Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-11-13
sen. WEEKS
(Continuen from Page One

Continued from Page One
trade may be paralyzed if, as q result
OF q foreign war, the ocean trade is not
II the hands OF those combatants
/ which control the seas. Al this time,
if il were not for the supremacy of the
English and French naVies our abil-
ity 10 deliver the greater part of the
products which We have sold 70 Eu-
rope during the last year would have
been prevented.
The administration has advanced
& new proposal which has been much
criticized. The Government Shipping
Bill was originally and solely advocat
ed because Of the emergency which
developed al the outbreak Of the Euro
pear War. If however. that were the
only reason for il. there would be no
necessity for taking il VI again, as is
proposed because. although our trade
this wear bids fair to ht half a billion
dollars greatef Than ever before there
does MOI seem 10 he any serious COM
pl&lnt Of insufficient shipping TO carry
il. But there are other reasons for
moi passing this legislation which were
SUFFICIENT even II This emergency die
e11is- The most serious Of these rea
sons. X seems ID me, and one that
should be sufficient Ia condemn the
whole project, is that it is an attempt
70 put the Government permanently
into transportation business. in the
operation Of which. i is confessed. 2
financial loss would have to be met
A careful study Of governmental
land transportation in those countries
Whore there are state owned and oper-
ated railroads demonstrates conclu-
sively that the Government is q much
4 less effective agency for such pUr-
poses than private corporations. This
would he particularly true in q Gov
eminent like ours, where political con-
dItlons and changes would Il once be-
come an important factor in the re-
suits, and would certainly prevent sat-
lsfactory financial returns
1T is evidently the purpose Of the
present administration to enlarge,
rather than limit. governmental activi-
ties in connection with business af-
fairs President Wilson. in his ad-
dress delivered before Congress the
I Sir Of December, 1914 used this ex-
preston in referring TX economical
administration. Bur my point is that
the people Of the United States do
not wish 10 curLaH The activities of
this Government. They wish, rather
10 enlarge them. 7 am oppcsed 10 this
tendency. Governments are not o.
gained tor the purpose Of conducting
business They cannot. and never
have produced economical results in
any business activity. and therefore !
greatly regret the publicly announced
intent OF the Administration to re
vive the Soverumeu1-owned and uper-
ated shipping legislation which wae
considered and defeated last Winte,
for TINS viii be done even though
Chambers Of Commerce and other
comm ercial organizations have report
Cd almost unanimously against such
q course being taken.
However, il is absolutely essential,
from the standpoint Of the Navy. that
there be suitable ships in operation
which can be drawn on in time Of
need ana il can be completely demon
strated that if this Government rem
de-hd sufficient aid ia private lines Of
fas, steamers covering aIl III T-inci-
ia, por1s Of south America. The YES
seIs 10 - constructed under the d.
rection Of 7he Ngyv Depar1rnen, with
provision that crews and ships
shouid he transferred 10 the NAVY in
case nr need he sayir- I'd the CIV
arnnan1 would be equivalent 10 the
aid given Furthermore u, need
men fo, o,r naval reserve. and this is
another reason for our giving en-
lf,;1ra enre,3- IN the unhui}dinr of on,
nerch2r- marine and IN increase ina,
par, of our incubation which ensag f
In y sea -faring life
we naad III j yne~e hant marine f.,
mercantile and naval purposes, IA
v.r ,,r.,-15 ,ey,,.r =, ~. r,or;e1.,-;rx 4,