The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-08-20
'SH|PP|MG BILL MOVES
. TOWARD ITS ENACTMENT
Measure, A Amended In Senate,
Goes Back to House, Which Al
ready HAs Passed It.
BOARD SALARIES ARE LOWERED
Reduction From $4,000 to $500 and
Power to President to Retaliate In
Case OF Foreign Discrimination
Principle Changes.

Washington, d. c.. Aug. 1s.-The
administration shipping bill today
entered upon final stages Of enact
ment. It passed the Senate last night
by a strict party vote of IS to 81. and
now goes to the House. where 1t al
ready has passed.
Final action on the bill in the Sem
ate came after the adoption Of sew
eral important amendments, and the
rejection of Senator Borah's proposal
to attach the immigration bill to the
n, easure as a rider. The House - ex-
pected to concur in the amendments.
one amendment would give the
President power to retaliafe In case
Of foreign discrimination against
American shipping. Another would
cut the salaries OF the proposed soy.
ernment shipping board from $4,000
to $1,000.
The Borah motion to attach the
Immigration bill to the ship bill was
defeated by a vote OF 81 to ~.
As Amended by Senate.
The hill as amended by the Senate
would create a United States shipping
board, to be composed Of 1--WE COM
missioners, to be appointed by the
President, the commerce committee
having eliminated from its member
shin the Secretaries OF the Navy ana
Commerce. who were proposed In the
House bill as member ex-officio. The
board would be authorized. either d.
rectly Or indirectly, through a cor
poration or corporations to be organ
lied. to build, purchase. lease or char
ter vessels suitable for use in ocean
commerce. Limitations upon these
powers would prohibit the acquire
ment of any vessel at the time en-
gagged in foreign or domestic COM
merce of the United States, unless IT
Is to be withdrawn from such COM
MERGE by the owner without intention
to return thereto within reasonable
time: the purchase OF any vessel
which is under registry or flag of a
foreign country engaged in war: &C
cuirement of any vessel which would
not be available for ocean commerce
without unreasonable alterations. or
any ship which Is not at least rs per
cent efficient as when originally COM
missioned.
Appropriates $50, 900. 900.
The bill would appropriate $780,
900, 900 and authorize the shipping
board to organize one or more cor
porations with a total capital stock
not eACceuihe SOp,VVNtvNVs tAo e"F -
ment, through the shipping board. to
subscribe for not less than ma
tority of the stock. The corporations
would be empowered to purchase.
construct, equip. lease. charter and
operate merchant vessels in the COM
merce Of the United States.
Owing to the widespread objections
to government operation OF ships. the
the bill would limit operation Of
ships on the part of government cor
porations to a period OF five years af-
ter the close of the European war and
would make actual government OPP
that no corporation IN which the
United States is q ST rkholder shall
engage in actual opes xtion OF ships
unless tho board shall BE- unable. az
ter q bona fde effort. 70 contract
with any person. . oitiDsn Of the
United 6tatAa. for the purchase. lease
or charter Of such vessel under such
terms and condition a. may be sub
scribed BY the board"
Radical Change.
A radical change in American mer-
chant marine policy is. provided in a
Senate amendment to he House bill.
sells. whether foreign or domestic built,
to enter the coastwise trade Of the
United States.
The bill would give the proposed
shipping board regulatory powers over
water carriers Of the country Ia inter
state commerce, with power tn regu-
late rates but would exempt from this
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