The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-12-13
SHIPPING
BILL NEAR
COMPLETION
Amendment Eli1ninat-
ed and Compromise
Inserted in Its Place.
Before Senate Soon


ton Of the administration shipping
bill was virtually completed today
by the senate commerce commit
tee with the elimination Of the Mad
den amendment attached by the
house and substitution Of the Willis
Lenroot compromise and with the
approval Of more than half q. dozen
other important changes.
The measure will be approved
finally by the committee and pre-
.ented by Chairman Jones to .thf
senate tomorrow and on Monday
rhe long and. hard senate fight win
begin.
The rejection of the Madden
amendment and the approval OF
the compromise substitute ended a
deadlock which had existed in the
committee since it began consid-
Grafton of the measure. Wednes-
day. The committee acted after
Chairman Lasker Of the shipping
board had appeared. before it and
aad accepted the compromise on
,eing told that unless either the
Madden amendment or the com
promise were retained the bill
could not be reported. Mr.. Lasker
previous to his appearance before
the committee had declared the
proposed substitute unsatisfactory.
The compromise, which was sug-
gested by Senator Villas (Repub-
lican) of Ohio and drafted by SEN
.ltor Lenroot (Republican) Of Wis
consin, provides that the approval
Of congress shall be required fot
an increase in the amount of gov
ernment aid to ship operating COM
panies over the amount fixed IL
the initial contract. The Madden
amendment. which President
Harding few days ago informed
the senate committee would 5eop-
ardize the whole. government aid
program, provided for government
aid through annual appropriations
by congress. -.
The other changes made by the
senate, committee in the bill in
clude: e.
Insertion of provision limiting
the total annual aid to- be given BY
the government to ship operating
companies to $50, 900. .00o dollars.
Elimination Of sections. giving
~essel owners income tax exemp-
tons on profits invested in the
,uilding of new ships and on re-
ceipts from the sale of vessels
,rovlded these receipts are used
to build new ships.
Addition of a provision that nc
contract between the government
and ship owner for the extension
Of government aid shall extend
more than Is years.
Insertion of a provision that nc
application for a contract for gov
ernment aid shall be refused until
after public hearing.
Addition of a provision that
loans from the construction fund
shall net be extended to corpora
tons for the building Of vessels to
.arrv the products Of the corpora
tons.
Reduction from Is to so per cent
in the amount of tonnage which q
-essel- owner must have under the
American flag in order to receive
government aid.
The income tax exemption sec
tions were eliminated after the
shipping board had informed the
committee that no special benefit
in the production OF new tonnage
would be derived from such exemp-
tons. The proviso inserted with
respect to the construction fund, Il
was explained, would prohibit gov
ernment loans for the building Of
ships to such concerns as the Stand
ard Oil company and the United
Fruit company, which use their
ships largely to carry their own
products.
The administration shipping bill
was reported favorably to the sen
ate today by the commerce COM
mittee.
The last rose Of summer has
gone. but the last rose of the rum