Bisbee daily review., 1919-01-23
Ry Review Leased Wire,


 WASHINGTON, Jan % = The foundation for permanent organiza- ton having for its purpose the main tenance and expansion of the Amer ican merchant marine was laid here today at a conference Of representa- tiyes of ship operators. builders and employees The meeting was called by Senator Ransdell of Louisiana, who presented subjects for discussion and who as temporary chairman named committees OF permanent OrganIzA- tion and resolutions which are to re- port at the final sessions tomorrow.
 Oppose Govt Control
 Commissioner Charles Page of the shipping board, said that body would welcome the advice and assistance of the conference, and other speakers, in- cluding some O; the foremost ship builders of the country, were unanim- ous in declaring opposition to govern ment control and operation of ships during peace, and in behalf of a na- tiOnal policy of subsidies for ship ope- ration, either by direct payment or by application of differential rates. They also demanded relinQuishment of gov ernment wage control in shipyards as a first step toward meeting world and particularly English competition.
 Nation Must Finance Plan
 J. W. Powell, vice-president of the Bethlehem Shipbuilding corporation, Homer L. Ferguson, president of the Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock company, and Holden A. Evans, president of the Baltimore Dry Dock & Shipbuilding company, who spoke for the builders, emphasized the cost of building American ships as an insuper- able barrier against any attempt to establish a merchant marine without, as MT. Ferguson said, the nation pay ing for it"
 Cheaper Building Costs in England
 MT. Powell said that as nearly as can be calculated the difference be- tween the cost of ship built in Great Britain and that of vessel built in this country has increased from about s25 or S35 ton before the war to S1O0 today.
 "A greater part of that cost" the speaker declared, 'is due to the great increase in the cost of labor in this country. Our wages, set for us by the government, have gone up 150 per cent since August, 1917"
 Laws FaVorino U. s. Ships Urged
 MT. Ferguson said he favored a sys- tenn of allowing American ships rate differentials in American trade, rather than subsidies, since in that way you pay ship for carrying goods and not for just sailing the flag around" Laws and treaties should be made confin- ing trade between the United States and other countries to ships from eith- CT that country or the United States, he said.
 Ships Equal to U. s. Commerce
 This is the crux, as I see it, of a merchant marine,' he asserted, "and a proper one that insures each country having a merchant marine commensu- rate with it's commerce. It may be said this is reactionary. It looks to me that it would be a very good thing to react a hundred years to a successful merchant marine"
 Must Be a Dividend Payer
 Lewis Nixon of New York, declared that unless our ships make money for us they are of no use" The country, he said. does not need a merchant marine unless it is going to be help ful and earn money.
 German Senator's Bill Hindrance
 If the La Toilette seamen's bill re- mains as 1t is, I doubt whether We can run ships" MT. Nixon added, "un- less we adopt enlightened legislation and by some means force a man to load the American ships before he loads the others"