The chronicle=news., 1915-01-04
CONGRESS BUSY
To PUT THRU
PROGRAM

Washington. Jan. 4.-The admin
istration ship purchase bill was made
the unfinished business of the senate
today. but was temporarily laid aside
to make way for appropriation bills
Senator Lodge demanded record
vote, which showed 46 for and 20
against taking up the bill. Senator
Vardaman was the only Democrat to
vote against the motion.
Senator Gailinger. the Republican
leader. declared congress should pass
the supply bills and go home.
"This shipping bill is opening up
great new propositions to the Ameri-
have time for reflection" lie said,
adding that Democratic leaders had
declared they had the votes to pass it..
Yes, we have the votes" rejoined
Senator Stone. "and we will put it
through If the senators on the other
struc!ive tactics"
President Wilson has received
pressing requests from different parts
OF the country that rural credits leg
islation be taken up durin gthe pres
ent session of congress ana he is con-
sidering the advisability Of changing
his plan to put the subject over to
next December.
Chairman Glass OF the house bank
ing committee told the president to-
day it would not he advisable to take
up the subject until time had been
farm loan features under the federal
hank law.
Senator Lodge served notice on the
Democrats that he would resort to
any parliamentary procedure to de-
lay action on the shipping bill If an
attempt were made to Jam it thru. =
He characterized the bill as thor
oughly vicious, economically and in
ternationally" and 1.-The grossest kind
ct 4 subsidy
Opposition to the ship purchase
bill, chiefly on the ground that ii
misht I.recipitatc foreign cnmpiica-
tions and as n tendency toward gov
ernmen: ownership, was set forth in
a minority report of the commerce
commission. billed by Senators BUR-
ton. .elson. Perkins, Smith OF
Michigan, and Oliver. That every
ship under the proposed plan would
add one more risk OF being drawn
into the present war" was the dec
laration OF the minority.
The report says:
..Undcubtedly ii was one u the in
spring motives. for those VINO
framed this bill, to release boats
which have been interned as result
of the war. The President has gone
10 the almost unprecedented limits oil
using MS utmost endeavor to discour-
age private loans to belligcrents. is
1t consistent with so strict an appll-
cation of the neutrality policy to
make, at least indirectly, available
to one of the bclligerents many mil
lions of dollars which had been made
by the incidents of war
destruction? ......--#
Concerning the government own
ership feature of the bill. the reporc
declares it to be an experiment that
cannot he justified by any OF the ar
suments which apply to the taking
over Of u naturally monopolistic en-
terprise because the shipping field
is far from naturally monopolistic.
The report also asserts that the
plan would be iutile in reducing
ocean rates.
Senator Root. in debate. declared
no measure of equal consequence hho
been brought before congress IN
many years. 1t was proposed, ne
said TO nut the government into for
eign trade at time Of extreme dan
ger. The result must be. he insisted,
to. place in question the good faith OF
the, United States itself in CARRYING
goods to belliRerents.
Senator Root protested against any
efforts to limit debate.
Senator Fletcher replied it was not
the purpose of the majority to limit
tiisclssiona