Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1920-02-26
FARMERS OWN SHIPS
THAT COST BILLIONS
Other Taxpayers Also oeooaae
Partners h Sea Trade .
Result d War.
WHAT SHALL Be DOME
WITH FLEET A PRoel ZEN

WVNt CUOA6 Ok UVuuS
WITH FLEET A pR0Bl En-
~ WINTHROP Z. MANvlN,
AweAes - "rks Amer,eaM Merchant
aoassas; ~ hlslssy aNa NsmaNss."
WashinEton, D. C.---Ihs farsneru oe
thu country 1t present ars shlpowness
% . large scale. They own shares =
. corporation that cootrols 3.S0O great
merchant steamers built since The var
began.
Most Of these farmer-owuess Aavo
asvsr sesa the ships 10 which they own
share and good nany q shem have
never zen the OCEAN. TAey ars ~
- N entespsise that somehedy s1se
runs fer them. AD4t tAsy ass eoselne
he billA aleng WITH ~ naau1AetnrssA
he wsrkmen. The merchants aad -
miners Of tAs cosntsy, anA tAsss hllle
srs Mkely - prove stasssslns unls0
so0s way b fsund pes0ptly = 49,
he aese eGeetive - - Disposal g
tAsss 1ooo vessels.
Tab y the substance e . sltuaelon
hat Aas arissa - : result g ~ oev-
sFnmsats smsrgoaey ahlpo0ll1lne g.
tivltteo n ths war. Ne sn4ertne vesa1
csae6 1oe shlpa an1 ~ Anegtcan -
DE Aeard tAelr CRY, an1 built - sAioa
Money Wa pesrsd Into ~ sAipoul11-
Nc program. yards Weeo creaeo1
whore nsas existed bseesN. Asnies g
worksssa were trained u ~ tra1s g
shipSsil6ess. A saormoue eutput woo
attained. Sud6saly ~ war eame y
- sad. TIE sAipssilaiag psses1n -
tAsa under ssch hss1way that & esul1
net b suddsaiy stsppsa 4 b sl1ll
geing. n tact In easss wheeo 60
stractisa e . sAip Md ~ advanse1
to- far. and De aatseials ceald -
eoll. ceatracts wsrs caacelo4 vt =
ships h . mers advanced seaoa Co.,
plstios was nscsasary to prevent great
loss.
+sves otSdiso prootom.
TIE vast sAipbslldias prsgran No.
been and b still under ceatFel Of the
United States Shipping BEARD, / bedy
Of ave men appolntsd ~ the President
The actual building h 10 the hands Ct
the Emergency Fleet Cosporatisa, ~
stock Of which u held By the 1Aippias
Hoard. ~ The shipplng Bear1 y
financed By Congress, every taxpayss
In the country b . sharsAoldss h ~
Emergency Fleet Cosporation, and has
Z measure Of responsibility Ter the &C
tivities Of the United States ohlpptng
Board itself.
These are the rsasons that make ne
present sItuation q the Beard, an sf
the merchant marine, enc 81 vital ~
ierest to the countFy at large To
war emergency which led the natioa
into the shipbulldins businsss has
passed. We have the ships On hand.
They were built ct the peak Of var
costs OF labor and material. what
shall We Do with themi Ceagrsas
IL dealing with that eusstioa ct
present and the Houss already hes
taken steps to offer the ships for sais
to American shipping men. thus rslisv-
ing the public treasury Of the risk -
volved In their management By he
government In the years Of keen CO.
petition that are 10 come.
THE Fiae ~ ne osaA
This action BY the House follewe1
months Of study Of the subject ~ ssp-
rsseatatives who arrived 1t the bellef
that - compiler q thing % Z msrChaet
ship could Be more economically nAs.
aged By sxpericncsd men who bod
passed their whole lives In ths 49,
ping business than BY any tsmDeeasy
board Or commission Of the govern
mept. Many OF the inland mA0bess
reasoned that II u takes . farmer.
brought up from boyhood on . farm.
successfully to operate q farm. surely
II takes q sailor to operate Z ship.
The senate Committee on Commerce
10 holding . series Of hsartngs on to
subject. that means much in The mais-
tenance Of our dag o. the seAs. e
appears to be the almost uDanimeus
opinion Of public men 1t wasAingtsa
that the ships should not b. owos1
and oper1ted BY the government. nov
that the war emergency has passed.
The Nlala oweetleN.
British owners. as whole, have .
lower Investment per ton In ships than
We have. M lhey nave . sy&ater No.