The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-03-12
British Shipping Is
in Critical Condition

/ state control of the nations tonnage
would mean quick starvation. "The
association views with grave concern
the growing number Of British ships
placed under state management. The
experience Of two and half years OF
war has shown that under state
management there is constant and
serious wastage. The conditions under
which our overseas supplies are OBJ
tanned, the voyages made, and cargoes
loaded and discharged, are so varying
that waste in carrying power can only
DO checked through the compelling
power Of commercial pressure
individual profit and loss acting direct
ly on all those concerned whether as
traders. shipowners or transport work.
ers.
'The inevitable results Of state
MANAGEMENT have been waste of time
loss of ocean carrying power, and
therefore the imports, IL these be re-
duced under state management by
only 10 per cent.-and judging by all
past experience it might well be re-
duced by Is per cent and upwards, the
nation would be faced with immediate
shortage of essential supplies priva-
ton and panic prices Weighed against
such perils, the saving of freights.
SFSh ~ 1S&A 6OC0 WGLG CdTTlCu
ing, is negligible factor.
ITO satisfy military demands the
outbreak Of the war, about one third
Of the British mercantile marine has
been devoted to purely war purposes.
One-third OF the British mercantile
marine has carrying capacity in
ocean trade. in the course of year, of
upwards Of 100000 tons weight Of
imports and exports. It is manifest
that IL the remaining two-thirds had
been utilized only in proportion to the
one-third under military control, the
nation must have starved long ago.
at is no reflection on the oficials
OF the state that they have been UNI
able to build up an effective organiza-
ton. Their task has been an impossi-
bic one. They have obtained and well
coined the advice and assistance Of
business men, but 1t Is idle to imagine
that departmental MANAGEMENT either
with or without such help. can ever
exercise over hundreds Of ships the
kind Of control which the shipping
companies. with their highly trained
and specialized stats. must exercise
over tens Of ships If the maximus OF
carrying power Is to be obtained.
Under average conditions a ship
spends half her time in port loading
and discharging. and thus there is on
every voyage the risk of heavy delay.
The avoidance of undue waste in these
operations is at the root of the eff
fective use Of all ship carrying pow
er. To secure this the energy and en-
terprise Of the shipowners and their
STATS at home and abroad are taxed to
the utmost. There is only one British
steamship company that has under its
control more than 100 vessels, and
among the big British lines the aver
age number Of vessels under a single
is about twenty. Among
the 'tramps' there are few companies
or firms having more than twelve ves-
sells. With this form OF management
the shipoWner is kept in the closest
possible touch with each vessel on
every voyage. and also with the re-
quirements of the shippers and receiv-
ers of the cargo
Touching on the subject OF shipping
under neutral flags. the report says:
"The cardinal fact Of the situation is
that after satisfying war demands. the
total shipping available In the world Is
not sufficient to carry the cargoes de-
handing TO be transported. It must be
realized that we are in great measure
dependent on the carrying power Of