includes stringent regula,
t1ons for better wireless eduipment,
continuously operated, on ocean and
Great Lakes vessels, carrying 80 OF
more persons, just as provided in q
bill which passed the house yesterday
and almost Identical with bill al
ready passed by the senate This
wireless section vests control Of the
apparatus in the master Of the vessel,
and to, avoid the wireless communica-
ton being shut off by failure Of the
vessels engines, requires a powerful
auxiliary power supply that can com-
municate LOO miles at all times.
The Nelson bill would recognize for
sign steamships laws whenever they
are as effective as American laws and
reguIations;;; would equip every pas
genger craft leaving an American port
with sufficient life boats to aecommo-
date everybody aboard, together with
other safety equipments, and would
sreate commission Of five persons to
Investigate here and abroad merchant
marine construction. 1T would require
rigid port examination, boat drills, de
fine qualifications Of seamen, penalize
failure to assist any person in dis
sress at sea and make criminaly liza
BILE any master, managing GwneA
sIaamslip director or principal resi-
dent agent Of d foreign steamship fol
Vending from an American port d YES
sci SO unseaworthy as to endangel
life.
Pruvide for Eattiesf1ips.
The senate committee ON naval az
fairs restored to- the naval appropria
tiun bill provision for two baItieships
stricken cut by the house.
In addition to- the haLt1eships the
senate committee provides for eigh1
submarine torpedo boats instead o1
four voted by the house.; retains the
house provision for six torpedo boa
destrGYers. two fuel ships, one to- be
built in Pacific coast navy yard {
tender. to- destruyers and a submarine
tender.
The committee struck out the house
eigf1t-haur restriction on government
contract work; adapied an amendmen
incorporating the Hobson plan fol
creation of a national council for de
Tense: and provided the grades of ad
miraL and viGe-admiral for the cnn
manders- -in-chief and second officers II
command, in the Atlantic and Pacih
fleets, while they held such com
mands.
The committee FIXES the terms of al
enlisted men Of the navy at four year
win provision for voluntary extension
of service; authorizes the secretary t,
buy war material abroad In an emaz
rancy,, and provides for the million
dollar round the world wireless system
xE1icf,, the house threw out of the bill
5000 RIFLES FOE CUBA