Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-02-14
ROW OVER SALE
(coutinpod from Pass One.

NJ" Wv G8S GALE
CcsWtinssd from Paes One
In the District ct Columbia ST.
prenne court William Randolph
Hearst of New York appearing rs
TAX pRuer, Sied Al arpiicaEion tnr
az inJuncrion % prevent proposed
sale Of the ships IL aucuon oex- Mon
Gay The court iSsued a order -
during the board TO show cause On
Monday vk- q temporary uJunc-
lion snpuii mot be iasueG-
Chairman Pnyne assured the SCI
aHe conmftrse and his ASSURANCES
were repeated . the fun senate, that
the board wouid merely rsceive bids
Monday for the vessels and would
report the results 70 the senate before
acting He net charges that the
sale Of the vessels 10 a single pEr-
chaser for s.S .8ae .eRB was attended
with 3 fiat denial but repeaIed his
owr conclusion thai sale of the ships
20 American private owners n The
Present GiIne was ID the aGvan-ass OF
the government
Senator AshErs1. Democrat. o.
- ~3sAA]6~ bR-4t-A L41c 6.lG Id
brought = ID a head by Offering q
concurrent resolution directing the
shipping board not % sell the shtus
except through regular bidding arr-
I or three months advertising. He and
the senators supporting his resoiu-
non declared the boards action
, woU4d result IL the sale Of vassels
worth scoo tDD and more 70 p-i-
vafe interests fur around $50 a TN.
The possibility that they might 20
10 English ownership was strongly
1ll-1n1il-eo ny opponents OF the Irne-
cIars sale
tscusslng tLllv with The c,raurt--
Tee considerations p-c-rrirr he
boards cecisien 70 proceed win rs
Attempts III sale. Chairman PAYNE 20
sla-sc the arguments briefly pu-,Ioee
II the letter 10 the p-esiaarr vr,cA
as gwen or- ar the White House mi
lcws:
III view Of tie ricielrS a--act-
against the shipping board euauat-
-nS from ce-rain quarter. regard
ing the sale Of the sx-CJs-up- mas
senEe- ships may ! re-s-a-e r,e sim
pie facts:
% The ships a-e ID pc seId 70
AnsrlcaEs only and VIII sail Undar
the American flag VIII serve the
routes which. ir the opirior Of The
shipping board. viii best serve Amer
Ican commerce and viii always be
available 10 the government n case
Oh a National emergency.
10 Nome Of the ships wiz be soI6
I'd England. or Il any foreign Der
sons. corporations or Country and vii
nor pc sole I'd a single cnmparv. bur
% as many companies as possible.
Cd Before deciding 10 Offer the
SHIPS for sale the board ascerra1aee.
tao That Cd make them over from
troop 70 passenger ships. as rusr be
done 70 20 Of these 20 be SOLD. viii
cost So 10000 and the others II the
same preparation. We dill not deem
Il wise 20 make sucn an expenditure
Of public money.
N(bp In view Of prohibition and Of
the ac-Cal conditions. the hoa-c
oeemsc II probable thai passenger
ships could not be operatsd by the
shipping board AZ profit.
"(4,-The scarcity Of tornaes and
The present need for passenger ships
makes this perhaps the best possible
time tp sal the snips-indeeS. We Do
not believe we can ever get more for
them than now.
(a}-The greatest possible pub
liciry has attended every step We
nave taken. Bids we're invited and
after these were received the PRO-
posed sale mas been in the press for
GAYS With the statement that On
MONDAY next al ten O'clock we
would have a public auction sale 81
the Office o. the board and thus sep
the ships and everyone. including
our critics invited To attend"
A similar letter from tlae shipping
board chairman Was made public BY
Representative Meade Democrat
New York
Bs1ore the committee Mr.. Payne
faced prolonged examination. Seua-
tors cited the price offered the bos re
10Y the LepiathaC. of the ex-Ge--7ar
reer which was $4,000. 0Do. This was
compared with an original cousr-uc
Ilon cost tor the vessel Of $4,000. 900
anc present cost OF cupIicarin
mere N American yards Of $50. 0so. :
eoo THIS latter figure uas fur
nissleo by Homer s. Ferguson. prssi-
dent Of the United States Cham her
on Commerce, shIpyar6 head VINO
was present.
Chairman Payne likewise furnish
&c the estimates OF shipping board
experts. that II would cost $500 goo
10 reconGitlon the vessel from z u-oop
transport 10 her former capacity Of
passenger carrier. Only one concern
wanted 70 buy the Leviarhau. NJ
Payne said but from two firms bids
were received on others vessels Of
the fleet NJ Ferguson followed
Chairman Payne as q witness before
the committee when It's report had
been made and urged that Congress
determine early us shipping policy
Some form of preference for Amer
can owned ships ne held would he
necessary TO keep them OF the seas
Z snch preference was established
he believed that the government
could secure much larger sum for
the vessels II now has TO sell
Rio CnNnMani>r IN E.&