The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1915-01-10
How the Ship Shortage
Hurts Pensacola.


lent presentation OF the ship bill now
before Congress- Senator Fletcher In
the senate last Monday gave some
facts and figures regarding the gov
ernmsnt's duty TO our merchant marine
tha& are absolutely incontrovertible.
The speech 10 rather lengthy and The
journal expects 70 make further com-
ment on II At future time but for
enc present we direct attention to q
part Of n that shows how Pensaccia's
interests are affected by the present
ghortage Of ships. Among the numer-
GUS letters which Senator Fletcher In
ciudcs IN his remarks Is one from
President G. n. Dobson Of the Pensa-
cola Chamber Of Commerce as fol-
sowss
Pensacola. r1a-. Dec. 10. 1914.
Henakor ID. q. T1etcher. Washington.
u. G.
Dear Senator: Last night I talked
with the president of the Pensacola
Tar q Turpentine Co.. corporation
which produces turpentine, tar, pitch.
and various by-products. eve have
several thousand barrels OF tar on our
yards." he said 1--WE can sell every
barrel az good price in England and
on Tho Continent The ship brokers
win offer No DO space. and promise
IN mono definitely. The last turpen-
tine we shipped cost - barrel to de-
liver in England This IL 9 cents a
gallon. four times the normal rate. For
the last tar shipped 70 England we
paid $3.50 q barrel freight, deck load.
ana took our own risk. as the insur-
ance asked about rs per cent We
know by heart now tina cabie-code
words that mean Can not quote Un-
able to get shipg."
The freight situation has almost
killed the export lumber and timber
business to England and Europe, the
principal markets. The merchants
have inquiries and could get business
II they could get bottoms to carry Il.
II they are lucky enough to get a ship,
they must pay double or triple freight
ana ! Ia 20 . per cent extra war
risk Insurance. They must prepay
the freight also.
ships can DO had for cotton and
grain. but ne three and four times the
normal rate A ship broker told me
yesterday he was asked ss.25 q hum
dredweight freight to Germany. Rates
ara. by far. the highest known In the
experiences Of ship brokers here.
The remedy for this situation is
more neutral ships. Two conditions
are the cause OF our present European
ccean-frcight Ills:
Decrease In number OF vessels avail
able estimated at 30 to 40 per. cent
Uncertainty az to maintenance Of
the present supply. which may be re-
duced BY destruction OF vessels or
their withdrawal from the uses OF
commerce for war purposes.
More ships would help remedy the
first condition: neutral ships the sec
ord.
Very truly, yours
q u. DoBsoN,
President
The ship bill now before congress Ia
designed to remedy tho very condition
that Mr.. Dob,on points out a. now
existing at Pensacola The opponents
Of the bin base their opposition In the
plea that the government has no right
to so into the ship owning business:
that such q venture ID an unwarranted
interference with private business:
and that we have no more right to
own and operate ships than we have
TO operate railroads OF Ice plants.
The answer to all OF this Ia that
when private enterprise fails to do
what Is neceshary for the public In
terests-as It has failed in this case
then the government not only may but
should do L. That rule win hold
good under all circumstances.
The depiorabie condition Of Pensa-
coIas shipping interests today as a
result Of the war Is simply an iilustra-
ton OF condition that is nation-
wide. Private enterprise cannot RENEE
dy It. Government enterprise can.
An illustration OF Roosevelt's