New-York tribune., 1920-12-15
Shipping Men
Oppose Ban on
immigration
American Steamship Own
ers' Association Commit
tee to Go to Washington;
Protest the Legislation
Would Check New Marine
Henvy Losses Faced if Law
Is Enacted; Extension of
Prohibition Also Opposed

Shipping interests plan to lodge
protest with Congress against legisla-
tion barring immi grafton to this coun-
try
Definite steps in this direction have
been taken by the American Steam
ship Owners Association, representing
all the large American operators Of
shipping. The ASSOCIATION has decided
20 have a committee of its members
visit Washington for the purpose Of
explaining the attitude of American
shipping men. The House has passed
tic bill barring immigration for a
year, bnt the Senate has not yet acted
upon it and the associations commit
tee will probably seek AT opportunity
10 be heard by the Senate Committee
on immigration.
That the enactment of such legisla-
ton VIII be most serious check to
the development of th.s American mer-
CHI nj marine is the Contention of ship
owners Not only the old established
lines, but a number of the newer ones
have made extensive preparations for
handling their share of the large vol
ume of steerage traffic awaiting an op-
portunity to come to this nountry, and
many steamers have been bought or
ordered built with new to their par
tc.paton in this service,
Snlpplng board An ecfcd.
Enactment of an anti i'm mi grafton
Jaw will also interfere seriously with
the plans of the Shipping Board for
the disposal Of large part OF the ton
mage it has had built and for the util-
ization of many vx-German vessels
being or to be reconditioned for car
.ying steerage passengers in large
numbers. Some of the newer shipping
companies have been considering the
feasibility of purchasing the 54,O0O-ton
liner Leviathan, with a view to en-
rloying her in this trade.
How the ban on immi grafton would
affect some of the old established lines
is indicated by the fact that many
carrying g thousand passengers in
me steerage who have paid from $50
to 500 apiece for the vayage. To
eliminate this class of travel would
mean a reduction OF $4,000 to $780,
00o in the receipts on the inward
vayages of these vessels. The loss
would be most keenly felt at the pres
ent time, because of the great reduc-
ton in the volume of cargo to be car
ried and the sharp slump in freight
rates.
One of the largest ..merican lines
has already taken steps for the con-
X
steerage vessel and had expected to
follow the same policy in regard to
others of its feet. At the present high
costs of reconditioning to bar these
vessels from carrying steerage pas
sengers would entail heavy losses.
Prohibition Issue Series
The Shipping Boards attitude is also
one OF opposition TO the proposed legis-
lation and it is expected that the views
Of this body will also be laid before
Congress Foreign lines will also be
sufferers, and their views will prob
ably be made known also.
Another point upon which American
shipping interests are expected to seek
for relief is the proposal to extend the
prohibition laws to American ships, ir-
respective OF whether they are in
American or foreign waters. While
American and foreign vessels will both
suffer under ban on immigration, the
extension of the application of pro-
hioltion will affect American ships
adversely. but will aid foreign lines by
bringing to them passenger traffic that
could othe rwise be secured for vessels
lying me Ame ercan lag.
10 forbid the sale of liquor on this
countrys ships, wherever they may be
shipping men sa,, will form another
serious check to the development of
the new merchant marine, and relief
VIII be songht in the relaxation Of the
proposed regulations. The matter will
PROBABLY be taken up at Washington or
snlpplng interests in the near future