Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1920-06-04

ing fleets on the China coast main
tanning feeder and distributive sery-
ices, basing on Shanghai and Hong
kong. 1t has Il regular line of refrig
4 orator steamers running between Ar
gentine and Europe carrying the froz-
=, beef produced by American pack
in,s houses at Montevideo and Buenos
Aires. It has a regular line between
Maslla and Europe carrying the hemp
of our Philippine possessions to the
markets of the world.
1t has it's own direct sailings be-
tween the Orient and Europe intended
primarily for the benefit of the Ameri-
can merchants out in the Orient so
that they will not be dependent upon
] the foreign flag steamers handled in
the interest of their competitors. 1t
has its own line between Europe on
the one hand and Cuba, Mexico and
/ the West Indies, including the Virgin
Island possessions, and it has estab-
/ lished a "round the world service,
starting on the Pacific coast via the
/ Orient, Singapore, India, Suez canal,
/ Mediterranean. thence home via the
Atlantic coast. Last, but by no means
least it has finally made a reality of
81 fast American flag passenger serv-
ice between the United States and the
east coast of South America.
Carried Out by Private Firms.
| All of these operations were carried
out through private American shipping
concerns acting as agents for the
board. There are about 100 such
agents. and while many of the organ
iZations are necessarily young they
have shown themselves to be efficient
and adaptable, with quick and firm
grasp of the problems connected with
worldwide trading.
The board, recognizing and concur
ring in tie almost unanimous senti-
ment of the country in favor of ulti-
mate private ownership and operation,
this being also reflected by the trend
of pending legislation, recently adopt
ed a fundamental change in its rela-
ton with the shipping concerns act
ing as agents or operators of shipping
board steamers. This was done by
means of a new managing agency
| agreement, whereby the shipping con-
Germ acting as managing agent under
takes to operate the vessel to all in
tents and purposes as owner, receiv-
ing as compensation a portion of the
net earnings obtained. This is ex-
pected not only to prove an added in
centive for efficient operation, but
even more important, it duplicates as
nearly as possible the condition of
private ownership and operation, in
creasing the agents initiative, re-
sourcefulness and confidence in meet
ing the situations which would con-
front him as an owner.
While this plan affords a flexible
and commercial service for the bene-
fit of exporters using shipping board
steamers, it is obviously necessary to
prevent destructive competition be-
tween the aforementioned vessels
through their several managing agents.
This is accomplished and the stability
of rates required in the best inter
ests of the shippers is maintained by
means of conferences between our
agents in each of the various trades
operating out of the North Atlantic,
South Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific dis
trictS.
The shipping board, as well as the
private concerns that have invested
in merchant marine lines, Is handi-
capped, so it says, by the failure Of
the United States to dispose of the
treaties of peace with Germany and
Austria. The board, for instance,
through w F. Taylor, It's assistant di-
rector of operation, told the United
States chamber of commerce at its,
annual meeting at Atlantic City the
other day that regardless of ones
personal sentiments toward the League
of Nations, foreign commerce is
two-party transaction involving in ev-
cry case some other nation than our
own, and it cannot possibly exist be-
hind a wall of splendid isolation"
Congress Plans for Recess.
Congress is speeding up so as
| to enable it to take recess for
six weeks extending from the first
of June to near the middle of July.
A while ago leaders thought they
might be able to arrange for an adj
| journment before the national pOlfti-
cal convention season came on, but
they have decided that this would be
inadyisable. SO the decision is to do
no business for period of six weeks.
In order to comply with the constitu-
| ton each house will have to meet
! twice a week. 1t is assumed that
there will be enough members in town
| to go through the formality Of meet
| ing and adjourning. 1t is barely pos
sible that the recess may be extended
until the first of August but the pres
ent plan is to get back to work about
the middle of July.
An intimation from the White House
| that President Wilson would call the
| legislators back If an adjournment
should be taken may have had some
| thing to do with the decision to take
a recess rather than an adjournment.
| The White House story was that Pres
| ident Wilson was determined to keep
| congress here until it could show that
| it had disposed of all the important
legislation pending. According to the
representations made, Mr.. Wilson was