The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1916-03-14
BILL IN
!. HOUSE COMMITTEE
HAVING HARD time
Hearings So Far Have Been To
Supply Propaganda In Favor
OF Administration
VERY LITTLE EXPERT
TESTIMONY INVITED
'tr5.r-.E - $500
New Method of Regulation Pro-
posed Is Not Meeting Favor
Of Shippers

One Of the most conspicuous flea
lures of the manner in which tho re
viscd shipping bill is being HANDLED
by the Administration leaders in con
gress this session IL the high handel
way in which all opposition to the
measure is being brushed aside, ac
cOrdlng to a. special correspondent OF
the New York Journal Of Commerce
Criticism of the bill which has beer
fostered by Secretary Of the Treasur y
McAdoo and nursed by Secretary OF
Commerce Redfeld naturally hark'
back to the fundamental defects OF
the shipring industry in the United
States and the existing labor and navi
cation Iaws of this country. Unless q
frank exposition Of the defects of these
laws is permitted, il is impossible tC
obtain a true impression of the situa
ton which the Administration is try
ing to meet and which il is trying to
correct through the enactment of tn,
shipping bill.
Chairman Alexander of the House
Merchant Marine and Fisheries Com
mittee has already announced that he
ls perfectly willing to grant an audi
ence to anyone who desires to oppose
the measure; at the same time he has
signifed q desire to close the hear
ings at the earliest possible moment
This invitation is not as inviting as
it may sound. This was so clearly
shown when William II. Douglas OF
New York appeared before the com
mittee on behalf of the Chamber Of
Commerce of the United States. tie
was rebuffed and his position: de
nounced as not representative of the
business men of the country. Not sat.
isfied with this, Mr.. Douglas was sub
iected TO the further humiliation OF
having the weight of his testimony
minimized by witnesses called to refute
it. He was followed by a minor Off
rial of the national chamber who hap
pened to approve the pending bill, and
by a man from the Middle West who
represented himself to he from a ma
tiOnal organization of busi1ess men
who approve the Administration meas
ure.
Responsible persons do not care ia
testify before a committee which de-
Iiberately tries to discredit their tes'
timony. When hearings are being con
Quoted in such a manner the opposi
ton seeks other means for placing OBJ
stacles in, the way of the measure
The superficial consideration given thu
shipping bill by the House and it,
delegated committee is certain to be
supplemented by more comprehensive
Inquiries on the Senate side. Already
certain practical shipping men have
discussed the question privately with
their representatives in congress and
are depending upon them to develop
the real facts on the floor in the Dc
bate if it proves impossible to get the
evidence in the record of hearings be
fore the committee.
Surpris.ng Contradictions
Some of the most surprising asser
tiOns regarding the existing conditions
| and the reasons therefor were made by
the prime moves for the legislation
Secretary Redfeld told the HOUSE
committee of the immense develop
ment of the shipbuilding industry il
the United States during the past yea
and half. He acknowledged that thu
| tonnage under construction on Febru
airy Ist last was seven times as mucl
as the tonnage under construction il
American yards on July |, 1914. Tn,
fact that the American yards are reap
ing a harvest just now is general,
known, but it is difficult to figure on
how this fact should be any cOntribut
ing reason for the enactment of tn,
shipping bill.
Expert witnesses have declared tina
the $50,00O,0OO provided in the bill
would purchase fleet of not man,
over forty vessels of medium tonnage
a feet so small as to be Of littl
practical benefit to the foreign com
meree of the United States. Reason
for opposition to government owner
ship have been clearly defined. The,
were defined fully in the Senate de
bates. of last year. For this reason
very little is being said concerning thi
feature of the question at this time.
Witnesses appearing before the con
mittee have INDUCED chiefly in maj
tiers of opinion. Very little expert ev
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