Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-12-19
PICTURE Of AUGUST
SENATORS At WORK
As SHIP BILL PENDS
Atlanta Journal News Bureau,
409 Evans Building.
nv THEODORE THLER

WASHINGTON, Dec. 1S.-The
scene is set on the floor of the
United States senate. Senator Dun
can L. Fletcher, of Florida, rank
ing Democrat of the commerce COM
lnittee and chief opponent of the
administration ship subsidy meas
ure, is discussing that bill.
Possibly the country at large inn
AGNES a great debate is in progress
over this bill which would commit
the government to an expenditure
of at least $30,O00,000 annually in
support of subsidy for American
shipping.
Here is the attendance on the floor
of the senate as the Fletcher speech
and the debate proceed:
Senator John Wesley Jones, OF
Washington, chairman of the COM
merce committee, who is in charge
of the bill, is the only man on the
Republican side. Probably exhausted
from his own speech i'll behalf of that
measure, Senator Jones has retired
to an easy couch against the rear
wall of the chamber. He seems 10
be listening. Row after row, the Re-
publican side seats are empty-saVe
for Mr.. Jones and one other.
Senator Capper, Republican, Kan
sas, sits well down front. He is not
listening to the speech. He appears
to be revising a subscription list to
his farm publication, Capper's Week
ly The surmise is found correct
few minutes later. Senator Capper
comes up into the press gallery and
asks Jim Preston, superintendent
and general factotum, if the old
''deadhead' list Of newsrapermen to
whom Cappers Weekly is sent ought
to be revised.
On the Democratic side, listening
to Senator Fletcher-and the number
is no reflection upon his oratory-
are Dial, South Carolina; Trammell,
Florida, and George, Of Georgia.
Senator George is a new senator and
hangs around all the time expecting
an argument. Senator Trammell is
a colleague of Senator Fletcher.
That was the count at one hour
in the afternoon debate. the per-
sonnet of listeners was changed a bit
from time to time, albeit never more
than a dozen of the ninety-siX So
called statesmen of the senate SEEM
ed interested at any one moment in
a bill regarding the shipping policy
of the nation.
A little later on Senators Town
send, of Michigan, a lame duck,
entered the chamber. He sat about
awhile and became interested in cor
respondence on his desk.
Senators Ladd, of North Dakota,
and Mckinley of Illinois, drifted in
after awhile. They Immediately be-
came engrossed in newspapers. SEN
ator Carroll Page, born in 1913 and
the oldest man in the senate, sits
with arms folded in front of him and
appears to have but passing interest
in the discussion.
Senator Tom Heflin, of Alabama,
with his white vest as Respondent
as ever, drifts in from the cloak
rooms. He stays but a minute,
speaks to Senator Dial, who arouses
when addressed, and then Senator
Hef1in goes back to the cloakrooms.
For a few minutes, Senator's Glass
and Pomerene, Democrats, swell the
attendance and then fade away. They
whisper together, probably discuss
ing the 1924 outlook for the Demo-
cratic party.
Senator Simmons, candidate for the
Democratic leadership of the next
senate, pulls his mustache for thirty
minutes or 50 and then disappears.
So the ship subsidy debate pro
ceeds. The attendance runs from
four to a dozen senators. Make it
under a dozen and the chronicler is
vic