Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1922-08-10

Marine by the Chairman Of the Ship
!; ping Board.
ARTIcLE55.
Modern civilization is an economic
one. The basis of all economic civ
! ilizatioh is transportation. Coal and
oil may be only momentarily basic
fuels; it is possible some other fuel
may be discovered. Fuel in one
form or another will always be basic
| to transportation, and transportation
F., in one form or another is basic to
exchange Of goods.
In my first article undertook to
! demonstrate how, up to the time Of
the Civil War, America, had develop
ed strong merchant marine. and to
sketch the conditions surrounding
our practical disappearance from the
sea between the time Of the Civil
/ War and the World War.
During this latter period we were
a self-suficient and self-contained
nation, having need Of world trade
only in small measure for the dispo-
sition of surpluses and to pay with
them the moneys borrowed for our
development. Our creditors were
largely the leading maritime nations
iof the world, and they sent their
ships to receive the goods in Day.
.ment of what we owed them.
America's Position Altered.
In the last decades, though. Amer
lea has changed from self-con-
tanned and self-sufacient nation to
one that now must look across the
waters for many Of its needs. Our
manufacturers must look across the
sea both for markets and raw ma.
terials: our agricultural sections
must sell their surplus to other ma
lions.
Il we are to keep our industries
going, we must make sure Of q steady
dow Of those materials which we
need and must insure prompt and
continuous delivery Of manufactured
wares and raw materials which We
wish to give in exchange for that
which we buy. So
Thus the manufacturer can see,
In the changing conditions America
finds itself. that.in the ultimate his
very life may be dependent on the
existence Of an American merchant
marine. No less interest has the
farmer. His interest in the merchant
marine is evidenced by the cry Of the
sixteen great agricultural states,
ranging from our central valleys to
the Pacific, with q population Of over
forty million people, Tor the develop
ment Of the Great Lakesst. Law
renee waterway the Lake to the Gulf
waterway, and the. widening and
deepening Of our rivers, including
the Mississippi. intended to bring
the seacoast thousand miles nearer
to the valleys Of production.
Thus the farmer admits the very
essential necessity to his prosperity
of water carriage abroad. Even the
most ardent proponent of our inland
waterway development can no longer
feel there is any possibility Of sue
cess to the venture unless we have
assurance of ships under. our own
flag.
Subsidy Comparable To Tariff.
The world has completely changed
in consequences Of the late war; and
no nations needs have changed more
than Americas. Therefore, the old
arguments that existed against the
necessity of merchant marine, nc
longer hold. But unfortunately mil
lions, including the farmer, have not
had time or opportunity to develop
the facts % to the changed condt
lions and changed needs.
2! It is often asked by those who arr
living In the shadows of other days
why the farmer should be required
to contribute to subsidy for ships
) when the product of the farm re
mains unsubsidtzed. Such, OF course
is far from the fact: because, in til,
!. protection given BY the tarin, tn,
farmer, like the manufacturer ant
all Of us. ID subsidized, and yer,
properly, to the extent Of our needs
Subsidy for ships Is the identics
thing that tariff protection Is to hom,
= production.
At the hearings held by the join
COMMITTEES Of the Senate and Hous
in relation to the proposed subsid,
} legislation. Mr. ]. r. Howard, Presi
J dent Of the American Farm Burea,
Federation, testified that while hi
association was opposed to subsidie
in principle, and certainly to sub
sides save for limited perio,
:. (Which 10 the view Of the Hardin
ADMINISTRATOR, careful study b
experts appointed by the Federatio
had led him to testify In behalf q
Y and to urge the enactment Of tn
legislation proposed for the mel
chant marine.
Merchant marine rates, = said Nj
Howard, "are just as important a
! railroad rates to the farmer. Th
farmer may not always realize TIL
fact, because he is able to visualis
3 \ -. - 4 .