Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-07-03
THE SHIP SUBSIDY BILL

LA SOIlSl coo AN Sl2AP oaOoAoy 20
it would fail because enough west
ern republicans would join the
solid democratic opposition to this
measure to defeat IT'D That has
been the history Of all ship subsidy
bills in the past. However, that is
not the opinion of Wallace Bass
ford who writes for the democratic
congressional committee, and should
have better information on the
subject than we have. He is OF
the opinion that President Harding
will be able to whip enough reluc-
tant republican members of con-
gress into line to pass the bill. He
says:
"One of the most dangerous ten
denotes in Jul government is the
evil growth of bureaucracy and of
o~fficialism, and this ship subsidy
bill presents the most fragrant and
arrogant instance Of it ever devils
ed" So said Judge Davis of Tenn
essee. who brings one of the finest
judicial minds of the country to
his service in the house of repre-
sentatives. And there are enough
republicans in the house who are
willing to join hands with the dem
ocrats to defeat this viscious grab,
but those who have seen how the
thing is done are free to predict
that before the bill to a
vote the president will have bullied
or cajoled enough members of his
W party into line to put through
his pet measure. "A bonus for the
ship owners, but none for the SOL
diers," might we'll be inscribed on
the presidents shield, for that rep
resents his attitude to a dot. Daily
the Wall Street Journal boosts the
one and knocks the other. Daily
the president does the anne He
has never been for the soldiers
bonus and does not even make good
work Of concealing the fact.
Here are some of the more per-
tinent paragraphs from Judge Dav-
is mastery arraignment of the ship
subsidy bill:
"One of the provisions of the
bill is that so per cent of the i'm
migrants to this country shall be
transported in American vessels.
Mr.. Thomas H. Rossbottom, a rep
~resentative of the shipping board,
who testified at the hearings, es-
timated that under the present 3
per cent quota law this traffic
would give the transporting COM
panies a gross income of $780,
900 per year. of which one-half, or
$780, 600 should come to Ameri-
can owners He further stated
that one-half of this sun would be
net profit.
ut is important to note that this
bill does not require the shipping
board to make any report or &C
counting at any time to either the
president or to congress or to any
body else. Neither does 1t provide
any appeal on any decision or &C
ton Of the shipping board or any
other tribunal. Proponents of the
bill also conceive that there would
not be any in the courts.
In other words the shipping board
is all powerful and all supreme un-
der the provisions of this most ex-
traordinary bill.
"The S1,7l5,OO0 advertising fund
being spent during the current year
by the shipping board is not being
spent in %vain," he said, and called
attention to the fact that while a
statement of disbursements from
this fund had been promised it had
not been filed. He even asserted
that the social lobby had been ov-
erworked to further this bill and
exhibited expensive propaganda
which had been sent broadcast to
the press and individuals and as
serted that employees of the ship
ping board were engaged in this
work for weeks ncglecting their
regular duties. He declared that
the propaganda program was un-
seemly and reprehensible and should
be rebuked by congress. The worst
feature of it, he said, is that the
propaganda is full of false and de-
ceptive statements.
Our government-owned e
chant tonnage cost the people about
$4,000. 900, 900. 1t is estimated that
we will probably sell the ships for
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