The Ocala evening star., 1922-11-25
SUBSIDY BILL HAS
ROUGH SAILING

Washington, Nov. 25.-Sailing a
long through peaceful and then turbu-
lent seas, the shipping bill held its
own in the house yesterday as friends
sought to speed its voyage and en-
emies fought to sink it by the head
Whether seven solid hours of debate
topping off whole day of it that
had gone before, had changed many
votes, leaders declined to say. But
while the debate was still ragging late
in the day, with only handful of
members on the floor, Representative
Mondell, Republican leader, went to
the White House and assured the
president that the message would be
passed on the eve of Thanksgiving
He did not say how many votes it
would have to spare.
Fourteen members spoke for and
against the bill yesterday, but only
two broke out of party line, Repre-
sentative Calm, Ohio, republican
member of the merchant marine com
mittee, which framed it, declared he
would not vote with the Republicans
asserting that the bill had been jam
med through the committee The
same republican leadership that was
attempting to pass the measure cost
him his seat in the recent election
Mr.. Kahn asserted. Then turning to
the democrats, he said it would be to
their advantage to let it pass with the
Certainty that it would mean the
crushing of the republican organiza-
tion two years hence"
Representative O'Connor, democrat,
Louisiana, spoke for the bill
The principal attack on the mea-
sure was made by Representative
Davis of Tennessee, democratic mem
ber of the merchant marine commit
tee, who spoke for three hours.
eff it becomes a law" he declared
"there will be the worst scandal in
the history of the American republic. y
Until world shipping conditions
have returned to normal, Mr.. Davis
insisted, congress should be slow to
act. He suggested that the control
of the governments shipping feet be
transferred to the department of com
merce "under direction of an able, ex-
perienced and patriotic men like Thos
II. Rossbottom, general manager OF
the United States lines" Congress
then should repeal the tariff on ship
materials and the law against regis
try of foreign vessels, then the Amer.
lean merchant marine could compete
with the world. When the govern.
ment gets out sit ought to get out
clean," he declared.
There was a wide difference be-
tween the estimates by Mr.. Davis anc
Representative Kirkpatrick of Penn
sylvania, republican member of tn,
COMMITTEE, as to the amount of sub
sidy to be paid big passenger liners
Mr.. Davis contended that the Levia
than, the second largest ship in tn
world, would receive 100000 a wear
or twice that amount if the shippin,
board saw fit to double the pay. TAX
ing the case of the steamship Georp
Washington, next in size, Mr.. Kirk
Ipatrick held that by making tweIv
voyages a year she would earn 1905.
600.
Representative Jefferies of Nebras
ka, a republican member of the mer
chant marine committee, speaking a
a resident of the central west in ia
vor Of the bill, brought applause b,
asking why he SHOULD shy at tn
mere shadow of the word subsid
when it means a saving of $50 100000
year to the taxpayers" Represen
tative Parker, republican, New jersey
dclared the government feet would z
to rot and ruin unless the bill wa
passed and that the opponents ha
offered no alternative
"The republican party, under sen
tence of death, is proceeding to stea
something from the treasury" shout
ed Representative London, socialist
New York, who contended the govern
ment ought to keep on operating it
ships.
Other members speaking agains
the bill included Davis, Tennesset
and Blanton, Texas, democrats.
Less than a dozen members wer
present when the debate ended las
might, TO be resumed today.