American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1919-05-02

nre discnrdlng the olu-tlme
crnmned forecnstle from their new boats ana are
putting In quarters featuring comforts '"' w"
unknown In the old sailing days
Hereafter the business OF being n sailor VIII not
he the disagreeable Job 1t was before anc during
the war. The pay Is going to be petter-hrst IN
the American boats and Inter In the foreign trhoe'
1t VIII be the same proposition as n business house
(Americal introducing Industrial reforms anu CIV
ing higher pay and enlarged opportunity, thereby
virtually obliglng rival concerns (Great britain
and the other shipping powers) to maintain the
same wage schedules and reforms In order to Keep
their employees satisfied.
That the "stoker class" of sailors, the men VINO
tended the coal-burning boilers in n superheated
fireroom, will disappear almost entirely now seems
to be n forcgonc conclusion. IN their places VIII
be men tending fuel-oil furnaces by watching q set
OF valves and gauges and doing none OF the ter
rlble physical exertlon that was necessary for the
old-fashloned coal-burning ships. Fuel oil has
come to stay, as have oil engines for merchant
ships. Use OF either OF these modern power gem
orators eliminates the old-time stoker aboard ship
the worst class of labor needed.
In place of the old-fashioned sailor will come in
due Unexpectedly much sooner than we expect
the trained ship worker, whose position In the
world will be Infinitely higher thar his predeces-
sor.
Lots OF criticism IL heard regarding the ships
American yards turned out during the rush of
war work. Many OF them leaked the rivets were
not put in carefully there was not enough time.
Europe had to be fed-armies In the field needed
munitions-tlme was at a premium.
American shipping men do not consider our war
built ships us fair examples of what our yards
can turn out and are predicting, with much as
surnnce, that American-bullt bonts will BIO as
stanch as Americas steel buildings.
America Now Leads World.
Today America leads the world In ship build.
Ing. The neutral nations ran out of steel and are
not competitors. The French and Italians are
building only a relatively small number Of boats
The British. counting Learly 200 boats being built
I'm Canada and other British dominions, have about
600 boats under way. a total of a little more than
2yO0O,UOO tons. America has almost twice as many
being built, totallng about three and a half million
tons, and We are lust getting started"
Government ownership Of shipping is a polIcl
private ship owners are fighting In America ant
England as well. Lord Inchcape, president OF thu
British chamber Of shipping and chairman Of thu
great British ship concern, the PenInsular an'
Oriental company, has emphatically stated he will
sell out his large interests In British shipping &C
tJyitles II government ownership and control are 4
be continued indefinitely.
1t is understood, on American authority here fl
Paris, that government control Of American ship
ping is to last only a relatively short time-unti
the defunct law Of supply and demand has agai
gone into operation, when the world trade route
have been reconstructed from the havoc wrough
by war.
1t is expected. however, that the America
government Will always stand committed TO a pol
CIV of ship control on certain definite phases of III
business. For instance, the government shout
not be expected TO permit rival ship Lines fyin
the American flag to embark on cut-throat compe
tive programs for business. 1t would be again
the governments pollcy-after the days OF rgI
control have passed-tO permit rival ship line
10 operate more ships on u given trade line tina
the tonnage Of that route demanded.
More American ships mean more naval vessel
Our navy must be maintained so as to compaI
f~ayornbly fn size with the merchant feet. Not tn
we are making ready for an era Of excessive arm
ments.
This much il settled, however America is b
ginning her career az a great maritime power, al
the American government is going t. try to NAL
the life Of our sailors as comfortable, as well pa
and as respectable as the life OF any welLpa
employee I'm a modern American business eoncer
our young men Of this generation and the COZ
ing decades then will gradually become great
. world travellers than they have been since the ear
days OF our republic, and America probably w
never regain the feeling Of isolation from wor
anairs she ind 'before her entry into the great WI