The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1915-02-17


loss will have to be supplied by the
Government out Of the Treasury,
which means ultimately out of the
pockets of the people by way of taxa
ton. Wherein, again ask, would this
differ from a subsidy
One essential point in these Ncalcu-
lations seems to have been complete
iy overlooked by the trainers and ad-
vocates Of this BILL. who seem to think
that ships we're all that is needed to
carry cargoes, and that is terminal
| facilities. Terminals are as necessary
to ships as to railways, Steamships
can not pull up at any landing and I'M
load its cargo on the bank. Deep har-
bors, especially constructed piers and
docking facilities. and huge ware
houses must all be provided before
hand. These abnormal world condi
lions have congested and overtaxed all
the harbors of Europe almost beyond
Imagination. The war drain upon men
has depleted the ranks of stevedores
and dock hands. On account OF these
delays 1t Is said that il requires IL
vessels now to do the work Of 5 under
normal conditions. The English ports
are congested largely because of the
scarcity of labor; and in France they
have been compelled to use the Ger
man prisoners to unload the ships and
clear the quays and docks. II is not
clear, as business proposition, how
few more Government-owned YES
sells can relieve this situation or emer-
gency. The Government would first
be compelled to purchase. construct,
or lease more terminal facilities be-
fore 1t can relieve existing conditions,
and thus divert large. part of the
capital of this corporation from the
purchase Of ships.
A recent editorial in the New York
Times very aptly illustrates this pro
position. II says
1T is especially fatuous to provide
Government shipping or private ship
ping with Government aid when the
necessity of the case Is not so much
shipping as facilities for loading and
unloading. To the facts on this fact
as given by carriers spokesman on
this side Of the ocean may now be
added incontestable evidence from the
other side. Twenty-one vessels ar
rived in Liverpool last Thursday and
not one of them was able to get a
berth to discharge its cargo.
at would be idle to add to such con-
gestion by providing more ships. The
trouble is not one Of trade, but of war.
Some ports are closed, throwing more
business upon others than they could
do In favorable times. Many dock la
borers have enlisted and others are
earning such high wages that they are
independent. Commerce is not run
ming in accustomed lines. Strange
boats are on unfamiliar routes and re-
quire more attention than liners run
ming on routine. IL any Government
should intervene, II Is not ours. We
are shipping full volumes of goods at
our own prices, and the freight is paid
by the buyer. They should worry, not
we. We should worry only II those
who are more eager than wise should
thrust us into an experiment which is
not only unnecessary in a commercial
sense, but is obnoxious politically"
Not only would this bill, in my judg
merit, fail to relieve the situation fol
which It's promoters claim that it is
designed, but 1t would have a.tendency
to paralyze personal initiative and pre-
vent private capital from entering the
field and investing in a merchant ma
rine in competition with the Govern
ment-owned corporation, which is ex
: empt from taxation and insurance and
where all losses are recouped from the
Public Treasury.
: Investigation has shown that II
: costs so to 100 per cent more to build
: ships in this country than it does
abroad, and that 1t costs about $17,23t
more year to operate ship of 5000
tons under the American than under
the British dag These disabilitie.
under which our foreign trade now la
bors must be removed before one car
hope to establish a merchant marine
that will thrive and grow and hold iti
own with that Of the other nations o.
the world Mr.. President, shall vote
to have this bill recommitted, because
hope and believe that there 4.
enough patriotism and craftsmanship
in this august body to handle this vita
question in the wise and right way ant
not from the viewpoint of petty anc
partisan politics. My suggestion t.
the Commerce Committee, which will
have the redrafting of this bill. II re
: committed, Is to revise our foreign nav
: igation laws as to place our merchan
marine on an exact equality with tn,
merchant marine Of Great Britain
= France. Germany Holland. Italy, ant
: other countries. This will not be in tn,
form OF a protection or subsidy, but will
appeal to the best efforts of American
ability which has never yet failed, ant
thus enable American shipowners t,
meet the competition OF the other ma
lions of the world and actually foste
and encourage a real American mer
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