New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-23
A MERCHANT MARINE. A NECESSITY
Vast
Vast "A
dby OherN Nations

best paid sailors in the world. The me, -,
load and unload these ships are the hes, 49,,
labor. OF the kind. in the world: Yet ths r...
for freight shipment upon the Great L.L.,
a ton mile is the cheapest in all the uo-lS
Our private owned railways give the r..
and cheapest freight service in the worla O..
rail transportation, yet the commerce a, ~.
Great Lakes IS so much cheaper thar a..
people save s250.O00,00O annually. because =.
Lad se good sense 10 give absolute MOT.
tion TO tho coastwise shipping. And this ~,
not only saved our people billions in frei,s,
rates during the past fifty years. but /, b,,
given work and wages 20 a vast army 81 ~.
and women all upbuiding the nation. SIM,
1910 the United Kingdom has paid "a IA,
merchant marine the vast sum OF s2lonoe
goo. Is it any wonder that she has the vre,,
est merchant marine? Even to-day. Britain
and her colonies are spending slOOOo OOo
annually 10 encourage her merchant marine
Last year Japan spent s1.5OO.0OO in n,
form Of subsidies for her merchant marine
and she will spend $4,000 900 this wear p,
sides this. she will spend several other mill.
ions TO encourage shipbulding. for she !,
wise enough TO know that IN spending mill.
ions In her own shipyards she gives wor.
and wages TO her own people Sometime, !,
is advantageous mail contracts that our com.
mercial rivals give 20 their shipping in Mae,
Of direct subsidy. and IL is worth no,in,
that last year We gave the sum OF 81 .Oss 900
in mail contracts TO American ships: but. v,
also gave the sum OF S2.S5O0OO in mail con.
tracts to foreign shipping companies,
Wages for sailors in this country sveras.
in time Of peace about double that paid BY
our European competitors and four or 6y,
times the wage paid By japanese ship mas.
ters The cost Of living is far more for an
American ship than for any other. Wa 40
not want 10 lower the standard OF living A,
wages, nor would we abolish any humane law
that safeguards the life and welfare O,
American sailors and travellers But We NAV
as we'll recognize first as last, that W. arr
not 70 have an American merchant marina
without in some way meeting this conpeti.
ton and equalizing IT,
The socislistic scheme OF the Adminlstn.
ton for government ships is nothing shor.
of an economic crime. Governments never
did and never will perform any seryie. IN
production or exchange with economy or
efficiency.
Every government enterprise IN the world
is oyer-manned; every government owned
railway with one or two exceptions is prac.
tically bankrupt to-day The Prussisn. Heme
system. the only one in Europe that can
make both ends meet. charges so per cent
higher rates for freight transportation than
we pay and pays its railway employees only
one-half the wages Of this country
For every dollar that Uncle Sam puts into
a merchant marine two dollars Of private
capital will refuse to invest. Besides, the
government can't buy any ships, or il il does
/ it will simply be transferring ownership
without adding a single ton to the capacity
for service. It can't build any ships, and Il
it could it would cost 20 to 80 per cent more
than the same ships could be built for In
private yard by a private company.
Once We Americans get a start there will
be plenty Of American capital TO enter the
shipping industry, building and sailing o,
ships, for both must 90 hand in hand. Stand.
ardizing the building Of ships is whs, Is
needed and we would have had this long ago
If we had done as other nations have-,ha;
is, given encouragement 20 the building and
owning and sailing Of American ships
F. G. r. GORDON.
Secretary, L. s. Merchant Marine Association
New York. March 10. 1915.