The New York herald., 1921-06-11
Scrap the Ships or Amend the
Shipping Laws.

CulIle5 more Dledk anu iOIuluuiHS
than those which are ahead of Chair
man LAsKER and his new Shipping
Board.
At best a nations merchant marine
is largely dependent upon that ma
tiou's export business. Ships out
ward bound with a full cargo of do
mestic products for foreign ports can
take chances on picking up some
kind Of freight somewhere across the
seas for the run home. The State of
Maine clipper ships sailed out of New
Orleans cotton laden for Liverpool,
took in Goals" perhaps for Califor-
mia around the Horn, went out the
Golden Gate again deep with wheat
for Havre, in France, thence the
transatlantic voyage to New York
with miscellaneous merchandise, and
from here back home to Bath in bal
last for general repairs and division
of profits.
They were good profits. Built well
but with careful expenditure, oper-
ated efficiently without waste in the
forecastle or aft, kept in good con-
dition under the eye of a watchful
and thrifty master, keen for any busi-
ness at any rates that would make
the voyage pay, there were few of
those square rigged rovers that did
not in those days earn fair fortunes
for their owners. They did 1t when
they had the advantage of preferen-
tial import duties for cargoes com
ing here in American bottoms. They
did it even after they had to meet
foreign vessels on even terms, SO
long as American shipping costs
were as low as American seaman
ship was high.
The elimination of the preferential
duties put American shipping out of
business so far as concerned cargoes
homeward bound. The enactment Of
irrational navigation laws making
the operating costs prohibitive, with
wages beyond all comparison with
the labor cost of foreign competition
and hours and working conditions a
navigation freak, scuttled the Ameri-
can merchant marine in it's own
home ports.
We revived the American merchant
marine to win the war Out Of the
pockets of the taxpayers we built
ships on the two seaboards, on the
Gulf and on the Lakes. We built
them of steel, wood and concrete. We
! built them by fleets. We built them
at any cost, as it was right to do. as
it was imperative to do. And with
shipping rates far aloft like the tow
ering spars of the old clipper ships
we restored for day the glories OF
the Stars and Stripes on all the seven
seas.
Now the rates are falling low. Yet
we are trying to sail our ships as a
business proposition on a basis OF
war construction costs approximat-
ing S175 ton, as against actual
values all the way down from SIS to
S35 a ton. Measured against the
millions OF tons we have put afioat
the bottom has dropped out of our
export business.
And our insane navigation laws.
compelling operating costs which
would founder the American mer-
chant marine in contest with any
seagoing fleets of the Old World, still
stand. We have been losing-the
United States Treasury and the
American taxpayers have been los
ing, are now losing and under these
conditions must go on losing-hun.
dreds OF millions of dollars year.
There are ships, and ships by the
ten thousands of tons, which, to cut
the losses that never can be stopped
in any other way, the Government
should put on the auction block to
the highest bidder. There are ships,
and ships by the ten thousands of
tons. which should have their war
imitation costs marked off $50 ton.
SIS a ton, 800 a ton-whatever is
necessary to make them a workable
business proposition. The marlkoff,
though it might run into the billions
Of dollars. should be charged to war
cost. The war loss should be for
gotten.
Never can IL be anything but the
widest folly to dream Of making
those ships pay return discoverable
with a microscope on the colossal
capital which the United States Gov
ernment has sunk in those thousands
of bottoms now tied up at their piers
at maintenance charge which drains
the Treasury dry.
And because, whatever else is done.
the issue of whether our merchant
marine shall sink or swim hangs
upon its running costs. the Congress,
which is in state nothing short OF
panic over how to pay the stagger-
ing operating deficiencies Of the Ship.
ping Boards stupendous tonnage,
should repeal the monstrous naviga-