The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1922-11-23
HULL ROLLS SHIP SUBSIDY BILL

HULL ROLLS SHIP SUBSIDY BILL.
Chairman Cordell Hull, of the Democratic
National Committee, declares that the recent
ELECTIONS are a mandate to President Harding
Ito abandon the ship subsidy bill The day be-,
fore the elections MIR, Hull issued prediction
that the Democrats would carry both houses,
while the Republican leaders predicted that the
majority would be lowered, giving 40 in the
House as the maximum. The Republican ma
jority is about 20, so that the Republican pre-.
diction fell off about so per cent, being all
wrong. Furthermore, the ship subsidy bill
figured little if at all in the elections except for
the money which was undoubtedly spent on be-
half of British shipping interests anxious to-
insure the defeat of the bill if it could be fill
'bustered out of the present short session of
Congress.
In his post-election statement Mr.. Hull makes
the following assertions concerning the ship
subsidy bill: 1t proposes to authorize the sale
of ships of the American merchant marine
which cost 100000 1000 for the sum of ap-
proximately 100000, 900, with an added bonus
of $750,000,000; loan of 125,000,000 at 2 per
cent when OvertaXed people are paying from 6
to IL per cent; exempting the beneficiaries
from taxation and without requiring an ac-
counting"
These assertions are as wildly extravagant
and devoid of truth as were practically all of
those which the Democrats gave out in the
elections That the American merchant ma
rine cost initially $3,O00,000,000 was chiefly
due to what amounted to criminal extravaganza
on the part Of the Democratic Administration.
The record Of that extravaganza was so awful
that the committee which investigated it de-
clned to publish it's report
The proposed bill provides for direct sub
sidy fund Of about $3O000,0OO annually, to be
derived from the appropriation of 10 per cent
Of customs duties. Inasmuch as the new tariff
law is producing at rate which makes conf
dent a prediction of not less than $400O00,000
annually that would still leave about 1910, 0OO,-
600 customs dues for the Federal Treasury, or
about $6O,O0O,O00 more than was realized from
the Democratic tariff law in 1921 1t would
not be felt as direct charge against taxpayers
A mail subvention of $5,OO0,OOO for carrying
the mails is proposed, to be taken from Post
office funds, and under the Republican rule the
Postoffice Department is made self-supporting
Where in the world Mr. HILL gets his $3.50, OOO,-
600 added bonus" it is impossible to deter
mine, unless it comes from his super heated
imagination.
1Ii6 PAAOyOOOSUOO Is uOG a lOdI, Out q loan
fund to be derived from the sale of present gov
ernment-owned ships now operating at a loss
because government operation is quite incapa-
bic of operating at a(profit If the subsidy bill
is passed, these ships will bring much more
than $200,000,000 (another of Hulls imaginary
sums), and if it is not passed they will not
bring that much and will continue for period
under government operation and it's attendant
loss OF $50,000,000 annually. Out of this loan
fund no loan greater than two-thirds the cost
of the vessel-and the loan is to be made to
those only who are constructing boats-wil be
made.
AS for the tax exempt feature, it has not
been definitely decided upon President Hard
ing in letter to Leader Mondell last August,
said ''the friends of the measure must reach a
concord i'll the matter of the favoring provision
carried in the tax exemption section" 1t will
be hardly looked upon as vital to the bill. Hav-
ing soaked the people three billions for the
merchant marine, the Hull Democrats would
now send it to Davy Jones locker and turn to
British boats The Republicans would salvage
the merchant marine with the subsidy.
"HERE ROW"