New-York tribune., 1920-10-16
Shipping Board
Not Getting Its
Share of Cargo
With 20 Per Cent Less Ton
mage Private American
Vessels Secure Nearly as
Much Freight to Carry
Are Far Ahead ON Imports
Difficulty of Governments
Ships Securing Carrying
Trade Abroad illustrated


s.aroIng merchant marine of the
United States is owned by the Ship
o;nr' Board, the boards vessels during
the fiscal year ended June so, last,
carried only per cent more of the
country's foreign trade than ships
orivately owned and operated under
The American flag. With an advan-
,age Of about 20 per cent in the volume
et Tonnage owned the governments
trade feet has an advantage of only
one.twente.h of that figure over the
present American shipping in cargoes
carried.
These figures. which are drawn from
compilation prepared by the Ship
ping Board, are Of especial interest in
view of the investigation now under
way by the board to ascertain how
its vessels are being handled by
private operators. Those on the
boards committee Of inquiry are Paul
Foley, director of operations; R. H.
Bailey, assistant to the chairman of
the board; Fred L. Murphy, assistant
director of operations; Erskine Wood,
admiralty counsel, and Alonzo Tweed
dale, controller.
Oddities in Cargo Carrying
An analysis of the figures compiled
by the board shows some surprising
conditions. While Shipping Board ves-
sells carried 80 per cent of our ex-
ports during the fiscal year, only
II per cent was transported in private
? " owned American ships In the
carriage of imports, however. the
Shipping Boards share was only 27
per cent, as compared with 45 per cent
in independent American ships. Gov
ernment ships handled % per cent of
the combined exports and imports, a s
against % per cent transported in
private American vessels. Foreign
registered shipping transported SO per
cent Of the exports, but only % per
cent of the imports; their share of
the total trade being 43 per cent.
The small percentage Of imports car
red in Shipping Board tonnage illus
trates the difficulty the board has been
having IN securing return cargoes for
its vessels from foreign countries. AS
against 100000 tons carried by indie
pendent American ships and 1928 900
tons in foreign bottoms, the govern
nent owned vessels brought in only
7,236,OO0 tons. only about a quarter of
the total. Of exports, however. 49,
$4,000 tons moved in Shipping Board
vessels, as compared with 1912 900 tons
IN privately owned American Ships.
Foreign tonnage, however, carried 23.-
10000 tons or more than both classes
OF American ships combined.
what the Figures Indicate
Shipping men say that the figures in
dieate that foreign shippers prefer to
send their goods to America in private
~ owned American vessels, rather than
IN those owned by the government.
From the Shipping Boards standpoint,
however, 1t may lie argued that opera
tors Of Shipping Board tonnage who
also operate vessels of their own are
showing more diligence in securing
cargoes for their own ships than for
me governments. On the other hand.
the greater volume of exports carried
IN Shlpplng Board vessels would seem
,c indicate reverse condition. How
the boards committee of inquiry will
interpret the situation remains to be
seen.
! One factor to be considered is that
tne bulk Of the independently owned
SHIPS are operated by old established
hrms, while the Shipping Boards YES
seiS IN many cases are in the hands OF
new firms with little or no tonnage of
.nelr own and practically no experience
IN tne handling of ships. AS a result
os the inquiry, 1t is anticipated, many
VI the boards vessels Will be taken out
u inexperienced hands and assigned to
experienced operators.
Dist rihutiou of Torro~o
The tonnage of active vessels at pres
eht controlled by the Shipping Board.
exclusive of the vessels operated by the
srmy and navy and under bare-boat and
% s.ine charter, are distributed in the
's'ious trades as follows:
\ 81 per cent in Northern European; 3
n VeMl IN southern European: per cent
Is H.r'o@n. nar u per cent in Transpacihc,
csn,P Pt cent IN South Americana per
,a~ s~' IN IN west Indies and Carribboar'. 6
rs cent III domee ic service; ncr ccNt
" OpeFauns between isseign poi .s.
p. VI the steel vessels owned by the
onlppIng Board engaged in these
selvlces 5S9 are operating from North
s.antie a.itie ports, eighty-nine from South
nn,an''c 100 t ports, 229 from Gulf ports,
sul from Pacific ports, eighty-nine are
employed in coastwise service. fifty
sniee are operating between foreign
pVilS' ll3 are at present unallocated
any designated berth liner service.
these latter virtually constitute the
Tramp service of tho F1ee+