The Pensacola journal., 1914-12-27

Senator d. u. Fletcher OF Florida.
acting chairman OF the senate com
merce committee, will report the bin
for the purchase of ships on Dec. 29th.
and will ask for it's passage The SEN
ator in an interview in the New York
Herald quotes from a letter sent him
by Presiden G. e. Dobson OF Pensa-
cola, to show the necessity of more
ships and how the war has raised ths
tonnage rates. The interview In the
Herald is as follows:
Senator DuEcan u. Fletcher. OF Flor
ida, acting chairman Of the Senate
Commerce Committee, had an import
ant conference today with William G.
McAdoo, secretary Of the treasury. and
William g. Redield, secretary Of COM
merce, on the administration ship pur-
chase bin. Following 1t he declared that
the committees report favoriug the bin
would be presented to the senate when
1t reconvened on December 20. II wiz
be taken up and pressed while the sem
ate is waiting for appropriation bills.
'T cannot understand the oDDogifion
to this bill" declared Senator Fletcher
The present war in Europe has shown
the vital Importance to the trade gr
the United States and It's national De-
tense OF having mercantile marine un
der our own control and dying our own,
flag. Otherwise merchant ships ars
very apt to be withdrawn from u8
when we need them most.
TN the last four months our people
have been charged advances in ocean
freight rates amounting to $50 900. O0O.
or enough to buy sixty merchant ships
at 100000 each. We have been try
ing for fifty years to build up a lner-
chant marine privately owned, but
without success. The evidence OF tho
failure Of legislation passed up to thi3
time to accomplish this result is our
humiliating situation at present"
Senator Fletcher referred to letter
on his desk from c. +. Dobson, presi-
dent of the Chamber Of Commerce oe
Pensacola, Fla, saying that shippers
Of cotton and naval stores were being
charged three to four times the normal
freight rates and two per cent war risI,
insurance. The freight In every In
stance mus be paid in advance. IIa
said shippers are paying $3.25 per 100
pounds TO Germany, or $l6.25 a bale
on cotton.
"The remedy for this situation Is
more neutral ships" wrote Mr.. Dob
number Of available vessels since the
outbreak Of the war, estimated at
thirty to forty per cent. Uncertainty
as to the maintenance OF the present
supply OF ships by the destruction OF
vessels or their withdrawal
for military reasons 10 another factor
that has sent up freight rates. Moro
ships would remedy the first situation
and more neutral ships the second
Senator Fletcher In commenting
upon this letter said that cotton which
was bringing nineteen cents a pound in
Bremen was selling for seven cents
n the South. The difference WAS large
y represented by the freight rate OF
Bis bale.
1.-The United States ought TO be IN
such a strong position In regard to con-
rol OF the seas" continued Senator
Fletcher, that a war between other
nations with which it is not concerned
viii not entirely demOralize its ship
1ing trade. We should speedily place
ourselves in a position Of Independence
# foreign ships in carrying on our
,verseas trade"
He referred to the difficulties New
York exporters are having In finding
ihips to send abroad grains. potatoes.
Lpples and other fruits for which there
s an eager demand. They felt tho
pinch as well as cotton, naval stores
md lumber interests Of the South, ne
insisted.