The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-10-19
SAYS OTHER LANDS
FIGHT SHIP SUBSIDY
Plummer Pleads for Bill at
Luncheon to Industrial
Engineers.

Foreign shipping interests are doing
their utmost to bring about the defeat
of the American ship subsidy bill. Com
missioner Il. c. Plpmmer of the Shipping
Board said Yesterday in an address to
ESQ delegates to the convention OF the
American Society Of Industrial Engi-
neers gathered at luncheon aboard the
President Har6tng Of the United states
Lines. at her pier in Hoboken.
EVERY vehicle of British public opin-
ion is being used for this purpose"
Commissioner Plummer said. 1.-THE fact
that foreign interests are so agitated
over~this bill makes clear the reason
why the people of the United States
should obtain it's enactment at once. To
delay is ITO play directly into the for
eigner's hands"
Joseph W.~Roe president of the So
ciety, also spoke briefly in support of
national aid to shipping. saying that 1t
has been extended advantageously by
other maritime nations. Il. II. Rossbot-
tom, general manager of the United
States Lines. presided at the luncheon
and afterward led the visitors on an
inspection of the ship which was de-
s-sfgned to be unsuitable. Later the en-
sineers saw the modern freight handling
devices on the nearby pier of the Co.'S
mopolitan Shipping Company.
Mr.. Plummer, in the course of his
analysis of the subsidy bill, said it well
might be termed IAN act to compel eff
cheney in international transportation"
He added that from a commercial view
point the essence OF the whole measure
is to be found in Title VI. providing a
Joint commission OF representatives of
the Shipping Board and the Interstate
Commerce Commission with power to
.f -aD ND
water transportation.
This cooperation between rail and
ship services will mean the virtual elimi-
nation of traffic blockades such as that
from which the Central West has re-
Gently suffered to such a. terrible ex-
tent" said Mr.. Pummer, land also
rlean great reduction in demurrage
charges, which impose every year such
tremendous burdens and losses upon
goods in transit-which losses ultimately
fall upon the American producer and
consumer"
Commissioner Plummer then turned
to a consideration OF the Australian
tariff law, which he cited as an instance
O. foreign discriminatory legislation
directed against American shipping and
making the more necessary the enact
ment of a national protective law. He
said:
IF American goods are sent from
Chicago over American railroads to San
Francisco and thence to Australia the
tariff duty assessed upon them by the
Australian Government is based upon
the value of the goods at Chicago plus
the entire sum paid American railroads
for transporting them from Chicago to
San Francisco, but il the same goods
are sent from Chicago over a Canadian
line to a British port on the Pacific and
thence to- Australia no tax is levied
upon the amount paid for transporta-
ton in Canadian territory great dis
elimination in favor of foreign trans
portatiQn.
THE fact that 6s per cent. of the Inn
port and export business passing
through Vancouver last year~was Amer
lean indicates the tremendous loss
which this single piece of Australian
legislation has imposed upon American
railroads.
Another straight business result alb.
solutely assured by our proposed ship
ping legislation is the lowering of ocean
transportation charges on American
goods. The only way in which Ameri
can ships can get their cargoes is by
making the carrying of those cargoes
by American ships cheaper than their
carriage by foreign ships. This means
an ocean freight rate low enough to
eliminate from our foreign carrying
trade all the uneconomical foreign ships
now operating there and forcing of
strong foreign companies to produce
ard put into our service the most eco
nomical ships-all to the great advan-
tagc OF our producers and consumers"