Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1920-08-29


81 IN no sense responsible Tor the pres,
ent position OF American shlpyards.
III quality a. output We can match t1e
wcrid. Llogds ilegslcr at shipping.
a british Institution. gives the high.
est possible rating to Ammerican.built
vessels In quantity IT output. given
Ia orders We can outmatch any ma.
tinn. Ton for ton. British Yards take
practically twice NJ long to turn oft
the fllshed vessels.
The root of the problem, therefore.
lies IN the costs OF construction. MOI
In the cost Of material for We can
ship steel plates and other supplies
long distances overseas. nay the
ireights on them and still underseli
our foreign competitors. But when IL
comes to the question Of labor the
story is q different one. Increases ne.
cetvcd by the American workman
since the beginning of the war have
been IN excess 81 the increases In the
cost IL living In the zane perlod. Fur
thcr inctcases an. now sought. 10
grant them VIII not merely restrict the
Development Of shipbuilding and It's ut.
lied industries II VIII impose a heavy
burden upon the development of the
fh'ifHHNA UAaAUF Uhfls
What has been outlined illustrates
some OF the difficulties with which the
American shipbuilding Industry is
faccd. How. under those ad.ers. cir
cumstaccs. CAL the future of N,
American ship and the American m,r.
liant marine be assured? Tho COOP.
era;lun 81 labor to the extent IT net
eeking To- jmposc new burdens on an
llerady bdrdened industry viii aid:
out other factors ATE also necessary
Half Century Of Neglect.
To make the American ship the hes,
IN the world will. II is believed. solve
the problem. Not merely the hest
structurally. IL ~ that already. To
make II the best economically ~ the
goal sought 1.-THE best for its owner
aud the hest for those who ship goods
by II. and therefore the most prof
table FOR both.
10 do this. American shlpbuilders
believe. II VIII also he necessary 60
utilize the provisions Of the Merchant
Marine Act at 1890 Incorporated In
that measure Tor the purpos,, Of pro
te,iing the American ship from the
competition Of foreign vessels In It's
uwn carrying tradc-a competition
that has diverted billions OF American
dollars into tho packets Of the share
holders Of foreign shipping companies
With no measurable return 10 wv 10
Kind
For more than half century We
Ia,c been neglcciing our own mcr>
hant marine and tho billions paid for
he ocean carriage of American prod.
icts have aided materially In the de
el0pmcnt Of the trade fleets 81 our
competitors. In all this period tho
Merchant Marine Act Of 1920 IN the
only rcIl constructive marine legiSla'
ton placed upon the statute books u
tho United States. Through the op.
pOrtuniiics Il offers results Of he ut.
nos; value to American industry mas
he obtained
The kcynotet Of the Merchant Ma.
rine Act is the protection of Que own
hips IN our own trade. Cnwise pro
visions inserted In our treaties with
competitive maritime nations have
hitherto prevented the extension II
that protection to our shipping. The
new legislation provides for the ter.
iniLatiOn of these restrictive provi.
sions. And at the samc time II brings
into force forms Of preferential treat.
ment for goods carried In American
vessels that will place ship and ship
per at marked advantage over the
foreign shipowncr nd the owner II
tho caIg0es carried In foreign vessels.
The Discriminating lMfies.
, BY the Underwood Tariff Act II
1913, duty Of ten per cent nd :al
orcm IN addition 10 the existing duties
was imposed on all imports into tho
rnltes' States In foreign vessels. cx
ccri In cases where treaty provisions
pre-, cntcd. Ivy the same ..fnsaaairo a
discount ~ per cent was aliogei -cr
tnc duties an all goods imported III