Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1914-12-09

tain and constant means OF trhnspof-
tation upon which all profitable and
useful commerce depends? And how
| are we 10 get the ships II we walt Tor
the trade 10 develop without them
To correct the many mistakes by
which we have discouraged and all
but destroyed the merchant marine
Of the country. 10 retracc the steps
by which we have, Il seems almost
deliberately Withdrawn our flag from
the seas. except whore, here and
there q ship Ia hidden carry II or
aome wandering yacht displays II.
would take long time and involve
many detailed items of legislation,
and the trade which We ought i'm
modately to handle wonld disappear
or find other channels while We de-
bated the Items.
The case Ia not unlike that which
confronted ns when our own contl-
nont was TO bo opened up to set
clement and Industry, and we needed
long lines OF railway. extended means
OF transportation prepared before
hand. II development was not TO lag
liUipithlbit uitt wait Aflt''t " y
lavishly Subsidized the building of
transconinentnl railroads. We look
back upon that with regret now, be-
cause tho subsidies led 10 many
scandals Of which we are ashamed;
hut we know that the railroads had
to be built and II we had Il to'do over
again we should of course build them,
but In another way. Therefore I pro-
pose another way OF providing the
means OF transportation. which must
precede. not tardily follow, the de-
velopment OF our trade with our
neighbor states Of America. 1t may
seem reversal Of the natural order
OF things. but II II true, that the
routes of trade must be actually open
ed--hy many ships and regular sail
ings and moderate charges-bofore
streams OF merchandise win flow
freely and profitably through them.
shipping Legislation Needed.
Hence the pending shipping bill.
discussed at the last session but as
yet passed by neither house. In my
! Judgment such legislation Is impera-
lively needed and can not wisely be
postponed. The government must
open these gates OF trade, and open
them wide; open them before 1t Is
altogether profitable TO open them,
or altogether reasonable to ask private
capital to open them at venture.
! IL Is not n question Of the govern
ment monopollzing the field. II should
take action Ia make II certain that
Transportation al reasonable rates VIII
Me promptly provided. even where the
carriage is not at first profitable;
and then. when the carriage mas be-
come sufficiently profitable to at
tract and engage private capital. and
engage II in abundance. the govern
ment ought to withdraw. | very earn
estly hope that the congress will be
of this opinion. and that both houses
will adopt this exceedingly important
bill.
The great subject Of rurai credits
still remains to be dealt with, and
II Is a matter of deep regret that the
difficulties Of the subject have seemed
to render il impossible to complete
bill for passage at this session. But II
can not be perfected yet, and there
fore there are no other constructive
measures the necessity for which /
will at this time call your attention
10. but would be negligent of very
manifest duty were ! not to call the
attention of the senate to the facS
that the proposed convention for
safety mt sea awaits Its confirmation
land that the limit fixed In the conVen-
ton itself for its acceptance Is the
/ last day of the present month. The
conference In which this convention
originated was called by the United
states; the representatives OF the
| United States played very influen-
tial part indeed in framing the pro-
visions of the proposed convention;
and those provisions are in themselves
for the most part admirable. 1t
would hardly be consistent with the
part we have played in the whole
matter to let il drop and go by the
board and as if forgotten and neg
leeted. il was ratified in May last
by the German government and in
| August by the parliament of Greac
Britain. 1t marks n most hopeful and
decided advance in International civ
lilisatlan. We should show our earn
est good faith in a great matter by
adding our own acceptance of it.
There is another matter of which ]
must make especial mention, if | am
Ito discharge my conscience, lest it es-
icapc your attention. IL may seem a
very small thing. 1t affects only q
single item of appropriation. But
many human lives and many great en-
lterprises hang upon 1t. 1t Is the mat
ter of making adequate provision for
1.-The survey and charting of our coasts.
lIt Is Immediately pressing and exigent
| In connection with the great coast line
OF Alaska, coast line greater than
THAT of the United States themselves,
Though 1t is also very important in
deed with regard to the older coasts
lof the continent. We cannot use our
great Alaskan domain. ships will not
Lply thither, il those coasts and their
| many hidden dangers are not thor
oughly surveyed and charted. The
work Is incomplete at almost every
point. Ships and lives have been lost
lin threading what were supposed TO
lbe well-lSnown main channels. We
have not provided adequate vessels or
adequate machinery for the survey
land oharting We have used old YES
lsels which were not big enough or
lstrong enough and which We're SO
nearly unseaworthy that our inspect
ors would not have allowed private
lowncrs to send them to sea. This is
Ia matter which. as | have said, seems
small. but ii is in reality very great.