The Washington times., 1914-03-12
WILL SEEK CAUSE
: OF SMALL MARINE
American Shipping interests 10
Be Subject of Inquiry by
. House Committee.

The House Committee on Merchant
Marine and Fisheries has been trying
lately to find out why 1t is the mer-
chant marine Of this country seems un-
able to take a part worth the mentioi'
i, International commerce and why the
carrying trade on the ocean Is done
under other flags than the American
Various reasons have been ADVANCED
for this, and Chairman Ale&anuer "'H
cause an investigation to be maue ps
subcommittee. at the same tune cainns
on Secretary Of Commerce Redneio loI
information in regard to Aner'eA"
shipping regulations.
Lately, 1t has been asserted pS rep,
sentatives Of shipping interests on e .ne
Pacific coast that the chief ditncui.ie'
in the way Of development OF tne
American merchant marine are resuiar, :
,ions OF the Bureau Of Navigation anu
the Steamboat Inspection Service OIL 'he
Department Of Commerce. 1c.p
is declared an, ~ tsat the .es question. these
reSuia atoms are such as to haho',atp no a.
az American ship owner when ne II.
ternpts to compete with the sIp s. NJ
Europe and Japan. TINS rs bith-
the shipping question .d Wnion aAs
None Use Flag.
p.~,,,v in hearings before the mer-
-. M.,,ne Committee. Congressman
J,rdv At Texas asked why 1t was tha'
,,nAsr the provision in the Panama
anal act for bringing foreign-puiit
sh,ns under the American nag not d
s,nr,e foreign-built vessel had come IN
- the Gag and availed itself OF the
new law ..
Tnis WAS discussed by several VII
nesse,, including Captain Robert Doiiaf'
of San Francisco, who is president "l d
company that has q shipping line IN the
oriental trade, and Robest II. Swayne' a
San Francisco steamship agent. They
yyere talking Of general conoitions III
the shipping business ana tneiI ss
were intended to apply to both the At
lantic and the Pacific: -
They found fault with American Iesu
latjons as too strict. and such as 10
make II Impossible for American snlps
10 compete with foreign rivals;
The remedy they want is changes IN IN
the regulations 50 that competition VIII
-enuity will do the rest If 1t has an
even chance.
Too Many Requirements
Ths ship owners, of course. complain
os excessive crew requirements II Is
doubtful, however, II they can make
rn,sch headway in respect to this com
platnt. But apart from crews. there
are other matters OF which they COM
plain. For instance, II Is asserted the
American system OF measurement oper-
ates to the great disadvantage Of Amer
ican ships. The American ships are SO
measured as to appear about 80 per cent.
larger than the British, according to
Captain Dollar. When an American
ship goes to a foreign port she has to
nay tonnage dues, pilotsge. and other
charges on the basis of American meas
urement. This operates to penalize the
American ship.
inspection regulations are complained
Of as too severe and such as TO handi-
cap American vessels in comparison
with vessels flying foreign fags.
Another difficulty is that shipbuilding
costs more here than abroad. II Is urged
that there is no Standardization OF
American vessels, and that IL there
were, II would be possible to lower con-
struction costs materially.
The testimony befoer the committee
on the matter of shipping regulations is
locked on as illuminating. Some think
IL PROMISES TO open q way to the re-
hatiltation Of American shipping with
out reference to subsidies. which have
been so persistently advocated as the
remedy for the existing situation.