The farmer and mechanic., 1915-10-19

lessees cannot be found. or whenever
IN Its judgment tn interests OF our
commerce would be best subserved by
Sucn direct operation through the
medium or a corporation or corpora
tions.
Case Of the Pacific Mail.
me orders for these vessels need
not De limited TO the Atlantic and
racine coasts. There IS no reason why
our shlpyards along the Great Lakes
cannot be utilized for the same pur-
pose; why they cannot be employed
curing the dull winter months in turn
ing out the parts Of these vessels
which could be transported in sec
uons through the Great Lakes and the
canals TO the Atlantic Ocean. and as
sembled there.
The shipping board should have
power to reform our navigation rules
ana regulations, 10 study Shipping
problems and recommend 10 the Con-
gresS the necessary legislation to en-
courage and develop a great ner-
chant marine under the American
flag.
The time has come when the Con
greSs should consider the creation OF
some inStrumentality for the regula-
tiOn OF merchant marine companies
What could argue more strongly in
1aNor OF governmental regulation Of
ocean carriers than the recent action
Of the Pacific Mail Steamship Com
pany! Here is company which has
operated a service between San Fran
cisco and the Orient for many years
Our business men, manufacturers and
producers have built up great trade
interests with the Orient upon the
| faith Of this service
| All of a sudden, and without ade-
quate notice, and with utter indiffer-
ence to the injuries that might Ne done
to shippers and the interests OF this
country, the Pacific Mail Steamship
Company sells its ships and announces
that it will discontinue its service. Nc
| common carrier on land would be per-
mitted to do such an arbitrary and in
| furious thing, Is our common car
| riers on the high seas may at any
time do with impunity
THE Pacific Mail people claim that
the passage Of the Seaman's Bill
forced them to discontinue business
[ am told that the seasons bill wa:
not the handspring for the transfer
Of the Pacific Mail vessels. The Pan
lama G anal act which del.ied railr oa d
owning competitive steamship line:
the right to operate them through
the canal, and the fact that presen
abnormal rates for cargo space on tn
Atlantic, which made it possible 70
| the racine Mall 10 sell It's EhlpS a
more than their real value, was,
nderstand, the true cause Of thei
, sale
THE shipping board should ais
: have power, acting in cOnjunctiO
> with the Interstate Commerce Com
} mission, to arrange foE-the issua nc
} of through bills of lading betwee
railroad lines and steamship lines. or
Y ! Grating under the American flag, i
4 the foreign trade and to provide til
: means whereby special through rate
= can be made between our railroad
| and steamship lines to enable thel
: to meet the competition of foreign Cal
: riers in the open market of the worlt
Y The shipping bill introduced in tn
: last Congress is different in some dc
tails from the plan here suggested
American business has paid dearly e
o the defeat OF that measure. | al
:, sure that the increased and extOl
e tionate ocean freight rates paid b
d our defenceless producers and shiI
/ pers in the last twelve months hay
;, | exceeded several times the $40, 900, 90
: which the shipping bill authorized I'll
y government to expend on merchaI
d vessels. But this is only a small pa
: of the injury. Grave losses have bee
r sustained by our business men becaus
+ they could not ship at all.