The Brunswick news., 1922-11-29
WHERE SOME SCRAPPING
MIGHT BE DONE.

In the interests of world peace this
country has recently consented to tht
scrapping of battlehsips, cruisers
supply ships torpedo boats, destroy
ers and possibly other types of yes.
sells built for the defense of the coun.
tEy and maintained for some years at
enormous expense "in commission.
President Harding is now declaring
that unless subsidy is provided the
United Sxtes shipping board may ask
fifty millikns to carry Oh the game as
it ia and the subsidy plan would pos
sibly cost less. But where does the
real argument for continuing los.
ing game appear?
Organized as q necessity while the
country was at war the United States
shipping board has followed every
other war feature IN the matter Of
exTavagance and waste and useless
expenditure, and throwing none
away by the shipload. The mcrchan.
marine established ut the expense Of
the people of the country is doing
nothing ilor the people except de
manding more money FOR wages klnd
salaries and expenses and laws Hrs
fees. It costs more to use the Ameri-
can ships operated BY this fantastic
| board" than other ships-operated
by individuals under other flags, and
tho shippers, IN and out, know al
about it.
Operating at heavy loss ever
since the war the attaches, salary
and ADVANTAGE getters alone have
profted by it. Fleets Of vessels some
Of them built after there was no neet
for them and at enormous expense
are rotting away at anchor in the riv
ers; the boats in commission are az
'ortling Jobs for the men on board
but it does not appear that The eiti
zens Of the United States who art
spending tax moyg to keep this va
hangover aoat get one cent advan
tage in lSer freight or passenge
rates o. shipping board ships, Nov
4 the plea is that unless provision /.
made to actually pay cut tax none,
or money that would be receive,
from cust2ms--in lump sums to carr,
/ on this loNng business it would seen
time to callt halt.
An Eastern newspaper commenting
upon the ship subsidy plan the othel
4 day was disposed to suggest tha
when compared with other countrie,
the American merchant marine indj
Gated a need Of pep more than sub
sides. The Springfield Republican
quoting a Singapore correspondent
! proved easily that japanese, DutcY
and British shipping lines were nat,
/ ing very much better showing j,
that particular department Of foreiel
trade and told of the efforts made b,
other lines to insure prompt arriva
and transshipment of goodsSA Tn,
concluding paragraph reads: Per
haps the lack of quick acconlmod,p
tion in the American lines service is
due to government control of th,
/ shipping business. Yet something
/ besides subsidies is needed to put tia
line on truly competitive basis witt
the English, Dutch, and japanese il
! the Pacific trade. What is IL? Pep
From the revelations of govern
mcnt control Of the railroads, Sc
coming to light, it can be seen tha
( similar control of the shipping jn
tcresE will eventually ruin them an
/ Che appeal is becoming stronger cacl
i ,Iay that Washington Withdraw iron
/ all business outside that Of goyc1t
ing The sooner the shipping boi,r0
! is "scrapped" the sooner will tt
much abused public know how mar'
/ the war waste has cost-as long AS
continues 10 fthtion there is no csti
lnatmg the uIiiWqte cost e the tiN
/ payers.