Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-12-14
ANNUAL REPORT
SEC OF COMMERCE

report made public today. The over
seas trade reached the unprecedented
total of s11s75 ,42i,O 900 and s5.071. 900, 900 of
it was carried in American-owned yes
sells as against 1868, $4,000 carried in
American bottoms the year before the
war.
Tie total volume of imports and ex-
ports by land and sea was $13,S49, 66l.-
coo, nearly $1,000. 100000 above the pre-
vious record established in the fiscal
year ended June go 1919. Imports for
the last year amounted to s5,2SS. Cpl. 900
as compared with $S.095, 600 for the
previous year and almost s3.OoO,oooO COO
for the fiscal year of 1918. The value
Of exports for the last fiscal year ag-
gregated $3.50, 429, 900, an increase of
approximately $500, 100000 over the pre-
vious year and $4,000. 0Oo. goo over 1918.
Mr.. Alexander also shows that dur
ing the last fiscal year the American
merchant fleet was increased by $50
vessels of S,4l6,00o gross tons and that
on last June 80 American shipping COM
prised 2S,1S3 vessels of 1924, 024 gross
tons. This compared with 7.92S,6SS in
1914.
Growth OF American shipping has
been wholly in the foreign trade" the
Secretary said, much more than half
of that growth having taken place
since the armistice of November II,
1918. and the increase of the past ifs
cal year being double that of any year
before the armistice. This increase in
tonnage would mean little unless it
ole fA- to- sod 10
Quoting from the bureaus statistics
showing an increase of about 1900. 600
net tons cleared by American ships in
k1920 as against 1914 the Secretary con-
tinued: I'm word. while our gross
tonnage registered for foreign trade is
tenfold what it was in 1914 it has sup.
piled in actual employment in over
seas trade IA times the American car
go and passenger space available IN
| 1914, though in the shorter voyages to
foreign ports in North America, re-
quiring fewer and usually smaller ships.
the increase-and the demand-has not
! been so great.
! In connection with the growth of
J American shipping and foreign trade.
| Mr.. Alexander discussed the advis-
ability of charging off Ito the winning
| of the war sufficient of the war
cost of the government owned ships
! to enable them to compete with for
eign shipping on the basis of actual
value Of the properties. He advocated
! this course on the belief that onl:
through such action could the ships.
built under wartime stress and at war
! time costs, continue to meet the over
sxhead expenses of maintenance and
Rperation.
Y4.We must be candid with ourselves.
Rhe continued. 1.-THE value of the
ships owned by the government must
be reduced to their actual value for
competitive purposes at the present
time and the difference between that
value and the first cost should be
charged to the winning of the war.
IT, Interest on that difference. the
corresponding contribution to the sink
ing fund and the corresponding allow
siree for depreciation will be. treated
thus as war losses, and this surely IS
preferable to a continued failure to
make annual payments on the account
of the merchant marine to interest.
Although the nations gross foreign
business was the greatest in it's history
last year, the Secretary expressed the
belief that American exporters would
find it increasingly difficult to main
tain their position in foreign markets
with out adequate government aid and
he urged Congress to proyide for eX-
I pansion of the foreign attache service
and asked for increased appropriations
/ to be used in the promotion of foreign
/ trade. For American trade de-
velopment, Mr.. Alexander recommend
ed expenditures of so per cent more
than was used in this field last year.
The Secretary cited specific achieve
ments of the departments foreign
staff as proof of the aid it had render
ed and was rendering American bust
ness in expanding and increasing its
foreign trade. He declared the ac-
complishments had ,been marked in
every country and suggested that Con-
gress develop the commercial aid SER
vice apace with the growth and re-
ouirements of the nations foreign
commerce.
Estimat cs of appropriations required
for the Department Of Commerce for
the fiscal year 1922 were placed by the
Secretary at $50, 3s3, 4S1. an increase of
1,712 over those of this year.
Cost of the field work in connection
with the: enumeratio of population
and agriculture for the 1920 census will
reach approximately s9.345.00O. consist.
ing of about s7,650OO0 for enumerators
and approximately s,e95. 900 for salaries
and travelling expenses of the super
visors and special agents. Secretary
Alexander said.
Discussing the work of the bureau Of
lighthouses for the year the Secretary
said a total of ga new aids to naviga-
ton were established. including 172
lights and GO gas buoys. by the light
house service which on June 80. 1920
employed 6.002 persons and was charg-
ed with the maintenance of aids to
navigation along 49.0l2 miles Of coast
line and river channel.
In his discussion of the work of the
coast and geodetic survey. Mr.. Alex
ander devoted much space to Alaska.
declaring that there had never been a
we'll defined and concentrated effort
on a big business scale to develop the
territory as it should be done. He
pointed out that Alaska with its more
than 260O0 miles of detailed coast line
could not be approached without ply
ing the waters that nearly surround it.
The Secretary said that hundreds of
vessels had been wrecked on the Alas