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Show FilPTAlTQ U U ten Ua j uU IS 11 Un Va WASHINGTON. Jan. 27. Foreign steamship trusts dictate transportation transporta-tion rates both on land and sea, Is the opinion of Representative William E Humphrey of Washington, who ad-drosscd ad-drosscd tho commercial club hero tonight to-night on ship subsidy legislation. 'Tho whole country for several years," said Representative Humphrey, Hum-phrey, "hns been hysterical becauso of tho action of the domestic trusts, yet apparently we havo witnessed with perfect complacency any plundering perpetrated upon the American people dono under a foreign flag by foreign ships. Combnes Legitimate Abroad. - All foreign nations jecognlzc theso combines as perfectly legitimate and uphold their agreements by law. These combines practically admit that they arc guilty as charged In tac courts in this country, but their answer Is that we havo no remedy." Mr. Humphrey said the bill ho had introduced In tho houso for tho exclusion ex-clusion of ships of foreign -combines from American ports would put an end to tho depredations of the foreign trusts I "More than 90 per cent of the Tor- olgn trade of this country today," said Mr. Ilumphroy. "Is carried by foreign ships belonging to tho pool, between tho members of which there Is not the slightest competition. Thcro is not :i regular lino of ships running from out ports on either ocean that does not belong to a pool Give Rebates and Privileges. "All these companies give rebates nnd other special privileges. In order to secure thorn, the customer Is required re-quired to sign an Ironclad agreement to obey all tho dlstatcs of the com bine and not to patronize or favor any other line. "All give special rates to the giant corporations of this country, especially especial-ly the Standard Oil companv, tho Steel trust and tho Harvester combine. com-bine. These discriminations aro such that they effectually prevent any competitor com-petitor of theso corporations In tnls country from competition with them In foreign trade. Ship from Germany Cheaper. "Tho indlcnto tho ports through which tho interior freights shall pass and the steamship line and railroad upon which thoy must be carried. Today To-day you can send a ton of crockerv from Germany to Denver cheaper than you can send It from Chicago to Denver, Den-ver, although each may bo carried by the same lino of railways. You can send a case of beef from Germany to Salt Lake City cheaper than you can send it from Cincinnati to Salt Lake City." Representative Ilumphroy concluded with a plea for the merchant marine He said the only wny to establish it would bo through government assistance, assist-ance, vllrect or indirect, from the national na-tional treasury. |