New-York tribune., 1922-11-21
Congress to Hear Second
SubsidyMessage; ;Leaders
Cheerful Despite Threat
of Filibuster by Foes
Dry Amendment is
Sure To Be Added
80 House Majority Seen;
Senate Doubtful; Rate
Fixing Clause Proposed
BY David S. Kennedy

tilibuster that will delay and that
actually imperils the merchant marine
bill, administration leaders in the
House and Senate are laying plans for
vote that will decide the fate of the
measure on it's merits. Unofficial
polls Of both branches indicate small
majorities for the bill, and favorable
sentiment may be increased as the ad-
vocates OF government aid to shipping
get their heavy artillery into action.
The greatest problem is to insure q
vote, particularly in the Senate.
With the future of American ship
ping hanging in the balance President
Harding and Congressional leaders be-
lieve that the issue deserves fair
decision, and that the measure should
not be held up because group of radi-
calls in the Senate take it upon their
shoulders to defer final action The
element of time is looming up ais the
most important factor, with the sub
sidy, appropriation bills and other
measure pressing for decision before
the deadline of March d.
To Fight For Bill as Drawn
Beginning with the message of Presl-
dent Harding tomorrow, Administers
ton leaders will fight for the marine
bill substantially as it stands. Several
amendments have been prepared by the
merchant marine committee. and q
food OF others of all descriptions will
be let loose on the floor of the House
but they will not change it's text ma
terially.
Rejection Of a drastic gag rule and
permission for the introduction of
amendments on the floor is regarded
here as insuring u majority for the
bill IN the House. 1t is believed that
many members who will now vote for
the legislation would have cast their
ballots against It If they had been de-
prived of the privilege of bringing ur
for discussion their own pet theories
on shipping.
Representative G.. w. Edmonds, Re.
publican, of Pennsylvania, chairman OF
the subcommittee which met to-day
to draft amendments to the bill, pre-
dicted it's passage in the House by a
majority of thirty. 1t will then go to
the Senate, where the outlook is more
dubious. Senator Wesley T.. Jones. Re-
publican, of Washington, chairman of
the Senate Committee on Commerce,
upper body, will not arrive here until
Wednesday,.
Dry Amendment Certain
1t is now considered certain that
among the amendments to be offered
on the floor will be one to extend aid
to ships only on the condition that
they do not carry liquor. This prob
ably will be adopted, and while it will
can vessels, it will gain additional
votes for the subsidy. Dry sentiment
in Congress is undoubtedly swinging
to>the support of the measure.
The House steering comm ttee will
meet tomorrow to outline the tactics
to be followed in advancing the sub
sidy bill as we'll as the general Re.
publican program for the new session
The rule under which the legislation
will be debated will be taken up on
Wednesday by the Rules Committee
and also by the House. Actual dis
cussion of the bill will start Thurs
day.
Subsidy advocates are frankly
puzzled in attempting to. forecast the
action of the House on amendments
With the door open for all suggestions
efforts will be made to avoid surplus
baggage that will endanger the bin.
Changes Approved
The Republican members Of the
Merchant Marine Committee yestero
day adopted several changes which
will be included in the bill to be in
troduced tomorrow or Wednesday
The most important of these may be
stated briefly as follows:
l., The Shipping Board Is given the
same authority over coastwise ship
ping, including the regulation Of maxi
mum and minimum rates, that the In
terstate Commerce Commission exer-
cises over the railroads.
2. The Postoffice Department is in
structed to pay steamship lines directly
for the carriage of mails, instead of
turning the funds into the general
subsidy pool and requiring the ships
to handle mails free.
8. The Shipping Board is required
on its expenditures and receipts under
the merchant marine fund and the
construction loan fund.
a. The Shipping Board is authorized
to establish its own fund for hull in
surauce. mutual protective and In
demnity insurance, except that such
risks may, not be placed with this fund
unless the rates obtainable from for-
eign insurance companies are lower
than those which can be obtained from
American companies. sf
These amendments will be mart Of