The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1922-11-22
PRESIDENT URGES
SHIP SUBSIDY BILL

SDRGr 9UD0lWY bill
ADMINISTRATION SHIP SUBSIDY
BILL HANDED TO CONGRESS BY
PRESIDENT HARDING. NECES.
SARY TO RELIEVE GOVERNMENT
OF STAGGERING LOSSES HE
SAYS.
Washington, Nov. 21.-Enactment of
the administration marine bill was
urged upon congress today by Presi-
dent Harding as necessary to relieve
the government Of present staggering
losses In operation of the war-built
merchant fleet and to establish pro-
gram Of assured shipping to serve the
nation in war and give a guaranty of
commercial independence in time of
peace
| Personally addressing Joint ses-
sion of the House and Senate the ex-
ecutiye declared an actual monetary
saving to the government would re-
suit from the proposed law! He chal-
lengcd every insinuation of favored
interests and the enriching of the spe-
cial few at the expense Of the public
treasury The legislation, he assert
cd, automatically guarded against en-
richment OF perpetual bestowal
"lf success attends, as we hope it
WILL he added, "thc government out
lay is returned, the inspiration of op-
n
can transportation by sea is main
tained."
The president said concert about the
American merchant marine policy was
not limited to "Our own domain" add
ing that the maritime nations of the
world werc 'n complete accord with
the opposition here to the pending
measure He declared those nations
had perfect right to such an atti-
tudc, but that he wished to stress the
American viewpoint, which he, said,
should be the viewpoint from which
one sees American carriers at sea, the
dependence of American commerce,
and American vessels for American re-
lance in the event Of war"
MI. Harding declared it would be
most discouragmg if measure of
such transcendng national import
ance,' must have its fate depended
upon geographical, occupational, pro-
fcssional or partisan objection.
a commercial eminencc on the seas
and ample agencies for the promotion
i'm carryino of An,nr;oop oonnor,o 10
asserted, were Of no less Importance
to the people Of the Mississippi and
the Missouri valley, the great north
west, and the Rocky Mountain states
than to the seaboard states and indus
trial communities inland
1T is common cause, with it's ben
Gifts commonly shared" said he.
If government aid is a fair term to
apply to authorizations aggregating
$75,000,000 to promote good roads for
market highways, the President added,
it is equally fit to be applied to the es-
tahlishment and maintenance of Amer
lean market highways on the "salted
seas"
AS to present government operation
Of the shipping board fleet, Mr.. Hard
ing said, there was the unavoidable
task Of wiping out fifty million dollar
annual loss and losses aggregating
many hundreds Of millions" in worn
out, sacrificed, or scrapped shipping. He
called attention that the government
ships were Being worn out without
any provision for replacement and that
program Of surrender and sacrifice
and the liquidation which he declared,
would be inevitable unless the pro-
posed legislation were enacted, would
cost scores of millions. The cost of
the proposed legislation giving the di-
rect aid, he said, with ocean carrying
maintained at the recent average,
would not reach $40, 1000 900 a year and
the maximum direct aid If American
shipping were so promoted that 1t car
ried half the nations deep sea COM
merce would not exceed thirty millions
annually
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