The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1920-07-15


A thoroughly American merchant
marine will be built up under
the terms of the new merchant
marine law which congress put
through just before 1t took recent ad-
iournment, according to Admiral W..
5. Benson, chairman of the United
States shipping board
The outstanding feature of the new
law Is that preferential treatment Is
| provided for vessels doCumented I'M
der the laws of the United States.
Such provisions, according to Admiral
Benson ana Senator Wesley Jones of
| Washington, chairman of the senate
commerce committee, are absolutely
essential If American vessels are TO
hold their own against foreign com
petition.
Congress declared In the law that
ut Is necessary for the national de-
Tense and for the proper growth OF
Its foreign and domestic commerce
that the United States shall have a
merchant marine of the best equipped
and most suitable types of vessels suf-
iicient to carry the greater portion of
its commerce and serve as a naval or
military auxiliary In time Of war or
national emergency, ultimately to be
owned and operated privately by citi-
zens Of the United States and it is
hereby declared to be the policy Of
the United States 70 do whatever may
be necessary to develop and encour-
age the maintenance Of such a mer-
chant marine, and, In so far as may
not be Inconsistent with the express
provisions of this act the United
States shipping board shall, in the dis
position Of vessels and shipping prop
cay as hereinafter provided, in the
making of rules and regulations, and
in the administration of the shipping
laws keep always In view this purpose
and object as the primary end to be
attained"
About Same Shipping Time.
An important provision of the law
Is that authorizing and directing the
shipping board the membership &c
which is increased from five to seven,
to determine what steamship lines
should be established from the Uni
ted States to foreign ports or in the
coastwise trade and to establish such
routes through private individuals or
companies If possible and otherwise to
operate such lines Itself until private
operation thereof becomes feasible.
On the Warrior river In Alabama the
army is maintaining an important
service between the coal fields of Ala
bama and Mobile and New Orleans.
The principal movement over the New
York state barge canal is the trans
portation of grain between the Great
Lakes and the port of New York.
In all OF these services the war de-
partment has announced that it will
have total of 165 barges and tow
boats in operation during the summer
Of 1920, aggregating cargo capacity
of 14l ,450 tons. This equipment Is all
new and has been designed and con-
struCted particularly to meet nayiga-
tional and traffic requirements of the
locations in which 1t will operate.
The equipment includes seIf-propefl-
ed barges which are capable of carry
ing upwards of 400 tons of cargo, at
the same time towing loaded barges.
The war department believes that
development of the use of those inland
Hrbi nr n nj q.
igation will be an important factor
In reducing the cost Of living.
Study Combined Terminals.
1.-THE major part of the actual de-
velopment of the navIgable rivers and
harbors has for the last century
largely been carried out by the war de-
partment, so that 1t has been more
intimately connected with waterways
In general than any other single gov
eminent bureau" says the department.
"In thus entering a field which Is In
sense so far removed from actual mil
itary operations, the war department
Is giving to the government and to the
nation concrete evidence of the desire
of the new army to become potent
factor In commercial as well as mill
tary achievement"
The position of the war department
with respect TO the operations on the
New York state barge canal Is that
the government should be permitted
to operate Its equipment for the pres
ent season to demonstrate the practl-
cabillty Of that kind of transportation.
It has made 1t clear that it does not
wish to maintain the service on the
canal permanently and that further
more anyone may operate boats on the
canal which Is free, being maintained
by the state. Unless the president
calls congress into special session.
however the war department will not
be disturbed during the present sea-
son of navigation on the canal and
will have the desired opportunity to
show what 1t can accomplish In that
service during the present season.
To increase Freight Rates.
The decision of the interstate COM
MERGE commission on the application
of the railroads for increases In
freight rates estimated to yield $1,017,-
100000 annually is expected about
August 1. No authoritative statement
to that effect has come from the fed
eral rate body, but If rates are to be
Increased--and It may be regarded as
foregone conclusion that there will
be an advance in freight charges-it
is regarded as practically certain that