Evening star., 1936-06-20
House Accepts
Marine Plan
225 to 2l.
AVERTS THREAT
OF FILIBUSTER
Measure Is Accept
able to Roper,
Bland Declares.
BACKGROUND

oAOh ~ II
Two legislative proposals bear
ING on Federal aid to shipping in
tereStS are in process of congress
Stondl passage
First is So-called ship subsidy
bill phich sets forth certain regu-
lGttonS for shipping concerns hold
ing Government contracts or re-
ceiUing Federal funds.
Second is TredSuru-PoSt Office
appropriation bill, whtch carries
S26, 500 900 for ocean mail contracts
without any regulatory provisions
other than those directly necessary
for tulfIment OF the contracts.
By holding up approval on ap-
preparation measure, Senate bloc
hopes to force House passage OF
regulatory measure.
Fy the Assoc ated Press
Outright subsidies for ship construc-
tion and operation we're approved by
the House today after some Senators
had threatened to hold Congress in
session indefinitely unless such action
were taken.
Senate-apprOved legislation to SUBJ
stitute the direct subsidies for the
present system of payments through
ocean mail contracts was passed on a
standing vote, 225 to 81. under special
parliamentary procedure adopted to
speed adjournment.
In a previous House vote last night
the bill failed to muster the two
thirds necessary under procedure then
prevailing.
Several Senators then threatened to
filibuster indefinitely against the big
Treasury Post Office Department ap-
preparation bill, carrying S26, SOC, 600
for continuing ocean mail contracts,
unless the House approved the direct
subsidy plan.
Ship Construction Subsidized.
The subsidy bill, which the House
was told President Roosevelt regards
as step in the right direction, would
subsidize ship construction up to so
per cent of the cost, permit operators
to borrow half of the remaining cost
from the Government at 81 per cent
interest, and give them subsidies to
operate the vessels.
The special rule under which the
House acted today provided for agree
ment to Senate amendments to the
measure. The House added an
amendment to strike out a section
duplicating seamen's legislation pre-
Viously enacted.
The bill thus will have to go back
TO the Senate for quick action on
this minor House amendment, but
leaders said they we're assured the
Senate f1libuster against the Treasury
Post Offic supply bill would stop.
Roper Wants Bill.
During House consideration. Chair
man Bland of the Merchant Marine
Committee said he was authorized
by Secretary of Commerce Rope TO
say "he wants this bill, in order That
we may get away from ocean mail
contracts, and get down to a basis
providing employment in every State
in the Union"
Bland declared the measure was one
to provide employment
You complain of the ocean mail
contracts" he said. Il offer you
the only solution that will remove the
abuses complained of"
Representative Boylan, Democrat, of
New York, complained against "hasty
consideration" of an important bill
before the members had had chance
to read the Senate changes.
The hurriedly-drafted special rule.
designed to secure House approval of
the bill and remove a major barrier
to adjournment tonight, was granted
by the Rules Committee only minutes
before the House convened.
Chairman O'Connor of the rules
group said fatty during the short
hearing on the proposal that if he had
his way the Senate would not be per-
rnitted to black jack" the House by
its filibuster. But the rule was voted
to expedite adjournment.
The bill substitutes direct construc-
ton and operating subsidies for the
present ocean mail contract-subsidy
system.
Yesterday the Senate passed the
bill, which would subsidize ship con-
= struction up to so per cent of the
scost, permit operators to borrow half
&cf the remaining sum from the Gov
eminent at 81 per cent interest. and
give them subsidies to operate the
vessels.
After the bill passed, the Senate
began debate on Treasury Post Of
flee Department appropriation bill,
carrying $26,500,0O0 for continuing
ocean mail contracts, widely known as
indirect subsidies
Several Senators felt that if the
appropriation bill passed, the House
would not trouble to vote the direct
subsidies, so they began a f1libuster
against the supply measure. They
we're led by Senator Clark, Democrat
of Missouri. who disliked both mail
contracts and subsidies, but believed
the latter preferable.
Anxious to have the big supply bill
passed, House leaders pressed for a
vote last night on the subsidies. The
118-to-83 vote for the measure fell
short of the two-thirds required un-
der suspension of the rules.
p E.