Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-29
What Congress Is Doing:
Laws Must Be Enacted Providing Penalties
for DRY" Violations - "Conversation"
Coming Over Railroads and Merchant
Marine.

ment of the seamen's act. now
sought to be modified and improved.
The United States Supreme Court
last Monday affirmed the constitution
atty of the seaman's act, thereby put,
ting in full force and operation all
sections of the law. Already, now
ever. shipowners and operators hao
commenced a campaign to repeal some
portions of the act as burdensome
and hurtful. rather than helpful. to
the merchant marine. From utter
ances in the Senate last week 1t IS
be taken with the statements OF the
employers of seamen and that the
proponents of the changes will have
to substantiate their claims of weak
ness in the law before Congress Will
consent to repeal its provisions.
Senator Fletcher for Larger Marine
Senator Fletcher of Florida, chair
man of the committee on commerce,
tersely voiced the thought which is
uppermoSt in the minds of many
thoughtful men in Congress as to the
necessity for larger merchant ma
rine. THE supremacy of no nation in
tary strength. it's big army" he said:
Germany had that. Nor will it depend
upon it's naval strength. it's big navy.
England had that. but that alone did
not save her. Rather will that SUI
premacy rest largely upon commercial
strength. That commercial strength
will depend largely upon transporta-
ton"
Then he went on to say that the
nation producing surplus of the
prime necessaries of life which other
nations must have is in a position
approaching supreme power, espe cial-
ly if that nation owns and operates
the carriers to transport the COM
modities.
There is no nation on earth so
favored by nature and by develop
ment in this regard as America. No
other nation can approach her in
these respects if she but put to fruit
full use her resources and take adj
vantage of her opportunities
one might write columns and not
say more than was thus expressed
by the Florida statesman.
Senator Opposes Subsidies.
Then in the next breath he opened
up discussion of one of the questions
which will come forward to hamper
action-Subsidy. He is against grant
ing subsidies for the upbuilding of
the marine. A potential element in
the Congress membership hold that
by no other means can the merchant
marine be so readily restored. Then
there are others who contend that
the government should build and op-
crate along with and not in a way
to discourage private enterprise. Still
others who insist that the govern
ment should build, own and operate
the ocean carriers.
Differences in Bidding.
Senator Weeks of Massachusetts,
called attention to a difficulty which
attends the future of the merchant
marine of this country. He declared
that while the shipping board is pay
ing SITS to $50 a ton for the construc-
ton of steel vessels, a corporation in
this country has recently offered to
build large tonnage for the French
government. of the same class of
ships. for s115 a ton. He was unable
to see how the vessels now being
launched at the higher cost will be
able to compete with the ships built
for foreign account at the lower fig
ure.
I'VE will either have to operate at a
loss" said Senator Weeks, "or we will
have to charge off a couple of hun
dred million dollars at the outset
Senator Smith of Georgia suggest
ed that many of the ships have been
only started. and construction has
not made great progress. Ought not
these contracts now be so modified"
Re asked that the requirement of
great speed. aQQlHS 10 the excess
sive cost, should cease to apply and
that they be built upon practical
business basis. that will enable them
to compete with the vessels of the
world without a great write off by
the governments" Senator Fletcher
explained that the shipping board is
now practicing economy by eliminat-
ing overtime work. He said he had
been informed by one builder that
his additional cost for overtime
amounted to 100000 for every ship.
Disclosures About Soldiers Pay.
This week in Congress will bring
some disclosures which will probably
arouse the American people to an
ger. In both the Senate and House
statements are to be made of the
hardshipS caused the soldiers by the
inability of the government to pay
the men the amounts which Congress
has appropriated and which the
people have raised by taxation and
are now in the Treasury.
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