The Cordova daily times., 1921-08-30
TUESDAY, AUGUST 30,1921
DUPLICATE SERVICE WASTES
 MILLIONS ~,r
! .%.y

'7' .%.".y G. '@ .rStsi
 The government maintains and operates army transports for carrying its soldiers and freight. The cost of operation is very heavy as the shi ps usually run empty one way.
 The United States shipping board has al located to American steamship companies many of its new freight and passenger steam CTS and these companies are maintaining freight and passenger service over the same routes as the army transports. Thus gov ernmcnt controlled vessels are duplicating service to the dctriment of the taxpayers, and shipping board vessels are running with half capacity loads which means loss to the gov crnment, when they could just as well be run ming full by carrying the army transport cargoes and passenger lists.
 The Pacific American Steamship Assoca- ton has placed this matter before congress relative to the Transpacfic trade.
 The case of the Pacific Mail Steamship Coin pany is cited. It is operating shipping board vessels on the Transpacific routes which are exceptionally well adapted for handling gov crnment freight and passengers and are much spcedier than the present U. S. transports. These vessels sail from San Francisco only partially loaded due to the transport compc- ttion, which makes both shipping board and army vessels mrcmmeratlvc at public eX. pense.
 This business could be combined in the ship ping board vessels to the direct benefit of thc taxpayer and the transport service. Instead of laying up shipping board vessels they could be operated profitabIy and the foundation laid for a strong American merchant marine
 In time of war transports cannot operate until the navy clears the sea; then troops and Il, merchant vessel and the transports do a minus quantity of the work. Then why have their useless competition in peace time to the detri ment of the development of an American mcr chant marine!
 Carrying cadets and educating young men as officers on a large number of commercial vessels, would form most valuable asset in providing proper personnel (both officers and crews) for use in time of trouble.
 All leading maritime nations transport their troops and supplies by private steamship lines and thus build up their merchant marine which must always be called on in case of emergency. They maintain transports as they do navy to be used when necessity requires but not to compete with established steamship lines in peace times.
 The army requirements on the Pacific could be handled by the Pacific Mail or other lines satisfactorily millions saved the taxpayers and our merchant marine developed.
 The U. S shipping board vessels belong to the people who are paying the losses on their operation and it is directly in the govern ments interest to stop this traffic drain on our treasury. "rr,s. .. P. s+4, ,+A~.s.~,'"-
 By correcting the present useless system of competition the government could benefit all the people by saving them millions in taxes and at the same time be building up a per manent American merchant marine able to perform every national shipping function in times of both peace and war
 The federal government is shocked to find