The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-12-02

: { |HIP
3D. GREAT ! ! ! | ! ND ]


q n 4
k6nlnGton, .. q, Dec. 1.-The
no4 e the Standardization ship
~ iii IN the house during the
~ mora doWnstate Illinois
f00Dort tho measure than ever
1eltc Republican leaders had
of14 q.
~ man who did most to align
catalogues after many OF them
shown signs Of going over 10
bHbsidy opposition was Repre-
4ntive william J. Graham Of
40, who followed out his inten-
- o. amending the bill radically
u unusual success. At least
1UorO Of the. changes which he fos-
f16 removed provisions In the bill
klcA had been bones Of contention
s0oag middle western congress-
1he result was that the ship sub
~ bill as It finally passed bore
btt1o resemblance to the measure
59e1ginally introduced by the mer-
|Aio&ant marine committee, and down.
1fato members, provided with talk
Ing points which would permit them
{ = explain to constituents at home
no oppose the subsidy, drew long
heath and voted for it.
I Graham's first successful maneu-
Vor was to secure the elimination Of
he section Of the bill which would
haye allowed the shipping board to
Goll ships to whomever 1t saw fit
without competitive sale. Much
cyittcism Of the boards methods has
9lready come from Illinoisans, and
9 the removal of this provision did
4 much to change their attitude to-
ward the bill.
Raise Interest Rate.
Another Graham amendment
4 raised the interest rate to be paid
ne government on the unpaid por-
don Of the purchase price of YES
/, uels. As 1t now stands, this rate
will be four and one-Quarter per
cent. Both these changes were
made by the hoase without record
& vote and with little dissension.
The Aledo congressman defined
n his intentions In regard to the bill
Il during the debate as 1.-The building
o. 4 merchant marine by subsidy
only sufficient to pay the difference
IN the cost Of operation OF ships
under the American flag and under
. foreign flag and no more" Sug-
gesting amendments to this end and
supported by his downstate col
leagues, he was more successful in
securing charges in the bill than
any of the numerous others who
sought them.
The most important alteration In
4 the stipulations of the subsidy bill
y wrought by downstate opinion was
Y that which made subsidy grants tt
\ ship owners subject to review b,
Il the government general accounting
H Office. Representative Graham, act
II ing on the suggestion Of Othel
II downstate members. attacked tn,
s. exemption which the original bill
& eaye the shipping board in this re
4 epect.
He charged that not even the Of
Il 1lcials of the treasury knew tina
such leeway in checking account
was proposed for the shipping or
ganization.
"The Republican side Of tn
N house lays itself open to suspicion
n when 1t writes into the bill pro
q vision which departs from a prac
tice followed since the beginnin
Or this government" he declared i
moving to strike out the accountin
exemption. On a standing vote tn
amendment carried 81 to 46, tn
N Illinois delegation voting for it.
I& A fourth amendment offered b
n Graham and carried through tn
house provided that provisions {
tho bill should not apply to boat
engaged exclusively in inland trad,
plying on the rivers and canals {
II the United States. This feature ha
II hecn subject to question from tn
outset and was adopted without dis
agreement as the easiest method {
: clearing up the point.