Evening star., 1915-02-05
Chamber, 161 to so, Votes
Against the Ship Bill

After an all-day debate. the conven-
tion of the Chamber of Commerce of
the United States late yesterday after
noon ordered a vote of its member
ship by referendum on various mer-
chant marine questions presented in
majority and minority reports to the
convention; The majority report of the
committee. which denounced the Alex
ander ship purchase bill now before
the Senate. failed to receive the vote
of two-thirds of the delegates present.
which would have been necessary for
its adoption. although 161 delegates
voted for it and only 80 in the
negative
This vote. however. il was stated was
not fair test of the attitude of the
convention toward the pending Alex
nader bill. inasmuch as some dele
gates voted against the majority re-
port because it contained features OBJ
jectionab!e to them, such as the pro-
posal for the government to lend
money to a private corporation for the
purchase of ships The argument was
that II the government could lend
money to build up the ship industry
through private companies it could
and should lend money to build up the
cotton or any other industry
minority report approving the
Alexander ship purchase bill was re-
Jected. although many delegates ap-
proved the suggestions contained in it
that while the principle of government
ownership in the bill was objection
able, as principle. the bill offers a So
luton of the great difficulty in this
emergency time of getting ships in
which to send American goods abroad
Bill Is Debated.
The debate. which began at the morn
ing session. under the leadership of
Secretary McAdoo. for the Alexander
bill. and of Senator Burton. against the
bill, continued throughout the whole
day. and there was SO much disagree
ment as to the provisions of the two
reports made to the convention that it
was believed a referendum vote was
the only way the chamber can actually
find out how it stands on all the propo-
sitions involved in the reports. B. n.
Baker. retired steamship owner, led
a small number of speakers in favor
of the bill now in the Senate, on the
ground that such a bill would at least
can merchant marine. He said the
delegates ought to be satisfied with
anything that would ge merchant
marine started. r. G.. Rhett. banker
of Charleston. $. c.. delivered the
speech that resolved the delegates not
to act hastily for or against the re-
port presented by the committee,
known as the majority report. which
contained the moneylending proposal
Charles II. Sheriff., former minister
to the Argentine Republic, said that he
believes the President is empowered
to restore the merchant marine by TAX
ing advantage in a clause of the tariff
act which allows preferential tariff
on products in United States ships.
Saunders Combats Idea.
Mr.. Sherrilfs argument was met by
W L. Saunders of New York. another
man who may be the next president of
the chamber. He recalled the fate of
France after 1870. when a similar meas
ure was tried by that country to put
it's ships back on the seas, and failed
because other countries met the prefer
ential tariff with differential tariff to
offset the benefits.
Other speakers during the debate
we're A F. Bemis of Boston and Spen-
Ger Ball of Indiana.