The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-11-01
"SEAMANS Law
BUSINESS
u. S. Official Says 1t Will
Drive American Ships to
Other Flags.
WORKS AGAINST EXPORTS
He Also Thinks 'McAdoo's Plan for
Government Owned Ships Would
Discourage Private Enterprise.
By ARTHUR J. DODGE.

III you are one of three merchants
| engaged in selling commodities In the
same community under practically SINH
! lar conditions as to character of goods
/ and prices, and you discover that your
! two competitors have the advantage in
| the matter of delivery that large part
OF the cost OF such delivery is paid for
! by some one else, you would begin to
realize what is meant by trade under
| serious disadvantages. Unless such con-
ditions are equalized 1t must be manifest
! to anybody that you would be obliged
/ to get out OF business"
This comment was made by an official
! Of the government who for many years
! has had much TO do with the merchant
marine of the country and who Is IA
miliar with the navigation laws and con-
ditions surrounding the merchant marine
. Of the United States in the coastwise as
well as in the overocean trade.
Merchants mt Disadvantage.
He also said:
/ Much has been done by protective tar
| IFS to equalize conditions in production,
but almost nothing has been done to
! euualize conditions In the carrying trade
for commodities manufactured in this
country and sold in foreign markets.
| Tariffs may do good and anti-dumping
| laws may be helpful to domestic indus
! fer disadvantages in the matter of de-
livery of goods. the American exporter
who depends upon American ships to
carry commodities to foreign markets
must be at a disadvantage in those mar
kets not only as to sales but as to de-
liveries.'
These comments were made by the
government official in response TO the d.
rect inquiry as to what could be done II
4 rrGr- 20 n NJ
ditions by legislation so as to place the
shipping Of the United States upon terms
of equality with such leading commercial
nations as Great Britain and Germany.
especially under conditions which obtain
ed before the war This official asserted
that there is absolutely no way to equal
ize conditions except to make up the
difference in some way. either by gov
eminent aid or some other means. be-
tween the cost OF American ships and
their operation in the foreign carrying
trade, and the ships of competing ma
| lions.
This official does not favor the admin
istration plan as announced by Secretary
I McAdoo and which failed in the last Con-
gress, for government built and operated
ships He thinks this policy would dis
courage private enterprise and is an ex-
penditure OF money which would be more
/ eHeCIlNeiN eNptHutu II gwen III ~
private enterprise He cites the policy
Of Great Britain in advancing money
to such shipping corporations as the
| Cunard Company with the only condition
that ships built by the Cunard Line shall
carry subsidized mails for the British
government and the ships to be at all
times subject to call by the British gov
eminent for use in time OF war.
Seaman's Law Hurts Shipping.
This official also asserts positively
that the so-called La Toilette seamen's
law is a labor measure intended to as
sist sailors on the high seas to obtain
increased wages and to force such in
creases by tying up ships until the ad-
vanced wage rates are granted. This
and the so-called Language provision"
he declares, will certainly put out Of
business every American ship in the
Oriental trade and with South Amer
lea. He declares that this law will work
much the same as did the original third
mate act" which. under requirement
that there should be a third mate tied
up ships and gave opportunities for such
combinations among the seamen with
third-mate qualifications as to hold up
ships that would not submit to enforced
increases in wages of third mates from
$50 to $50 month.
This new seamen's law goes into eff
feet on November 1t is declared by
those who are familiar with the stu
alton that II the lake carriers had not
submitted to this condition. but had
transferred their ships to the Canadian
coastwise trade, the situation on the
Great Lakes would be almost as serious
so far as the American flag is con-
| cerned, as is American shipping In the
overocean carrying trade.
1t is made clear by government Off
I ri M Ia Ian L.
amended and provisions made for en-
couraging the continuation of the Amer
lean flag in the foreign carrying trade,
that all the additions to the list OF
American ships by the registry law of
the last Congress. under which 10000
tons OF foreign tonnage has been trans
ferred to the American flag, will be re-
transferred to foreign flags Immediately
upon the close of the war.