Evening star., 1922-12-16
[AF0t[l.E:'T:7|'lE| |. RAP'S! !.
U. S: SHIP AID BILL
Progressive Bloc = Leader ess t|''.
Claims Measure Is Not y
Favored by People. = s.
DIFFERS WITH PRESIDENT
Also Condemns Lasker for High.
ly Improper Proposar'-For
Labor Support.
DIFFERS WITH PRESIDENT

Opening the attack Of the progress
sive bloc against the administration
shipping bill, Senator La Toilette. re-
publican, Wisconsin. declared In the
Senate yesterday that the measure rs
contrary to the expressed Will OF the
American people and that the action
of the President and its sponsors In
attempting to force Its passage at tnis
time Is an open challenge to the peo-
pie and Q. violation Of the trust re-
posed by the people in their delegated
representatives"
The Wisconsin senator denounced
the bill in bitter terms. criticized the
President and Chairman Lasker OF
the Shipping Board In sharp language,
challenged the arguments made ny
Rress urging enactment of the legis-
lation. and charged Mr.. Lasker win
having made "a highly improper pro.
posal" in order to obtain the support
Of organized labor. -t
Opposed to Taxes. -.
II do not believe that a worse bill
than this ever came before the Sen
ate Of the United States for its con-
sideration." he asserted. ut repre-.
ly rejected by the people of this ccun-
try. The public opinion Of the coun-
try is overwhelmingly opposed to it
today.
1T simply means turning over the
peoples property to favored inter
and tax Of millions Of dollars levied
annually in order to pay a subsidy
to those who take tho ships prac-
tically as q gift. 1t means millions
of dollars Of tax refunds to the ship
ping interests. II does not even
er rates for ocean commerce. 1t pro-
poses to destroy our Army and Navy
transports and turn this great agency
of potential defense over to private
ownerships- 1t does not guarantee
the building of a single new ship
or the maintenance of those we have.
1t is wholly bad and the attempt to
force it upon an unwilling country can
not be too strongly condemned
He declared the farmers of tina
it. and in discussing the attitude Of
labor. said that 'in manner l shall
not now take occasion to charac-
terize Chairman Lasker sought to
win the support Of the working peo-
pie" for the measure.
II content myself" he continued.
with the statement that Chairman
Lasker sought a conference with
Samuel Gompers. president of the
American Federation of Labor. and
made highly improper proposal to a
group Of labor officials that they dis
regard the will and the interests Of
their membership and support the
pending bill.
Stand of Labor.
"The conference took place on April
s and : in the headquarters of the
American Federation of Labor in the
city of Washington. Chairman asker
then and there. am informed. offered
to withdraw certain provisions in the
pending bill dealing with labor il he
izations to abate their opposition to
the bill. The representatives
Of the workihgmen Of this century
spurned this harefaced proposal. -
Chairman Lasker found he could not
buy American labor" -.
Senator La Toilette reviewed the
results.-of the recent elections. de-
ciaring that "wherever candidate
for public Office declared against this
ship sub bsidy bin In diStric, normally
Of his own political party he was
elected and in many districts. normal
ly republican, republican candidates
who Jailed to pledge themselves to
democratic candidates who pledged
themselves to vote against it"
The p,>a Of the President in his
message 10 the recent special session
gard the too hasty Impressions of
a constituency" in the interest. of
the larger national good. particu-
larly> drew the fire OF the senator.
who declared the appeal represented
the madness of the present admins,
in any other representative govern
ment Of the world.