New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-10-15
Owners Here
Oppose Army
Shipping Lines
Congress to Get Views Of
Private Companies at a
Hearing Next Week: Bill
Would End Competition
Protest Loadlinc Measure
Panama II. II. Steamship Co.
and War Transport Serv-
ice May BE Restricted


New York steamship owners take the
view that the services of the Panama
Railroad Steamship Company should be
strictly regulated by the Shipping
Board and also that the operations of
the army transports across the Pacific
should be discontinued in favor of the
lines established by the board. These
opinions Will be expressed before Con-
gress next week at a hearing on the
Edmonds bill amending the merchant
marine act by giving the Shipping
Board control OF other government
shipping services. A committee of
members of the American Steamship
Owners Association has been appoint
ed to attend the public hearing on
Wednesday. Another committee, head
ed by W. F. Gibbs, of the International
Mercantile Marine Company, chairman
of the technical committee of the as
ISOLATION, will appear in opposition
to the local line bin on the following
day.
marine ana + lSLbTlSS mas IeODtneU LQe
question of competition by government
owned lines with private companies.
The Edmonds bill, amending Sec
tons II and 10 of the Jones law,
states that wherever the Shipping
Board finds it possible to utilize the
transport Of the army, navy or marine
corps as a basis for the establishing
Of permanent steamship lines the
President may, if he deems it advis-
phlQ discontinue cDPh NV Tho
government and contract for period
not TO exceed ten years with the new
service proposed.
Must Have Approval
The second section OF the bin pro-
vides that any contemplated extern
sion of service by the Panama Steam
ship Company shall pe submitted to
the Shipping Board for approval, and
all extensions of service made by this
company since in control Of the gov
eminent shall be approved by the
all freight raJes established by this
company shall be in agreement with
rates established by the board for its
operators and be subject to the ap-
prevail of the board"
Representatives. Of the Clyde and
Mallory lines, the United Fruit Com
pany and other concerns operating
from New OK TO inc W est lnQleS,
the Panama Canal and Central America
will appear at the hearing. They will
insist that the operations of the
Panama Railroad Steamship Company
are seriously endangoring the services
OF privately owned lines, and this COM
petition should be removed. 1t has
been charged at several previous hear
ings that the government company has
cut below the established conference
ratios thOlcrh this haau 1aOi a6 l,--
the company.
Officials of the Admiral Line and the
Pacific Mail Steamship Company are
expected to join with New York ship
owners in urging enactment OF the bill
which VIII permit the elimination of
the army transport service across the
Pacific in favor Of the lines established
by the Shipping Board. 1t was said
yesterday that the army is now operat-
ing several vessels between the west
coast and the Orient which carry
freight and passengers for the govern
ment to Hawaii and the Philippines,
and return in ballast. If this business
is turned over to the Shipping Board
vessels operated by private companies,
it was said, the new lines will be
strengthened and will be assisted in
meeting the competition of the subs-
died japanese and British steamship
companies
Five New Passenger Ships
The Admiral Line Will soon be oper-
Ating five of the new combination cargo
and passenger ships, the $685." be-
tween Puget Sound and the Orient
The Pacific Mail Steamship Company
will also have five of these ships run
ming from San Francisco to Japan and
China. In addition, the Pacific Mail
has several Of the 502-foot steamers
running between San Francisco and
India.
The steamship owners assert that
government aid VIII he necessary to
enable these companies to compete with
the British line from Vancouver and
the subsidized Japanese line from Pu-
get Sound. Transfer of the govern
ment traffic would prove to be a great
help, it is said. The ship owners are
expected also to advance the argument
that the British government, with its
widespread military and naval opera
lions, does not maintain q government
transport service, but either charters
privately owned ships or uses the es-
tablshed lines
The technical committee of the asso-
citation will oppose the bill to require
loadllnes on American, vessals on the
ground that the individual companies
arc now caring satisfactorily for the
safety Of ships and that strict govern
ment regulation would impose addi-
Inv, al 49,