The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1908-01-22
Ship Subsidy
The Crying Need
OF The Hour
fBy s. W. Press Association

chant marine creditable to the nation
is demanded in a resolution presented
by a score of leading commercial bod
les to-day TO the National Board of
Trade. which is holding its thirty
eighth annual meeting in Washington.
The resolutions denounce as unpstriot'
ic the apparent Indifference OF past
congresses to what is termed 1.-The cry
ing need of the hour"
1t is declared that the Stars and
Stripes is a banner now almost un'
known on the high seas anu that the
! American merchant marine has all
but disappeared. The fact is pointed
out that the government was compell'
ed to charter vessels flying foreign
flags to transport fuel and supplies
for the use of Admiral Evans feet
on its cruise to the Pacific. On this
subject the resolution declares:
While we refrain from urging the
adoption of any specific plan for re.
storing the American merchant ma
rine, we believe that the necessity OF
depending upon the GOLFERS and 9TH
ar anxiliaries of other nations in the
cruise of the American fleet to the
Pacific is humiliating to the American
people and invites disaster. and we
most earnestly urge upon congress
the great Importance of Immediately
adopting measures which will insure
the sailing under the American flag,
whether owned by the government or
citizens, OF sufficient number Of
transports and Golfers. or vessels
adapted to those uses, to make the
American fleet independent Of foreign
vessels, both in peace and in war"
1t is pointed out by authorities on
the subject of ocean transportation
that Japan, by means OF government
subsidy, is already in practical control
of the commerce of the Pacific and
that the yankees of the East will
soon occupy the same position of COM
mercial supremacy in Pacific waters
that Great Britain does in the Atlantic.
Men familiar with conditions assert
that in case OF war with, Japan the
United States would be almost hope
lessly handicapped from the first by
its lack OF sufficient number of trans,
ports. supply ships and Golfers, while
Japan, with hundreds of magnificent
and modern merchant vessels at Its
disposal, would be able to land men
and munitions in the Philippines and
Hawaii on days notice, overwhelm'
ing the American authorities by mere
force of numbers.
That the lack OF merchant marine
may be as disastrous in time of peace
as during war is asserted by the New
York Produce exchange, which pre-
scented are solution embodying the fol
lowing language:
eve consider the lack of merchant
marine a positive menace to Ameri'
can business interests, and through
circumstances which may arise at any
time, our almost total lack Of deep
water tonnage may be as disastrous
to our growing export and import bust
ness as was the late financial disturb
ance to our home industries. We
strongly urge the immediate establish
ment OF American mail and freight
lines to South and Central America,
Australasia, South Africa, Japan, Chi
ma and other important countries, and
also to our dependencies"
A separation of the executive, legis'
lative and judicial duties of the in
terstate commerce law is recommend
ed by many commercial bodies. The
Baltimore chamber of commerce adj
vocates sweeping revision of the
law, permitting the legislative func'
tons to remain with congress, trans
ferring the executive duties to the de-
Dartment of commerce and labor and
creating a departing Of railroads. the
commission retaining only its judicial
prerogatives.
The question of uniform bill of
lading was again presented by the
American warehousemen's Associa-
ton and its recommendations have re-
ceived the Endorsement OF many other
commercial bodies.
improvements in the consular SER
vice is the subject of many recon-
mendations presented to the national
body. The merit system in all branch
es and promotions as vacancies occur
is one suggestion offered.
A universal 2 cent rate for interna-
tlonal first class mail matter and a
general revision of postal rates, with
the end In view of cent domestic
letter postage, is the Recommendation
that came from the Boston Associated