Evening star., 1921-06-19
NEW SHIPPING BOARD
FACES A GREAT TASK
Maintenance of American Merchant Ma
rine Depends Largely Upon Acts Of
officials Recently Appointed

the Shipping Board since the war began
the total receipts from appropriations by
Congress were $3.255.ss1.119. and the
board had also had allotted to it by the
President from the national defense
| fund $29,512.426, Its receipts from other
sources. including operation OF VESSELS.
sales. etc, amounted to $1.477.011. .543.
The total gross receipts. therefore. were
s4.7S2.405,o ,os9. =.
During the debate in the Senate re-
! Gently when the second deficiency bill
was up for consideration, the assertion
| was made that the Shipping Board had
J some $40,oo0.000 with which to continue
operations. but that on the other hand. it
has outstanding obligations Of some
$So. 900. 900.
On another occasion Senator Freling-
huysen of New Jersey. republican. made
the charge that it was costing the Ship
ping Board $4o0,000.00o a year overhead
to operate vessels valued at some $780,
100000. Other senator's. including Edge
Of New Jersey and Warren Of Wyoming
have insisted that it would be better to
burn or sink these vessels if something
cannot be done to put an end to the tre-
mendous cost they are to the govern
ment-
Future of Merchant Marine.
But there is another side to the
picture. Before the war the United
States was without an ocean-going
merchant marine. Its merchant ma
rine was confined to the coastwise
trade of the country. from which for
eign vessels are by law excluded. The
war made it clear to the country that
a merchant marine is a great ma
tienal asset. A tremendous mer-
chant marine was built. at a huge
cost to be sure. But it was war
time. Now the question is, how is
this merchant marine to be pre-
served to this country? And that is
the fundamental question with Which
the new board has to deal.
Senator Jones of Washington.
chairman Of the commerce commit
tee of the Senate, which deals with
all shipping matters. strong advo-
cate of an American merchant ma
rine. has declared that a very critical
situation exists with regard to the
merchant marine. He deplored the
waste of money that apparently has
been going on in connection with the
adminiotration Of the Shi piping
Board. but he strongly urged that
many 60 the ships should continue to
be oa gated, even if at loss, in
order ~ build up the American car
rying Tade and to carry American
produ0. in American bottoms. II
the buslness is to be conducted at a
loss. then the government should
take the loss. but continue to operate.
just as many great private business
institutions have done. until times
are better. To throw the merchant
marine into the discard now, he in
sisted, would be folly which would
bring joy to the hearts Of the Brit
ish and her nations engaged in the
carrying trade.
Reduction of Expenses.
One Of the things which Congress is
looking to the Shipping Board to
bring about as soon as possible IS a
reduction in its employees and the sal
aries of many of them. Senator Ken
yon of Iowa. republican. startled the
Senate few days ago with a recital
of the large number of highly paid
employees. with salaries running as
high as $4,000, and many at $4,000
and $4,000. The number of persons
employed by the Shipping Board and
the Emergency Fleet Corporation is
s,544 on shore. and 3ss on sea, exclu-
sive of crews of approximately $4,000
persons.
The grand total of vessels of all
kinds owned by the government on
February % last is given as 1853,
with total tonnage of 11.O2S,966 tons.
The number of vessels it had under
construction at that date was fifty
two, of which fifty-one were steel and
one concrete.
The members Of Congress who
earnestly favor the continuance of an
adequate American merchant marine
point to this vast feet and declare
that if the present opportunity is now
lost for the maintenance of the Amer
/ lean flag on merchant vessels in the
ports of the world. 1T will not come
again in this or the succeeding gen.
Grafton.