The star-progress. (Opelousas, La.) 1917-1921, 1919-11-29

date task of the government, through
the shipping board, should be to es'
tablish fixed trade routes with vessels
sailing on definite dates, and then tc
transfer the various lines to private
companies as soon as they can be in
duced to enter the field. These trans
fers, it is proposed, should be made
under binding contracts which would
insure the perpetuation of the lines
under the American flag. If the in
dividuaI ships are sold to operators
the fear is expressed that they will be
employed in the trades where abnor-
NAL profits are to be made under
present unsettled conditions and later
be unable to survive foreign compe-
tition.
Mr.. j. H. Rosseter, director of the
division of operations of the United
States shipping board, former steam
ship operator on the Pacific and rec
ognized as one Of the few well-posted
men on international maritime affairs,
outlines a program he had submitted
to the board, which contemplates the
establishment of scheduled passen-
ger and freight service to Southamp-
ton and Cherbourg, and additional
lines to Hamburg, Antwerp, the Bal
tic, Mediterranean ports and Spain.
Nine lines are proposed to accommo-
date the South American and Far
East trades, running to Brazil, Ar
gentina, Colombia, Venezuela, Para,
west coast of Africa, Capetown, west
coast of South America, Philippines,
China, Japan, India, Australia and
Vladivostock.
Balanced Fleet Program
Incident to the establishment of the
lines suggested ,he proposes the i'm
mediate disposition of approximately
a million tons of shipping unsuitable
to our needs, which he said, taken by
and large, would bring about $780,
100000. This he would replace with
1 ,466,0 900 tons, of types adapted to
our trades at an estimated cost of
1921, 675,O0O, consisting of ten oil
tankers, LAP cargo liners and 20 mo-
tor ships. These, he says, are essen
tial to round out our fleet and will
actually draw on the government for
but $4,000, 900.
United States in the Lead
Our construction has been largely
of oil-burning ships, and their supe-
riority over the coal-burner, as more
economic and efficient in operation,
is generally recognized. This, to-
gether with the fact that the shipping
board has established oil-bunkering
stations for its ships all over the
world and well in advance Of Eng
land, gives US tremendous lead over
our foreign competitors, it is claimed.
Unification Of Rail and Water Trans
portation
A proposed through bill of lading
from inland shipping points to for
eign ports was suggested. The plan
contemplates that the railroads be
furnished by steampship companies,
at regular intervals, with rate sched-
ules guaranteed for period Of nine
ty days. These rates would be fur
nished shippers by the railroads on
application to the station agent, to-
gether with the date Of embarkation
and name of ship, and bill of lading
issued for shipment through the sea-
port desired by the shipper to any
part of the world. This as Of vital
Importance to small inland manufac-
turers and produce men who have
formerly been and now are practical
ly cut off from all export business,
and would also tend to distribute our
export business more evenly among
the various seaports.
Would Make United States Worlds
Market
A bill introduced by Congressman
Nolan Of California, on which testi-
mony was taken before the ways and
means committee, provides for the
establishment Of foreign trade zones
or so-called "free ports" in various
seaports of the United States, which
contemplates spacious grounds, haf-
Dor facilities and warehouses. The
organization of these zones has moth
ing to do with the entrance of foreigs
goods for domestic consumption free
of duty, but the chief advantages of
their adoption, as outlined by Philip
B. Kennedy, director of the bureau of
foreign and domestic commerce, arc
attraction to American ports of tran :
shipment trade, essential to the prof
table employment of our enlarged
merchant fleet; avoiding the delay
under our customs regulations, ope-
rating against such trade at present,
and the system Of returning duty paid
on certain raw materials when man
ufactured and re-exported; enabling
the grading, sorting, repacking or
manufacturing, now accomplished in
adequately and with difficulty in the
present crowded customs districts, es-
tablishing consignment market for