Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1920-01-10
by Government Operated Passenger
Ships" says:

, SHIPS says:
Having alkcd sh ps and planned
II rs. built ships and bot, Int ships.
i must be something OF Il Sh~cli to
III" American people 70 learn that
the Government is going TO sell all
the Cc' man passenger ships it CAP
turcd and o hcrNisc got cut Of the
war.
1t IS y fine fleet Of Il quarter or a
million of tons. among them the
greatest of all the transatlantic lin
crS. the Lcviathan. 1t is a IL ct which
directly and immediately cost the
United States Treasury nothing 1t
is fleet part Of VIII CHI performed enor
nous service to our armies in tho
war. l. is Il fleet which can give lus
trc to our Stars and Stripes afloat.
But the Government cannot afford to
operate these passenger sh ps. big
or little, swift or slow.
1t will be nei her a shock nor n
surprise to the practical ship opera
tor to hear that the Government can
not compete with other passenger YES
sells. And the reason is not as was
SuggcS cd that Uncle Sans vessels
cannot like others, sell liquor on the
hlgh seas. Bars or no bars for soft
drinks or hard drinks there ara eco
monte condit ons. political evils and
food laws which scuttlc the efficiency
OF american bottoms rs against for
clgn bottoms and Of Government own
Ell and operated bottoms as against
privately owned and operated bot.
toms.
This is plain talk, but it means
mat every dollar the Government
fails to earn by the ownership ana
operation of these ships, il must get
out Of the pockets of the already over
burdcncd taxpayers, big and little.
white and colorcd in the u. S. a citi.
zen with money is slowly, but surely
having the larger portion OF his
fortunes confiscatcd. The Sun con-
tnues:
In our merchant marine wages are
higher than In any other merchant
mar ne. Costs OF feeding the crews
arc higher. Costs OF general maintc
nance are higher. But as if that we're
not enough OF a handicap our ship.
ping statutes concoctcd by labor un
ion politicians compel our vessels to
carry more than arc carried on the
ships of other nations.
On top Of all that economic load
there is tho fundamental shortcom-
Ing Of Government ownership and
operation in any business proposition
There arc more men, they get more
pay to the man, but they don't do the
work that other men do. They can
not BIO inspired to do it. They can
not be driven to do 1t. Whether In
tho merchant marine, railroad, ex-.
press field or whatever field whore bug
mess can live against compctit'o on on
ly by productive efficiency and Buperi
or service, Government operation
simply does not function economical
ly.
There is nm old saying that "wha.
goes up Is bound to como down.
This is as true of an artificial ad-
vance n wages rs 1t Is in an urtifi-
cial regulation in the operation Of
our merchant marine When men del
mand an increase Of pay of an EN-
ploycr and that employer Is made up|
of the American people, when they
know according to authentic inform
alton that that employer Is operat
Ing railroads at an approximate loss
OF million dollars per day and then
tho representatives OF the employees
demand that this kind OF Grafton
shall continue two years longer for
the reason that It has not had "a
fair trail. we have an example OIL
where the demagogue has run mad"
The New York Sun states the follow
ing sane economic truths:
Imag' nation alone cannot sail ships
to safe and sure financial harbors,
Ambition cannot. Patriotism cannot.
On the sea or on the land IN private
hands or In Government hands any
bus ness proposition REQUIRED to pay
its own way must he governed Ivy the
natural laws In "1y sclfsupportins
Undertaking seeking to MAINTAIN 1t
self against free and energetic com
'ltion the basic element OF the whole
economic problem Is costs-costs OF
production. costs OF maintenance,
costs OF renewals. costs OF operation.
in these costs the major, the over
whe'mfng faotor is labor-what 1t
gets In pnv and whpt it does for Its
pay. In Government ownership and
operation bitter human experience
teaches that what It does ~ the rrc
ISr ~ IT,