The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1920-06-25
WESLEY |. JONES
CANDIDATE FOR
REELECTION

Senator Wesley l.. Jones has made
an uncoveted record in his service of
predatory wealth and is a candidate
for reelection to the United States
Senate from the state of Washing
ton.
Read this companion piece Of leg
islation to the return of the railroads
to private ownership:
In the closing days of Congress
the shipping interests succeeded in
crowding the Jones bill through both
houses, and President Wilson at
tached his signature at almost the
last minute.
This measure will turn over to
private interests the magnificent
merchant marine constructed by the
government during the war at a
cost of approximately three billion
dollars. Part of the ships will go
to foreign shipping combines and
the remainder will be distributed
among the corporations which make
up the American shipping trust.
The legislation is fully as vicious
as the Cummins-Esch bill. Wall
Street was back of both propositions,
but the railroad bill encountered the
well organized, intelligent opposition
Of labor, while the opponents Of the
shipping bill were to a great extent
unorganized.
Bill Had Easy Sailing
The net result was that the ship
ping bill had much easier sailing in
both houses. Senator LaFollette,
who would probably have been the
most efficient opponent of the steal,
is i'll in a sanitarium in Minnesota,
and could not get into the fight. Sen
ators Nugent, of Idaho, and Reed,
Of Missouri, did excellent work but
they were in hopeless minority. On
The House side, Congressman Hardy,
of Texas, McKeown, Of Oklahoma,
and a few others endeavored to
block the bill, but they could not
successfully combat the millionaire
steering committee" which controlled
legislation.
Senator Wesley Jones, of Wash
! ington, who will be a candidate for
reelection this fall, directed the fight
for the shipping trust, and he left no
stone unturned to strip the bill Of
every provision which might safe
guard the public interests. He also
supported the Cummins- Esch railroad
BILL although he was not so active
| in that contest.
In making a final plea for the de-
! feat of the bill, Senator Nugent, of
Idaho, said:
Il do not entertain the most re-
mote doubt that if the bill becomes a
law the fleet constructed by the
government at cost Of more than
three billion dollars will be disposed
of at a loss of more than a thousand
millions of the peoples money to
private shipping corporations, which
will parcel out among themselves the
trade routes and the markets of the
world"
He pointed out that the govern
ment had acquired 2,311 vessels of
all types and tonnage at cost Of
more than three billion dollars.
This fleet" said he, "is now being
operated at a profit to the govern
ment of tens of millions annually,
and / am unalterably opposed to sell
ing it to private corporations at a
tremendous loss, as will certainly be
done if the pending bill is enacted
into law. Practically the only reason
advanced for the passage of the bill
is that the government should not be
engaged in business, but in order to
take the government out of bust
ness we should not make a gift to
the shipping trust of more than a
billion dollars of the peoples money"
Senator Reed of Missouri, called
| A..
vision of the bill would exempt the
new owners of Uncle Sans ships
from the provisions of the excess
profits tax.
"They will earn enormous profits, ]"
he said, "but it makes no difference
how great those profits may be,
they will not be compelled to pay a
penny of tax to the United States
treasury. All they will have to do
will be to show that they have eX-
pended the money in building new
ships.
81 am utterly opposed on principle
to accepting any clause eXempting a
citizen of the United States from
taxation.
MANY men regard the federal gov
eminent only as great goose exist
ing to have its feathers plucked.
Every time the United States en-
cages in a business deal Uncle Sans
pockets are picked in broad day
light.
81 predict that when the American
people discover that great shipping
companies that have already robbed
the country will get their ships, we
will hear from the people"