Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-01-05
PURCHASE BILL
BEFORE CONGRESS
BY Vote of 46 to 90, Senate
Makes 1t the Unfinished
Business.
WILL BE FOUGHT TO FINISH
Showing on Part of Opposition
Gives Certain Indication That
There Are Breakers Ahead.
WILL BE FOUGHT TO FINISH

WASHINGTON. January i.-Govern-
mcnt purchase OF ships. as proposed !nl
tn. administration bin to create Il ship
ping board, finance "A $4,000. 900 ship
piGS corporation, and Khpend not to
exceed $30.0o0.000 for the purchase or
chhrtering "f ocean carriers, became
to-day the foremost issue before Con-
greSs.
Ey vote Of i6 TO %. the Senate
mad" the ship purchase bill the un-
finished business, to be supplantcd only
by appropriation bills. This action on
motion of senator Fletcher. acting
chairman Of the Commerce Committee.
precipitatcd a showing on the part OF
opposition Senator's. which gave Ger
tain indications ;hat thcr" were break
crs ahead for the proposed legislation.
Charging tha. an effort WAS being made
to rush the bin with undue haste. Re
publican members. among them Sena-
tors ialltnSer. Lodge and Root. served
notice that the measure would be
fought to the last ditch
Minority members OF the Commerce
Committee flied Il report. written by
Senator Burton and indorScd by Senn-
tors Nelson, Perkins. Smith. of Michi-
gan. and Oliver. asserting that the plan
proposed would not relieve shipping
conditions. because il would be impos-
sihlc for the government to get ships
enough TO do any good. II pointed also
TO dangers of international complica-
lions arising. declaring tina, every
craft set ahoat by the government
would add one more risk of our being
drawn into the present war
INTERESTS OF PEOPLE
FOR IAIMEDIATE; ACTION
Senator Fletcher. who had charge of
the bill. and who recelaly conferred
with President Wilson concerning IL,
urged the measure in q lengthy speech
after Republican Senators had issued
their pronunciamcnto ar opposition.
He declared the war has produced a
ship famine" and that the interests
OF all people in the United States de-
manded that the government take i'm
mediate action To supply ships to carry
American products demanded in the
markets of Europe and South America.
He instanced the fact that cotton sold
at - cents a pound in Germany, when
1t WAS bringing { cents in the United
states. Germany would consume 500.-
O"S,p00 pounds of cotton If she could
get it, he said. and the South had fif-
teen times that amount to sell.
When the war began, Senator
Fletcher declared. England had l,500
and Germany 2.e00 vessels in the over
seas trade, while the United States had
only six. He said that American mer-
chants gavr annually to foreign shin
!
Charter rates here had increased. in
some cases 400 per cent, since the war
began, he added. and ships under the
American flag were not obtainable at
any price.
The emergency bill opening Ameri-
can registry to foreign built craft.
Senator Fletcher asserted. had not met
the needs of American manufacturers
He read lists of the l05 ships which
transferred their tlags, to show that
none was a first-class cargo boat, that
over so per cent OF these We're ships
OF companies which needed them for
their own business, and consequently
added nothing TO the facilities for the
transportation of general cargocs
we must see to it," he said. that
n war between other countries shall
never again cripple our Industries for
lack OF ships
TO PREVENT SECRET
SHIPMENT OF CONTRABAND
An amendment to the bill. submitted
by Senator Stone. designed 10 prevent
secret shipment of contraband TO for
cign ports. would authorize the Presi-
dent to designate from time to time
ports which customs collectors would
be required to inspect all cnrgoes be-
fore loading. Heavy penalties would
be imposed upon shippers and vessel
masters for violations of the provision
Discussion of the bill was deferred
late in the day to make way for the
urgent deficiency appropriation bin and
other appropriation measures proba bly,
will be taken up as they come from
the House. Republican leaders insist
that many weeks will be consumed in
debate on the measure
Ia the minority report the govern
mcnt ownership feature of the bill was
discussed at length and objections to
such a policy were enumerated Us fol-
lows:
"Suhtraction from the field of per-
sonal cndcavor, destruction of individ
ual initiative and motive for effort. the
constant tendency to maximum costs.
multiplication Of government employees
and officials, increased opportunity for
corruption. labor problems. ad,niniStra-
tive and executive inciiciency, rcstric-
ton of the motive TO invent and i'm
prove the facilities of service, etc, and
in general ii may be said that indus
tries reach their highest perfection and
greatest efficiency when allowed to de
Vclop in the free play of economic
forces"
LEADING REPUBLICANS
DISCUSS PROGRAM
group of leading Republican Sen
ators met Tonight TO discuss the legis-
iattve program and plan for prevent
ing hasty action on the ship purchase
bill. Present were Senator's Gallingcr.
Root, Lodge. Weeks, Brandcgcc and
others. IT was agreed that the appro-
priation bills would require consid-
cradle discussion.
There will he plenty to talk about
hcsidcs ship purchase" said Senator
Gallinger. perhaps the Democrats
Will put their program through. but
# they see some of their supply bills
In danger. they may not be so anxious
about new legislation"