Evening journal., 1916-03-24
A MERCHANT MARINE a NECESSITY
Lacking in
Other Vast Subsidy o. ndrec,M Sen 10
Those GntedBy Nations
CFrom the New York Tribune,

L
etc, il we were to do all the building
and repairing for the ships that car
ried the foreign commerce of this
country for the coming twenty years.
This would mean an expenditure OF
more than $7OO,OOO,OOO year for la
Dor and materials, food etc, and this
vast sum added to the $500. 600 900 we
now pay to foreigners to freight our
goods to the markets of the world.
would, under right conditions, be ex-
pended in this country.
Would it not be wise for this gov
ernment to spend a billion dollars,
during the next twenty years and save
twenty billions?
Every nation on earth but ours that
is engaged in shipping goods from its
own ports into the markets Of the
world has encouraged the merchant
marine by the expenditure OF huge
sums, either in a direct subsidy or
by some indirect method that means
the same thing. But our people have
been frightened at the word subsidy.
Long ago we passed a law giving a
monopoly Of the shipping industry
along our seacoasts to Americans.
This has worked to the tremendous
advantage Of all our people. We have
today the largest coastwise tonnage in
all the world, nearly three million
tons upon the Great Lakes alone. And
this business. which is American in
every sense, is the most exclusive and
satisfactory business performed bv
labor and capital for the American
people. The sailors who man our
coastwise ships are, under normal
conditions, the best paid sailors in
the world. The men who load and
unload these ships are the best paid
labor, of the kind, in the world; vet
the cost for freight shipment upon the
/ Great Lakes a ton a mile is the cheap.
est in the world.
Our private owned railways give the
best and cheapest freight service in
the world for rail transportation, vel
| the commerce of the Great Lakes is
so much cheaper, that our people save
$3.50 100000 annually. because we had
the good sense to give absolute protec-
tion to the coastwise shipping. And
this has not only saved our people
billions in freight rates during the
past fifty years. but it has given work
/ and wages to vast army of men and
women, all upbuilding the nation
Since 1910 the United Kingdom has
paid to her merchant marine. the vast
sum OF $240,00O,OO0. Is it any wonder
that she has the greatest merchant
marine? Even today, Britain and heI
colonies are spending S1O,O00.00O an
nually to encourage her merchant ma
rine.
Last year Japan spent $500 900 In
the form of subsidies for her merchant
marine and she will spend $4,000 .OOC
this year. Besides this, she will spend
several other millions to encourage
shipbuilding, for she is wise enough
to know that in spending millions il
her own shipyards, she gives work anC
wages to her own people. Sometimes
It is advantageous mail contract,
that our commercial rivals give I,
their shipping in place Of a direc
subsidy, and it is worth noting tha
last year we gave the-sum of S1.O96.
600 in mail contracts to American
ships: but, we also gave the sum O.
$2,S50,0OO in mail contracts to foreign
shipping companies!
Wages for sailors in this countr,
average in time Of peace about doubl,
that paid by our European competi
tors and four or five times the wagl
paid by Japanese ship masters. TIL,
cost of living is far more for al
American ship than for any other. w,