The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-09-08
PAGE TWO
SHIP SUBSIDY BILL
WILL BE PASSED BY
CONGRESS SESSION
PALLADIUM NEWS BUREAU


WASHINGTON. Sept. s. -'I am
certain We shall have shipping sub
sidy bill enacted into law soon after
the next session of congress opens in
December" says Chairman Greene OF
the house committee on merchant ma
rine and fisheries. 81 want to live to
participate in such a browning achieve
ment, and / shall be proud to have
taken a part in it. We intend to have
every Republican member of our com
mittee make speech in the house In
favor of the bill. The revival OF
American shipping is of paramount
Importance to the nation.
It is evident that there is now con-
siderable opposition to ship subsidy
legislation on the part of western
members of congress, but friends OF
the measure claim it will largely dis
appear when congress meets after the
election.
No Opposition
The shipping subsidy bill has been
considered by the senate committee
on commerce and the house commit
tee on merchant marine and fisheries
at joint hearings. There was but lit
tie opposition to the principle involved
developed at these hearings.
The measure agreed to and now be.
fore congress aims to encourage pr
vate capital to purchase and operate
the vessels of the United States Ship
ping Board.
"The necessity for government aid, "
says Rep. Greene, arises out Of the
higher cost of operation Of ships I'M
der the American flag than under the
flag of any of the principal maritime
nations. Furthermore, such govern
ment aid will enable the Shipping
Board to dispose of its ships. In fact,
without a definite program of govern
ment aid it will be impossible 20 sell
these ships to American owners"
Costly Venture
The governments wartime expert
ence with ship building and the opera,
tion of ships aproved the most costly
venture Uncle Sam ever engaged in
1t cost him approximately $3,000,000,
900. Since the war the government
has been maintaining its wa"-built
merchant fleet at a loss amounting to
about 100000 a month. AS Senator
Fletcher of Florida puts it: 1--WE have
turned over to the shipping interests
1900 vessels and these interests have
been operating the vessels. We have
spent something like $200,000,3e0 in
the last three years covering theiT
losses"
Advocates of shipping subsidy legis
lation assert, and they are not dis
puted, that the present method OF
maintaining the American merchant
marine must be discarded because OF
the enormous expense it puts the gov
eminent to- They contend that il
the American flag is to be KEEP. upon
the high seas the ships must pass to
private ownership and be subsidized
by the government. The payment OF
subsidies will be much less costly to
the taxpayers Of this country, they
say than continuance of the pre-
vailing deficits under Shipping Board
operation. And that is another argu
ment which has not been refuted.
Indifferent to Marine
Those who are opposed to shipping
subsidy legislation appear to be. fol
the most part, Indifferent as to wheth
er the new American merchant fee
is to be maintained 1--WE got along
without merchant marine before the
war and we can get along without i
now" they contend.
Since the war the Shipping BoarC
has been operating many of its YES
sells under private management. Con
tracts entered into with private line
assure these lines a share of thu
profits, if any, for a voyage, bat j
there is a loss the government pay
it
Last month 1889 of the 1875 ship
ping board vessels were tied up.