Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-15
FUTURE OF SHIPPING
IN CONGRESS HANDS
Great Building Program, Inaugurated as War
Measure, May Come to Halt With
Proclaiming of Peace

gross tons was seagoing tonnage of
500 tons or more. and the United
States had 5.233,052 tons. reckoned as
Seagoing vessels of 500 tons or more.
This figure included barges, estimat-
ed at about 100000 tons, but excludes
German and Austrian vessels. final
disposition of which will he deter
mined at the peace conference. Also
flying the American flag at present
are eighty-one Dutch vessels, reck-
oned at 4?5.S75 lightweight tons,
which must be returned.
Obviously. we are not understanding
England in shipping just yet, es-
pecially when it is considered that
this Seagoing tonnage includes Amer
lean coastwise shipping. The New
England coal trade alone absorbs
three-quarters of million in gross
tonnage. The sugar. banana and oil
ira .sportation properly is coastwiSe
shipping. and each of these runs into
six figures in tonnage requirements.
1t also should be noted that the
bureau of navigation reports show
that in November, 1914. only 81 per
cent of our foreign trade was carried
in American bottoms. With a fleet
little more than twice what We had
then, one-third of what England has
now, and our world trade vastly in
creased and likely to jump by leaps
and bounds, there still is long row
to hoe before we can even begin to
make our merchant marine adequate
for our own international commercial
requirements.
Building Program for Peace.
For the past two months the shipping
board has been surveying its con-
struction program and scrutinizing
contracts in order that the war pro-
gram may be converted into a peace
inn h11i1 NO Tnc haf ho
left for Europe Chairman Hurley
stated that the wars end eliminated
speed as A principal construction fac
tor and added: 1T is planned that
from now on shins will be built with
special reference to suitability for
special service. and with particular
reference to the economical cost of
operation
Now the war program called for 49,
500. 900 dead weight tons of shipping
way by the end of 1920. OF this 3,000,-
600 tons has been delivered. So far.
with the adaptations mentioned, the
shipping board is going ahead with
its construction program. No man can
tell whether this program will be car
ried out.
For the shipping board. though a
peace time and a permanent agency.
was not authorized originally to build
ships. That power was granted the
President as a war measure. He dele
gated it to the shipping board. and
the board, in turn. delegated it to the
Emergency Fleet Corporation organ
lied for that purpose.
Future Rests With Congress.
Therefore building activity after the
peace treaty is signed depends largely
upon continuance of the appropria-
tions authorized for wartime use
during the postwar period. Upon
Congress- therefore, rests the re-
sronsibility of the future shipbuilding
program of this country. And Con-
gress is expected to await the re-
suits of the peace conference before
taking any action.
So far facts; now the field of con-
tention. Shipping board officials,
operator of merchant vessels, ana
members of Congress agree that the
United States must develop its mer-
chant marine. But they disagree on
the method.
Secretary Daniels, for one. has in
dorsed government operations Of our
merchant marine fleet. Operators as
sert that development only is posi-
BILE under private ownership.
Edwin N Hurley. chairman OF the
shipping board, believes that the end
may be achieved under the present
seaman's act. which. broadly speak
ing. requires practically all-Ameri-
can crews paid on the high Ameri-
; can wage scale. ard provided with
high American living standards. He
contends that American efficiency and
modern business methods Will make
, it possible to maintain these prlnci-
pies and still compete successfully
with foreign merchant vessels paying
in many cases one-third our seamen's
wages, manned by smaller crews ana
free from many provisions for the
seamen's comfort and protection.
Ship Operators Disagree.
Ship operators almost unanimously
have taken issue with Mr.. Hurley. In
reply he has pointed to Henry Ford,
pa wing top-notch wages. and to Amer
lean railroads, paying higher wages
than European railways and carrying
freight at a smaller cost.
To take up all the disputed points
would require a separate article OF
greater length than this. The La
Toilette seamen's bill, alone, con-
tains provisions galore winch are
being assailed in columns and vol
umes of printed matter. Meanwhile
that old Norwegian sailor who helped
frame the law as head of the Inter-
national Seamen's Union is prepared
, to defend the law, and has BEHIND
him the full support of organized
labor. and pitted against him are the
shipownerS to a man.
On the floors of Congress, in de-
bates which promise to be prolonged
and hard-fought, these questions VIII
be threshed out. One thing is sure.
that the merchant marine viii as
sumo an Importance in the present
century comparable only to that un-
paralleled transportation develop
ment of the past, the american rail-
J road system.