The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-03-21
MARINE CARRIER PROBLEM VITAL
 10 BRIDGEPORT
PHI. w. Ross, League Pres ident Addresses Cham
 Der of Commerce.

ident Addresses Cham
 Der of Commerce.
 F. IF. w. Ross, president of the Ma ttonal Marine league, addressed the Bridgeport Chamber of Commerce members this noon at the bi-monthly banquet of tile organization. He de- livered sincere appeal for support of shipping measures, saying that Bridgeport and other industrial cen- ters will be dependent upon a mer- chant marine to increase sel1ing-the angle of. business which must be de- veloped-
 Mr. RoM said:
 1T am to address you on the subject of The American Merchant Marine and It's Relation to Our Industrial Output,
 Last week had occasion to address the Engineers Club of Brooklyn. As one generally does, under the cir cumstances, tried, as nearly as pos- sible, to adjust may remarks to the general line of thought and material activities of the audience then being addressed. Now, as we all know, the distinguishing characteristic of great engineers and architects is that they have the engineers eye'-they have the vision-they see the whole struct- ure. and only, pay enough attention to the relative parts that their rela- tive value warrants to the structure as . whole. But in the preparation of that Brooklyn speech I discovered that had hit upon a great secret Of industrial and manufacturing ac- tivity as well as of engineering and architectural activity. So you see. our subject centres around the rela- ton of the American merchant ma- rine to our industrial output. It is the only sensibe way in which to ap- proach the subject because 1t is our industrial output that provides the freights whereby the building of any kind of ships and the employment of any kind of seamen are made possi- ble
 '"The National Marine league is not a shipping league, it is not supported by the shipping industry, it's first thought is not or the exclusive benefit of those who happen 70 be in that business. It's first thought is for the benefit and welfare of the American people as a whole. The shipping in- dustry is but a component part of tha. composite welfare-structure.
 As you gentlemen very we'll know American industry absolutely needs protection. Now the question is, which end of tho business most needs pro- tectton at the present stage of ou1 country's development? Is 1t the mak- ing or the selling end of your business that gives you the most concern? As an engineer would say, where does the greatest stress come and in whicl direction do you need the fulcrum tt be shifted in order to balance ani support your business structure?' This iS the most important question tha1 you can possibly ask yourselves and 1t is one that requires your very clear. est thought. It is perfectly true, tha' before manufacturing plant can bt established, 1t iieeds the strongest kint of protection. To begin with, it need. the protection of capital that is voluu tari1y inverted in it-t11e capital tha will voluntarily abstain from the divi dsnds in tho first few years with thu object of further protecting the grow in9 industry;-the legislative protec. tion that wisely established a suitabl. and adequate tarin and the self taxa, tion that tho population thereby i'm. poses upon itself in order that tht country's growing manufacturers may be protected in the process of making things.
 However, this condition of affair cannot always last, because the mo naent an establishment makes thing quicker than 1t can dispose of them at that very instant, the establishment itsslk passes from being an asset int the condition of a liability I thinl this is also an important thing foi you gentlemen in the manufacturini business to remind yourselves of Look around you. take any establish ment in Bridgeport that has beer enlarged and swollen beyond all nor mai proportions, and figure to your selves whether that establishment vii be an asset or a liability if a suddei change in conditions cuts off the ab normal sales of that abnofma1l. swollen establishment, 1t is not tn. size of the manufacturing plant o q mans body that determines it strength and usefulness. The req thing that counts is the steady stream