The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-02-23

South America.
New Orleans, Feb. 2O.-The orga-
nization Of Merchant Marine Leagues
Throughout the Southern States ,s
now underway. The object in view
is the securing Of federal legislation
that will encourage the rehabilitation
Of the American merchant marine,
and, also, the securing OF such legl,-
iative provisions as will give the Gulf
ports their just and proper share Of
the ocean mail lines to be inaugural
ed. The immediate issue is the pas
sage OF the amended Humphrey bill,
known as H. r. 1882, which has
been reported favorably by .he House
committee on merchant marine and
fisheries.
The first of the Southern Leagues
to be formed was that of Louisiana
which held a convention of Southern
delegates this week in New Orleans.
AT this convention it was pointed out
that the United Staaes merchant ma
rine, the greatest in the world before
the Civil War, had now under a pro-
tective tariff declined, to but eleven
vessels or the across-sea type, as
contracted with 11,517 merchant yes-
sells registered ''cder thte British flag
and 1904 under the German flag.
Action by tae federal government
looking to the rehabilitation Of this
country's merchant marine, accord
ing to John Temple Graves and
others present, is inevitable in the
near future, and the benefits the
South will derive from such legisla-
ton Will depend upon the activity Of
Southern representatives in safe
guarding her interests.
The Humphrey bill has been
amended to provide for American
registration Of foreign built ships.
This amendment was made in re-
sponse to the demands Of the Louis
lana Merchant Marine League. It
overcomes the major difficulty, and
is really Democratic measure. The
bill also provides for mail CARRYING
routes of 1000 miles and over. the
cost to the federal government not
to exceed the postal revenues received
from ocean mail postage. There is
provision for the reduction OF tom
mage tax where a ship sailing under
the provision Of the Humphrey bill
carries specified number of cadets
in her crew.
President S. A. Trufant of the
Louisiana Merchant Marine League,
who is a banker of note in New
orleans, is now preparing an address
to the civic and commercial organi-
za,ions of the Southern States in
which he will point out that the
Humphrey bill is a patriotic. not a
partisan measure, that amendments
OF huge benefit to the South have
been secured, that the bill will prob
ably pass in some form, and that it is
of great Importance that Southern
congressman carefully safeguard the
South's best interests by seeing that
the amendments thus far secured be
not eliminated.
Both the Pacific and the Atlantic
Coast people are alive to the impor-
tance of the matter" said Mr.. Tru-
fant, land they are watching this
bill very carefully We of the Gulf
States hope to profit greatly from the
Panama Canal, because our ports
are nearest to the Canal. But we
cannot profit thereby should the new
shiping law not give us direct steam
ship lines to Colon and to other South
American ports. The Government is
now running line Of transports
from New York to Colon, and beef
from Mansas and other products
from points nearer Southern ports
than New York, are being carried
overland to New York and then
transported to Colon over a route
1900 miles longer on the round trip
than is the distance from New
Orleans to Colon and return.
II am assured that the passage Of
the Humphrey bill in the amended
form, which provides for the registrat-
ion Of all foreign built ships, would he
Immediately followed by the inaugu-
alton OF new ship lines between South
ern States ports and the ports to the
Southward. Legislation that will ac-
complish this result is what we want
and what we need. and IT Is very i'm
portant that the amendment provid-
~ fTp "A,