Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-11-20

NOT A R ISSUE.

The ship subsidy question is another of those
issues on which there is no clear division as be-
tween the two parties. 1t is true that most of the
votes cast in favor of the bill will be cast by Repub-
llcans, and most of those against it by Democrats.
That aligdmentsis partly accidental, partly due to
the Influence OF locality, and quite largely due to
the fact that the substituting OF American ships is
advocated by a Republican president,and the meas
ure providing for it isswhat is described as. All adj
ministration bill. There are Democrats in congress
who will oppose anything that is proposed by a Re
publican president, just as there are Republicans
who would oppose Whatever a Democratic presi-
dent might Suggest.
The ship subsidy is not a party issue: 1t is an
economic issue The proposal for it is based on the
alleged fact that without some concession of this
mature American shipping, except for certain spec
ll classes of service cannot exist.
The business of a. freight vessel is to carry
freight. Our shipping has a monopoly of the coast
wise trade. No foreign ship can carry goods from
one American port to another. That matter is
within our own control,Sand we have adopted in
this matter the practice which is generally followed.
It IS usual for nations to protect their own Shipping
in this manner and to this extent.
On the open sea our shipping is in competition
with the shipping of all the world.~Our regula-
lions provide for better wages, better ~accomnoda-
tons and shorter hours for Our seamen than are
provided elsewhere. Whether that preferential
treatment be reasonable or unreasonable, it costs
money, and to the extent of the difference, the for
!eign ships can carry goods for less money than can
the American ship. In one. form or another most
foreign nations substitute their shipping. That
gives the foreign ship,a further advantage in the
competition for cargoes.
Freight will, be carried by the ship which will
|carryit for the least money. It makes no difference
whether, the cargoes are Of American products 90
ing abroad or foreign brodncts coming in, the low
rate gets the shipment. If we had no interest in the
maintenance of shipping under own own flag the
answer might be to sell all our ships to foreigners
and let the foreigners carry our goods at the lower
rates. But we have another interest whose import
ance was demonstrated during the war. When4he
war,broke out we had practically no shipping at all.
Before our entrance into the war, Europe wanted
our goods, wanted immense quantities sof them. We
could deliver them at tideWater. and no farther. We
had to depend on foreign shipping to get our goods
across. And when we entered the war we had to
depend on foreign shipping for the transportation
OF our own soldiers and their equipment, as we'll as
of the vast quantities OF material needed for their
maintenance.
During the war we built ships, and there is now
under the American flag sufficient shipping to give
Jus our rightful place among the maritime nations
tof the world. The fact seems to be that we1nust
choose whether we shall retain that position or
abandon it. We can retain it by providing for DIR
shipping sufficient revenues to. offset the advantage
which foreign shipping now has over ours, and we
lear. retain II in no other way:
Within the recent past there has arisen another
|situation which operates to the disadyantape:of or
shipping. This is the operation Of our prohibition
law. Presumably that will affect more particularly
the passenger service. Liquor may hotsbe sold a.
on board vessels flying the American fac.
on other vessels there are no such restrictions This
regulation IS .unsatisiactory to 4 large number Of
the patrons of the passenger lines. IL tends gtos drive
|patfonage from American ships. Its effect has 81
ready been shown il the transfer of certain vessels
the american registry toN registry under the