Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-08-17
sROBBED OF OUR
LITTLE" is WORD
OF PRES. HYDE
Regarding Proposed Democratic
Free Ship Bill-Legislation
Against the People
(Bath Times, Aug. l4.)

President John S. Hyde Of the
Bath Iron Works, in an interview
with a Times reporter this morning
in regard to the emergency shipping
Dill which is now substantially assur-
ed OF passage by it's acceptance by
the conferees for the House and Sem
ate, said:
The necessity of providing some
means of delivery of our grain and
cotton to Europe, now that foreign
ships cease to be largely available,
has brought an emergency of which
free trade advocates are taking ad-
vantage to take away from American
ships the coastwise trade which has
always been ours and which every
maritime nation reserves for it's own
vessels.
There would be a certain salts
faction in witnessing the present Dis
comfiture of the grain states of
the Middle West and the cotton states
of the South in the lack of American
SHIPS to deliver their products, in
that they have always opposed the
upbuilding of the American merchant
marine, were it not that we who have
always been in favor of the upbuild-
ing now find ourselves confronted
with the practical certainty Of be-
ing robbed of the little that remains
The cry of monopoly has been
raised in Congress on the ground
that the American coastwise trade
is confined to American ships. but
L am quite unable TO see wherein
monopoly lies if this commerce is
omen To all Ayoarico. .;x;-.
certainly the duty of our Senators
and Representatives to advocate what
Is best for the American merchant
marine rather than what is best for
English and other foreign ships. II
the legislation as now mapped out
passes there will be nothing doing
in American ship yards, except Gov
eminent work, for the building of
ships for American commerce will
go to the country which can produce
them the cheapest, which at the pres
ent moment is Great Britain
BY all means let Congress legis-
late for the foreigner. American in
dustry has no standing in these times
of free trade and attacks on BUSH
ness"
The following clipping from the
Boston Post shows how the matter is
considered by The Fore River Ship
building Co..
THE Fore River Ship Building
Company of Quincy, one of the lead
ing shipbuilding concerns of New
England, will discharge 1000 men
from its employ Saturday night IL
the emergency bill, including the
conference amendment admitting
foreign built ships to American reg
istry for coastwise traffic for a pc
riod of two years, becomes law.
THE passage of the bill is now
substantially assured by it's accept
ance by the conferees for the House
and the Senate.
Joseph w. Powell, president Of
the Fore River Company, said to the
Post that the passage of the amend
ment would cut down one third of
the company's shipbuilding.
Tt will mean,' he said, that
we will have no more merchant ships
to build. We have been keeping our
force together waiting for the reg
ular fall contracts, but If this legis-
lation goes through no merchant
ships will be built. /
The Jones amendment to the
shipping bill was bad enough. The
Williams amendment was worse. The
final report of the conferees is as bad
as anything can be-"