The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-06-09
ships We Have Built and ships
We Shall Sail.


We Shall Sail.
In Chairman HURLEY'S request to
the House Committee on Appropria-
tions for some $870,000,0O0 more to
complete the present building pro-
gramme of the United States Ship
ping Board his expense schedules
give a vivid idea not only Of how
prodigiously but Of how swiftly this
nation poured out treasure to help
win the war. Appropriated, expended
and still required, the cost now stands
at more than three and a quarter
billions of dollars.
1t is true that Mr.. HURLEY does
not submit these figures as the net
cost. In reaching the lightweight
cost, which he places at $50 ton,
be deducts from the total expendi-
lures some s437, 100000, which went
into administration, development, cost
of contract cancellations, &C. He
makes a further deduction of some
$347,000,000 for profits taxes paid
the Treasury by shipbuilders.
This of course is very crude eco.
Monies. not singular in these days to
Mr.. Hurley, another notable instance
being Mr.. HoovER's Grain Bureau.
1t is not the Treasury andit is not
the Government which pays the bills
and stands the cost of ships, or wheat
or railroads. or anything else. 1t Is
the American people. They put UP
the money, The Treasury Is only the
funnel through which the public's
money flows as it is spent by ship.
building boards, grain bureaus, rail.
road administrations and other Gov
eminent institutions.
The American people paid the ad.
ministration expenses which Mr.. HuR.
LEY deducts from the cost Of the
ships. The American people paid the
development and similar items which
he deducts. The American people
paid the fOrfeits for cancelled con.
tracts. The American people paid
the contracts fulfilled, including the
profits taxes which the shipbuilders
put into the Treasury. Therefore the
American people paid every red cent
which Mr.. Hurley deducts from his
expenditures. BY the same token the
1855, 1O6 lightweight tons of ships
which he calculates at cost of So,
614,G2I,92O cost the American people
in reality $3,29S, S19.3O1. This Is 9
difference in true cost to the Ameri
can people of something like $500,
100000 more than Mr.. HURLEY's
schedule makes it.
Nevertheless while we were at wal
mere cost never was the question. The
ships had to be built. They had to BIZ
built in the least possible time. They
had to be built at whatever cost. IL
spite Of gross blunders, frankly con.
fessed by Mr.. HURLEY, in spite of I'M
exampled profigacy, the marvellou.
shipbuilding record of the United
States did more than we can state IL
simple mathematical terms to hell
win the war.
AS for the rest, Chairman HURIE,
deserves high credit for cutting Off al
that he could of the useless expendi
tnres the instant the war was over
He did a first class business Job wher
he took loss in contract cancella
tions-a loss not for the Treasury but
for the American people-of a coupl,
of hundred millions, instead Of one OF
perhaps n couple of billion dollars or
useless ships TO be turned out by con
tlnuing our breakneck pace at BUILDING
all kinds OF ships, good, bad and in
different.
This past history of our new ships
however, is no longer the big thing
The big thing with our shipping pro
gramme to-day-and in asking Con
gress for more money Mr.. HuRLE,
does not try to tell this wonderful
story-is what we can do, what WI
are going to do with some of oul
ships, whether made in our own yard.
or seized from the enemy.
The chances are more than ever
that we shall junk or sell off a goot
deal of the tonnage accounted for II
Mr.. HURLEY's statement. The chance,
may be five to one that when we at
tempt to operate our American shin,
IN competition with ships Of the Old
World we shall throw away NOR.
money than we threw away in bu,ld
ing them. But we cannot onerot.
some OF our ships to better advantag,
than in drawing closely together mi,
country and our South America,
neighbors' We cannot spend ON
money In q better cause than estah
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