Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1919-01-17
MORE OCEAN TONNAGE
WILL BENEFIT FARMERS

During the coming year several
million tons of merchant ships Will
be completed ready for sea service in
our new shipyards. These vessels
will give the United States a mer-
chant marine among the largest in
the world Moreover, we will be the
only great farming nation with a
merchant marine to carry soil pro-
ducts to world markets. Some OF the
European countries, like Denmark,
Holland, and France, have made sue
cessful use of their merchant ships
to create world markets in high
class concentrated soil products, such
as cheese, butter, eggs, cured meats,
wines, and so on. But the other
great maritime nations are, as rule,
importers of foodstuffs, not export
ers, and they pay for food with manu-
featured goods.
The American farmer thoroughly
understands railroad transportation,
and uses different types of rail- DAD
service to expand his markets. The
refrigerator car, the grain car, the
horse car, the live stock car, together
with express and parcel post service,
have been employed by our farmers
| to deliver perishables across the con-
tinent, and also serve neighborhOOd
customers with choice food special
| ties.
Our new merchant marine will Of
fer facilities strikingly like those ia
miliar in railroad transportation, and
| in thinking of world markets the
American agriculturist can visualize
our railroads connecting with our
ships at tidewater and taking COM
modities around the world on our
own trade routes.
There are four general types of
ocean vessels, comparable with
American railroad service. The fast
passenger liner, carrying practically
no cargo except baggage and mails,
is the equivalent of the fast limited
| passenger train--these crack liners
can only find profitable traffic be-
tween our Atlantic ports and En-
rope, The passenger-and-ca liner
running on regular routes and SEIZED.
| ules to Latin America, the Orient
and other regions, is like the regular
| passenger train, but carries more
freight, The fast cargo liner, run
| ming on regular routes and schedules,
| carrying high class freight, CORE
| spends to our fast freight service by
which perishable commodities are
shipped. And the tramp steamer,
carrying freight only, chiefly bulk
commodities, like grain, coal, cotton,
and so on, following no regular
routes and adhering to no regular
schedule, is the common freight car
of the ocean, conspicuous for mum.
bers, adaptability, and economy.
We are building ships in all these
classes and as rapidly as possible the
United States shipping board will as
sign them to world trade. AS the re-
frigerator car has played an imporl-
ant part in finding markets for de-
ciduous fruits, berries, meats. dairy
products, and wide range of farm
produce, so the refrigerator ship on
the ocean will make possible extern
sions of markets, To overcome han
dlcaps Of distance on our own CONT
nent, American growers have at.
tanned high standards in grading and
packing their products. illustrated n
boxed apples, oranges, pineapple,
lemons, and grapefruit. Experiments
in selling such products to Latin
American and Oriental countries have
demonstrated that American stand
ard goods are appreciated, and that
new trade can be built upon them
But heretofore there have been I'M.
certain ocean shipping facilities
Venturesome exporters could demon.
strate world demand. Dor we had no
refrigerator ships running on reeu-
lar schedules to supply such markets
or indeed, any ships at all and serv-
Ice by foreign ships was too irregu-
lar and inferior to enable us to buiId
lasting trade. With our own mer-
ehant marine, and ships meeting ALI
the world market requirements botb
IN regularity and quality of service
together with rates controlled by our.
selves, and skilfully adapted TO the
needs Of the traffic, We shall ne ablo
10 enter these attractive markets
abroad and give our foreign custom
ers as good service as is given anv
home markets.