Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-08-24
SHIPPING BILL
PROTESTED BY
A.-H. COMP ANY
Believes American Merchant
Marine Will Be Injured by
Jones' Amendment
By C. S. ALBERT
Especial Star Bulletin Corresponle,7c

y
ISpe eial Star-BulIetin Correspondercel
WASHINGTON, d. c., Aug. "a
The following protest against the
jones anne ndment to the bill admitting
foreign ships to American. registry,
which would permit foreign SHIPS to
enter the coast to coast trade, was re-
eeiyed by Senator O'Gorman, chairman
Of the Senste Interoceanic Canals COM
mittee: -. ',-. -. .. ..
Hon. James A. O'Gorman: As the
demand for the Jones amendment to
the shipping bill comes solely from
some Puget Sound lumber people, the
San Francisco Chamber of Commerce,
representing the largest body of ship
pers, having resolved against it, We
beg to sayfthat while it is impossible
for a situa ton to exist in the require
ments for transportation in the coast
to coast trade to warrant the president
in exercising his power the menace of
such contingency would depreciate
materially the value of all American
built ships and make it impossible TO
finance the building of any more, thus
depriving the American ship yards of
any more orders for the canal trade.
built merchant marine which the pros
pective canal trade has developed so
largely. the Jones amendment should
be eliminated from the shipping bill
and bill should be introduced in Con- !
gross appointing a committee to inYes-
tigate our navigation laws 50 that all
interests may have hearing and thus
giving this very large subject the de-
consideration that it deserves.
There is no Justification for the de- :,
mand CT some of the Puget Sound lum-
Der shippers for the Jones' amendment /
as instanced by the fact that forty mil
lion feet of Washington lumber has al.
ready been booked for shipment to At
lantic coast points.
There are four concerns and as
many independent steamship lines al
ready in the lumber business, and this
alone can transport one hun
dred million feet annually at q rate of
freight that will make market for it.
Ameriean-Hawaiian Steamship Co.
The Measure Passes.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 17.-Congress
today passed the emergency shipping
bill, which viii authorize the President
10 admit foreign-built ships to Amsri-
can registry, SO that commercial fleets
may ply the seas under protection oil
the American flag while the helliger
snts of Europe are at war and scodr.
ng the ocean for prizes. President
Wilson will sign the bill tomorrow.
elimination of the effort to enact |
his Legislation followed rep1diation by
he Senate 6f the conference report
IN the measure, which previously had !
been radically amended in the Senate.
As it goes to the president the bill was
he same as it passed the house more
han week ago.
The conference report met defeat in
he senate by vote of 40 to 20 be-
,ause of determined opposition to the
provision which would have admitted
O the American coastwise trade all
oreign-b built vessels taking American
egister within two years.
Twenty Democrats and twenty Re-
,ubIicans voted to reject the report,
which was submitted and championed
" Senator O'Gorman, chairman of the
nteroceanic Canals Committee. Seven
democrats, Senator's Borah and Jones,
and Senator Poindexter,
voted for it. Senator
)'Gorman arraigned the opposing
Democrats, declaring they were cham
ioning an "offensive monopoly, and
orrowing Republican arguments IN
ayor of the "un-American principle OF
IAN Suspend Provisions.
AS finally agreed to, the bill, besides
roviding for the registry of foreign
uilt ships, authorized the president in
is discretion to suspend provisions OF
be law requiring all watch officers OF
american vessels in the foreign trade
0 be citizens of the United States, and
equiring the survey, inspection and
of vessels admitted to
egistry by officers of the United
tates.' g.. ~. -. III.