Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1922-11-25

Z
which so enormous a treasury loss is
moreover, attends operation Of less
than third Of the aforementioned
fleet.
Would Diminish Burden.
1T Is not, therefore, a question Of
adding new treasury burdens TO main.
tain our shipping; we ore paying these
/ brreens now. Il is not u question Of
contracting an outlay to support our
merchant shipping, because we IRE
paving already | am not asking your
authorization II a new and added draft
on the public treasury; am appeal
Ing for a program to diminish the bur
den we are already bearing
let us omit particulars about the
frenzied wartime building Possibly
we did full MS well as could have been
done In anxious circumstances Let us
pass from the moment the vital rela-
tionShlp between a merchant marine
/ and commercially aspiring nation.
Ave, let Us suppose for n moment the
ahsurdlty that with one S30o0o00 100000
1 experience and with the incalculable
costs in lives and treasure which may
be chargeable TO our inability prompt
/ ly to apply our potency-which God
forefend happening ngain-let us mo-
/ .nenieriy ignore all Of these and turn
/ 70 note the mere business problem the
/ practical question OF dollars and cents
/ With which we are confronted
Urges Change at Once
when your executive government
knows OF public expenditures nggre.
eating S10Q00OOO annually which It
believes could be reduced by half
through change Of policy your gov
eminent would be unworthy ~ public
trust II such change were not com
mended. nay. II II were not lnSlstently
urged.
And he pity 81 It Is that our pres
ent expenditures IN losses Is not CON
structive Il looks to no future attain
! mepts II Is utterly Ineffective In the
establishment ~ dependable mer-
chant marine. whercns the encourage.
ment OF private ownership md the mp
/ plicatlon of individual initiative would
make for n permanent creation, ready
and answernhe nj an times to the
needs Of the nation
but have not properly portrayed
all the current losses TO the public
/ this year
I'VE are wearing out our ships with.
] ont my provision for replacement.
4 Nka n~n b,y.t,,, tba.o t.--Oe tl,rr,trh
deterioration now nnd nre charging
nothing against our cnpltn account.
But the losses are there md regret.
tahly larger under government opera
tion than under private control
only n few years of continued
losses on carital account VII make
these losses through depreciation alone
10 exceed the S50o000O0 yenr now
drawn 10 cover losfes IN operation
o. s. eu,lded Poorly
'rhe gloomy picture Of losses does
not end even there Notwithstanding
tie known war cost is S30moeom0
For the present tonnage I win not
venture TO nppra,se ifs cash value
today Il mny as well be confessed
Now ms nj some later tim tual in t4,a
mad rush to hnld FL netahlt hing sdp.
wards wherever men would organize
10 rxpend government moue when we
made shlpbullders vern'ght quite
without regard to previnus occHpa-
tjou or pursuits we hlidcr poorly
often very poorly Moreover we con.
sfruefed without any formulated pro
gram for q merchant Murine
"The war emergency impelIed and
the cry was for ships any kind NJ
Ships The error f. recalled ~ regret
rather than criticism The point is
TINT our Heet costing approximately
81 OON 100000 ls worth only . fraction
nf that cost today. Whatever TINT frac
tlon mny be. the truth remains thar
we have no market In which 10 sell the
ehlps under our present policy md a
nrngram nf surrender and sacrifice arSI
liqnidafion which is Inevitable unless
The pending Legislation ls sanctioned,
with post scores of mlllione more.
Sees Future Loss
"When the question Is asked why
the inelStence for the merchant MAJ
rine act now2 The answer is apparent
"Walving every inspiration which
lies fin q constructive plan for main
tainiug our flag on the commercial
highways of the seas. waiyine the
prudence IN safeguarding against
another S3.0000O0.000 mudness II war
ever again impals we have the IN
avoidablo task Of wipng ont S50.-
100000 annual loss In operation and
losses aggregHina many hundreds Of
millions IN woru-ont sacrifices or
scrapped shipping Then the supreme
fumfHation tile admission that the
United Stafes-our America once emil
ppnt among the wartime nations Of
Tie worlds incapable If asserting IL
self in the peace triumphs on the seas
If the world
at would seem to me doUbv hu-
initiating when we own the ships and
fail in the genIas and capacity to turn
lheir prows toward the marts Of the
world
..s-t=s. ,...,.lf..r,. atrFsys Iarv.- 80. Go.