The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1920-09-03


dscrimnates against any American port in favor of
"The so-called merchant marine bill, taken as
whole, is in all probability good bill, but when that
act under consideration before the present con-
gress, with Senator Jones high ranking member on
the committee that had charge of its drafting there
was submitted to it section which Disseminated
against the ports of the Pacific Coast in general and
the Northwest in particulars provision which, &C
cording to the overwhelming authority OF the ship
ping men, would destroy the commerce of the North
west by dverng it thru the canal and to the eastern
seaboard and to the Gulf ports.
Wneh TINS provision became known 70 the puDhc repre-
sentative commercial bodies and business of Seattle and
Tacoma sent protests to Washington and had representa-
tive Washington to oppose the incorporation OF this pro
vision in the bill This representative in Washington and
business committees in Seattle and Tacoma WERE AS
By N Jones rs A @ iNn M Lar
ACE hearing the law as whole was held by the COM
mtee The transcript of that hearing makes volume of
hundreds Of pages In this vast volume approximately one
page devoted to the consideration of this obnoxious section
the citizens and business interests Of the Northwest being de-
prved of the opportunity of being heard in opposition to this
section by the OF Senator Jones that would not be
Incorporated in the act.
Nevertheless the last moment this BILL having passed
the senate and house of representatives with this section
reported out of conference between those chambers with
this section injected and Incorporated into the act and before
the business interests of the Northwest could reach Washing
ton by rail or by wire, the bill rushed thru to law
ton of this act and taking no action to protect the
of his home state and the Pacific Coast against the Atlantic
seaboad notwithstanding his exalted position on
the committee that was framing the bill This section which
nimica. not disastrous, to the commercial supremacy
the commercial existence of the Pacific ports and
particularly the ports of the Northwest in the state of Wash
ington, is known as Section %.
Under the provisions of this section preferential rates
thru traffic withdrawn from ships This
necessarily that other ships will be placed the lines
OF those Disseminated against IL such fact there
woude be objection to the section but the effect of this
section already observed by shipping Seattle Ia
and other ports that the ships which formerly made
these ports diverted therefrom and thru the
Panama canal to the Gulf and the Atlantic ports of this
try BY this provision not deprving foreign ships of
the commerce they formerly had in favor Of American ships
We simply driving those ships away from the Pacific
Northwest in particular will suffer by this provision while
the Gulf ports and the Atlantic ports will profit and
lit Will result to the merchant marine OF nation
This is clear to anyone who stops TO consder-that
cannot compel persons in foreign countries ship the prod
ucts they purchase in this country any particular line
them shipped to them in their vessels sending those
sells thru the canal to the Eastern coast and to the Gulf
cheaper than they by having those products shipped
rail from the Atlantic seaboard to the Pacific Northwest and
has already been demonstrated the former course
Wherein will this benefit the merchant marine? What
was the hidden that injected this obnoxious provision
into this law secretly and candestnely after senior
senator had assured his constituents that from
his exalted position that would be Incorporated What
stayed the senior senator's hand when the interests of
his constituents at stake 1t the welfare of our
merchant marine Could have the interests of other
commercial ceners than that of the Northwest? The sena
tor has not attempted to explain why this section was
finally Incorporated in the act but has simply insisted
now being there it must be given practical test even tho
1t Is admitted that that practical test the destruction
OF the foreign commerce of Seattle Tacoma BeinQhan
Everett and all the ports of the Norhwest-From speech
by William Ingis candidate for the u. s. Senate