Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-08-07
PREDICTS U. S. SHIPPING
AS GREAT AS BRITISH
Robert Dollar Paints Glowing Pic.
ture of Advance of American
Commerce After War

The American flag will fly over as many
cargo ships as the British Union lack bv ths
time the war is over predicts Robert Dollar.
pioneer American shipping man in Pacific
| waters
Mr: Dollars glowing prediction was in
'spireu by the launching of Hog Islands first
a.hp' tne QuistConck on Monday. Americas
zip up"raHeied output Of ships, he said will
| give her merchant marine riya!ing Great
Brltains in all the five seas
| III &c other points We're made by Mr.. Dol
| lar: VINO came from Washington to see the
0utslcohek slide into the Delaware River
| tirst' The American merchant marine
| VIII never flourish under the present United
states seamens act, and other laws must
| be passed by Congress
| second. In spite of the tremendous ad-
| Vahces made in shipbulding methods in
American yards since the war began. America
cannot now, and probably never will be able
10 ou!d shipS for less than twice the price
they can be built in England.
ihlfd. q. A. Muhlfed vice president of
Stone Webster and vice president OF the
American International Corporation. which is
ou!loing the ships at Hog Island got his
start with those concerns twenty years ago
through letter Of recommendation from Mr.
Dollar.
MI. Dollar, president of the Dollar Steam
snip company, which has done more than
any other concern to float the Stars and
stripes IN the Orient is picturesque figure
|
Minister'S and, although nearly seventy-tive
Years old. stands as erect to his six-foot
stature as most men half his age.
Came Immigrant
Inc man who Tor twenty-five years has
beei the leading operator of steamships in
the Pacific Ocean came to the United States
as an Immigrant from Scotland when only
twelve years old. He first went to Canada
and obtained work in the lumber CAMPS
later drifting into Michigan. About thirty
IN 'a1i
afterward laid the foundation for the line Of
steamships which now bears his name.
with Mr. Dollar were +. &. Mauchin, repre-
sentative of the Chinese Government ship
building Yards at Shanghai, and Ross Smith,
connected with the Dollar concern Mr.
Mauchin and Mr.. Smith last week completed
the arrangements whereby the Chinese Gov
ernnsnt snipyard at Shanghai is to build
twelve ships for the United States shippiup
board.
Shipbuilders of other countries do not take
seriously the reports Of ships launched in the
United States in from twenty seven to forty
seven days, Mr. Mauchin said.
When Mr. Mauchin came to San Francisco
couple of weeks ago he asked me in all
seriousness how long II taking to build
ships here" said Mr. Dollar. in discussing
Mr. Mauchin's doubts, Il asked him IL he
hadn't seen the accounts in the newspapers
Of launchings III twenty-seven to forty DAYS
tie replied Yes but that's all bunk Tell
me really how long it takes" / took him
to Seattle aud let linn look over the records
OF skinner & Eddy's yard. and lie was con-
Nuced of our speed without q doubt"
A friend approached and offered Mr. Dollar
d cigar.
NO: believe I'm too young to start that
now. said the seventy four ear-old shipping
man. Il have never taken drink of liquor
or smoked tobacco in my life. When | was
a boy | saw wat liquor was doing to others
ana MAGE promise n.Ner IL drink smoke.
And I've kept it,. he said. W th tirmucSs.
pnl Ii, lltf. ~,
Of the Hog Island shipyard and believes be-
fore long all the stories of graft at the yard
Will be forgotten and the public will glory in
the record Of accomplishment made there
There was never any real reason tor The
Senate irvestsation or the inv Nestigation
made by the Department Of Justice of the
work done there asserted Mr.. Dollar. 1T
was all part Of plan of Senator Hiram
Johnson. of California. VINO has presidential
aspirations, to further his political ends"
At the height Of the Senate investigation OF
the Hog Island ward Senator johnson de-
"ared IN the Senate that grating was going
bI bunch OF hogs OF The Amer;csI ,
International Corpora lion at Hog Island and. /
reading over the lst Of directors oJ the cor
pora:ion. named Mr Dollar one Of the |
hogs
Mir. Dollar predicted there will be a great !
scramble among the industrial nations for
the trade "f the orient after the war, and |
said it will rake the best brains and industry |
of the United States to procure the lions |
share Of it,
Germany is gong to make a great effort
to grab good share OF the far eastern
trade after peace is declared" Mr Dollar
predicted. Since the war began We have
found that ,ermauy in the BrtisA province
of Hong Kong had 60 per cent oc the trade
aud controlled the majority Of the stock in
the big banns there. We HcNer suspected il
before war broke out. and it goes to show
what - mus, look oui tor in years to come"
The laws Of the United States relating to
r,NtIE he. .i,yn /
= prominent part IN the world shipping trade
after tht war. in the opinion Of MI Dollar
ba Used On thirty YEARS OF actual rXpericnra in
opera t!uS ships.
We cannot compete with tirear Britain.
j pan Germany and the other maritime nat
tions under the present laws, said Mr.. Dol
lar. with feeling. When the ships now being
butit by the shipping hoard are turned over !
o private concerns after the war. As provided
by law. congress must paSs' laws that will !
plrm.t Amer 90 to operate them on some
rning like the same scale OF expense borue
bN the other nations
This can never be done under the subsidy
as the American nation is scared of ANYTHING
sounding ike subsidy Bul a law could be
oa .sed providing thar American shipownels
snail pay wage as high the foreign wage
and that seainen Slall receive the American
scale of wages. Then let the Government pay
! Would allow the Amer-
,sn ship owners to compete with the foreign
,uIlu aaIisGE the ship employees. too.
II doubt that Will ever be able to build
ships here cheapy as il can be done
,broad. Some time ago started to England {
o place some ship contracts, but went by
Newport News and New York and allowed
he shipbuilders At those places To submit
lids telling them / would award them the
ontract il they could nearly meet the British !
price. But they asked almost twice what
he British offered TO build them for. | uu-
erstand the comparative prices are nearly