Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1920-02-26
FARMERS OWN SHIPS
THAT COST BILLIONS
Other Taxpayer Also oeeoNe
Partnsrs h Sea Trade @
Result d War.
WHAT SHALL BE DOME
WITH FLEET A Pn0eLe n1

WITH FLEET A Pn0eLEm
y WINTHROP I. MARVIN,
Auelase ~ ~rhs American MsrshaRe
eoasaas; - tlsAsry sHa NsmaNes."
Washtastou, D. C.--Ths farmers q
Thu couhtry n present as~ sAirowness
ea large scale. They own Sharss =
Z corporation that controls 1.a0O great
merchant steamers built since The var
began.
Most o. these farmsr-owness havo
ssver sssn the ships II which they ON
. share and god many q the0 have
aever seen the ocean. TAoy aro ~
= - enterprise that sonsoeay go
runs for them. aDqe tAey ~ toee1ng
tAs billa aleae With ~ nanutAetssse4
he workmea. the mercAaato ~ -
miners Of tAs ceuntry. an No. Nils
ars likely - provs staGgseiAg ualo0
se0e way b tsund pre0ptly - nano
the 0ost e9ective - - dlapesal -
thsss 11oo vssssaa
TAis b the substance ef s1tnasiea
that has asleea . . sssalt C ~ -.
srumeats emergency sAlpbUll1loe -.
tivitiss b ~ waf. Tie suGsstag wes.o
esse6 ioe shipA an1 ~ Anartcan -
Oae Aear6 their ery. aa1 built ~ sAl0A
Money was pesrsd iaee ~ aAlD1a111-
~ program. Iarde wsro creale1
where seas sgisee1 be6ess. Asnles g
work,ssa were trained Il ~ tsa1o g
shipbuilders. A eaorneas estput No.
attained. Ssddealy tAs war cane y
- ed. TIE shiDesil6iag pregEa0 -
thsa sadsr such hGo1way THAT 4 eoa11
net b suddsaly stsppe4 4 b s11ll
geing. 10 fact In cases whses Co.
strsctisa q = sAip had ~ advanced
to- FIR. and he materials essld -
eol1, eootsacts wsrs eancsleA ~ -
ships h . msrs advanced seasA Co.,
pletios was necessary % preveat great
loss.
Noweo otw1leo peooloM.
The vast sAipbsildins pregram hae
been and b still under csatrol q ths
Unitsd States Shipping Beard. bedy
Of ave men appointsd ~ TIE Prseidsnt
The actual building ID IN the hands u
the Emcrgsncy Fleet Cosposatiea, ~
stock Of which 10 held b the 9hipplag
Hoard. A. The Shipping Dsard =
dnanced By Congrsss. svssy taxpayss
In the country 10 . sharsAeidss h ~
Emergency Fleet Corporatisn. aad has
measure Of responsibility fse the &C.
tivitIes Of the Unitsd States oAipptng
Board itself.
These are the reasons that make he
present situation u the Beard. anl ef
the merchant marine, enc Of vital In
terest to the ceantsy at largo TIE
war emergency which LED the nattsa
into the shipbuildtng business has
passed. We have the ships On hand.
They were built at the psak Of war
costs Of tabor and material. What
shall We Do with themf Coagrsao
10 dealing with that question 1t
present. and the House already has
taken steps to offer the ships for saie
to American shipping men. thus rellsv-
Ing the public treasury Of the risk u
volyed In their management By tbs
government In the years Of keen CO.,
petition that are to come.
The FiaS ~ ne esaA
This action By the House followed
months Of study Of the subject ~ rsp-
reseatatives who arrived 1t he bslise
tkat - compiler Z thing - merchAst
ship could b more economically mAa-
aged By experienced men who had
passed their whole lives In the 49,
ping business than By any Temporary
board Or commission Of the govern
meut. Many Of the inland membesS
reasoned that II II takes Z farmer.
brought up from boyhood on = farm.
successfully 70 operate farm. surely
II takes sailor TO operate q shtD.
The Senate Committee on Com0erce
10 holding . series Of hsarings On IL
subject. that means much In tie maia-
tenance Of our dag On the seas. Il
appears to be the almost unanimeus
opinion Of public men at wasAiagt0a
that the ships should not b oWns1
and operated By the government. noW
that the war emergency has passed.
the Main oweeajen.
British owners, ~ 4 whole, have .
lower investment per ton II ships than
We have. NJ they nave . eI<ater poe-