The Marietta journal and courier. (Marietta, Ga.) 1909-1918, 1915-06-18
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Washington City,
June 14th, 1915.

washington City,
June 14th, 1915.
"The United States Chamber of
Commerce is performing a useful
service in sounding the sentiment of
business throughout the country on
the government-steamshi plan and
other phases of the shipping situa-
ton. The result of the referendum
now under way should be illuminat-
ing and useful There is nothing
partisan about it. The vote will
simply show whether the majority Of
our business and professional men
favor this venture in government
ownership, or prefer the ship sub
sidy or some other method of build
ing up our merchant marine.
There is no doubt that at the time
the issue was before Congress, bust
ness was vigorously opposed to the
govrnment going into the shipping
business on any terms whatever. The
referendum will show whether that
sentiment has been changed to any
extent by war developements-the
enormous increase of our export
trade, the opportunities opened that
are still utilized, and the constantly
lessening supply of available vessels.
Although the membership of the
United States Chamber of Commerce
constitutes comparatively small
body of citizens, it represents such
vast business influences that Con-
gress would be unlikely to ignore its
views if vigorously registered.
Something, obviously, will have to
be done soon. The Pan-American
financial conference at Washington
has called attention more pointedly
than ever to the anomalous predica-
ment of the South American Repub-
lies, which want to do business with
us-as we do with them-but are
hindered by lack of transportation
facilities. 1t is absurd that we
should be able to reach some of these
nations only by traversing the Euro
pean war zone. The representatives
of the A. B. C. countries have shown
their eagerness to cooperate in any
plan, public or private, that would
insure them direct communication
and regular sailings between their
ports and ours
It's choice between private en-
terprise, ship subsidy and govern
ment ownership.
If private capital doesn't get busy,
one of the first duties of the next
Congress will be to choose definitely
between the other two methods, or
else change our shipping laws to
make the field more attractive to
American capital" Augusta
Chronicle.
The question of transportation is
farreaching, it is an extreme pity
that so many of us know so little
abut it. Because of the great i'm
portance of the subject l have incor-
porated in my letter this week the
editorial above entitled "a Shipping
Referendum" The article in ques-
ton is forceful, this however is a
natural characteristic of the Chron-
icles editorial utterances, but it
doesn't so quite far enough.
Now, shouldn't be very much sur
prised if the Chamber of Commerce
should take a position against gov
eminent ownership, and in favor OF
privately owned ship subsidy. A
merchant marine in my judgement
privately owned may be possible but
hardly probable, and will never be
fostered in this country because the
idea behind it is dominated too much
by individual interests. don't
think it just to the subject to char.
acterize government ownership of
transportation as a venture"
| don't think an organization for
the purpose of transportation com
posed Of a few individuals with abb
solute authority vested in them to
fix rates will ever be fraught with
any degree of success. The time
may have been when it would, but
it has passed
The men who furnish something
to transport are entitled to a hear
ing while this question is being pas
sed upon in my honest opinion. Pri-
Yately owned transportation lines
have throttled and almost strangled