New-York tribune., 1922-11-26
Confident Ship
Bill Will Pass
As Debate Ends
Momdell Declares ''Flonn-
dering" Opponents Have
Not offered Any Def
mite Constructive Aid
Benefits All, Saws Hustled
Republican Leader Warns
The; Opposition Pleases
I. Rival Shipping Nations
Fyom rRe Tyloase's u.osatpotoa Bureou

FYops Tkc Tribase's a'asAtp0fon Bmreou
WASHINGTON, Nov 25.--Confident I
that the ship subsidy bin viii pass the .
House by safe margin next Wednes !
day, Republican Leader Mondell wound .
up the three days Of general debate on /
the measure tatc so-aay by declaring /
its opponents are "foundering and
without a single definite constructive (
suggestion made or offered" I
"Men who are eager to he elassed as +
progressives are occupying wholly ,
obstructive and un-pgogressive atti- /
tude,' declared Represent Mon !
dell. "0ther men whe pride themselves /
on being opposed TO government owner
ship and management try to find ex- /
cuses for government ownership or
management Of the merchant marine. I
no opponent of the bill has even at /
tempted 10 answer the very pertinent (
inquiry propounded by the President !
as to what we are TO do with the /
merchant marine which we have build !
cd at SO enormous cost.
Democratic Leader Garrett summed /
up for the opposition. He awelt on !
the assertions of advocates of the bill !
that the plan it involves is not /
q uEpdtN0IE liofd the poilCy OStdUlSHSN
through Federal aid 20 agriculture, |
roads and irrigation projects. He de- |
MED that these constitute subsidies and |
stand on all fours" with the ship sub |
sidy, but he did not build up clear |
case in attempting to distinguish be- |
tween them. Republican members in |
terrupted with volley of questions |
and Representative Frank l.. Greene, |
Republican, of Vermont, pointed out |
6ot lS
which is backed by the Democrats. in
volves the same principles, so far as |
the Treasury is concerned, as the ship
subsidy
Connects 1t With Tariff
MIR. Garrett charged that the Re
publican party has handicapped the /
merchant marine through the tariff, I
which, he declared, prevents ships OBJ I
fatning return cargoes in many cases, !
Strong denunciation of the shipping
bill was voiced also by Representative |
j. N, Tincher, Republican, of Kansas,
who presented a resolution adopted
yesterday by the National Grange, an
organization of million farmers,
which opposed the bill and urged in
stead revision of the NAVIGATION laws. .
zone OF the first benehciaries, should
his bill be enacted, will be the Demo
cratic party in the next election-that
IS, unless Standard Oil, the Steel Trust
and the great fruit corporations beat
them to it," said Representative
Tincher.
Representative James w. Hustled
Republican, Of New York, told the
Youse that cit is true that tha bill |
axes the many for the few, but it does
vastly more than that, for it taxes the |
many for the few in order that all may |
benefit indirectly" This, he declared, |
is one Of the fundamental principles !
which has brought the present great !
ness of the United States.
The farmers Of California desire /
enactment of the bill, said Representa- !
tive Arthur MI Free, Republican, Of
that state California lost fifty to
one hundred millions of dollars during |
the last season because she could not
ind transportation for her products"
he said. My farmers are for this
bill They want transportation on
land and sea and want it in American
vessels"
Pleases Rivals, Mopdell Warns
The men now operating the Shipping
Board vessels at loss are indicted
by the bill as "criminals," declared
Representative Rufus Hardy, Of Texas
Democratic member OF the Merchant
Marine Committee, "for its proponents
assert that if the ships are sold to
ehese same operators under the subsidy
they will be run at q profit
1.-THE position of those in opposition
who offer no alternative to the plan
proposed, must be somewhat embar-
rassng in view of the fact that the
attitude they take Is exactly that which
best pleases our foreign shipping
/ rivals said Mr.. Mondell. "of course,
"a gheee gentlemen are not to blame be-
u cause their drifting, do-nothing atti-
tude is the one that gives the most
comfort to our British German and
other rivals in commercial shipping.
Nevertheless that fact, which cannot
be denied, ought to afford food for
thought to those who are opposing the
pending bill
'The debate thus far has emphasized
these undisputed facts:
THAT we have government
owned merchant marine OF about 400
steel ships.
That 1t was costing us about $780,
100000 6 year TO operate such of these
ships as we could find cargoes fer up
70 the time this Administration took
charge, without including any estimate
NJ depreciation,
THAT while the present Administra-
sion has brought about economies in
che sum of nearly S100 100000 a year
to operate about one-third of the feet
while the balance lies at anchor rap.
idly deteriorating,
Government Aid Proved Necessary
"That notwithstanding every effort
that has been made to utilize more
Of our ships and get them all into
paying trade under private ownership,
this has been impossible. and the fact
that it has been impossible, notwth-
standing all the efforts that have been
made by the government, is conclusive
proof Of the fact that America, with
ali her capital, genius and energy,
cannot build UP q feet under private
ownership TO compete in large way
N the overseas carrying trade unless
the government shall afford aid and
assistance.
"That the aid and assistance pro-
posed in this bill will actually cost
less than the present unsatisfactory
paF5:al utilization Of the fleet by the
Federal government. and the total
charge upQn the Treasury, if the plan
proposed by the bill works success
fully. can never be in excess Of the
sum row being spent by the govern
ment in an unsatisfactory wav and
with a comparatively small feet
actually in commission"
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