The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1922-08-17

HIIo1 l1oeAol C1IoI uCCClNCo Il1IIl w Ills
own injury. ~"
RICHMOND EDITOR SHY A
RUDDER
"For partisan stubbornness or in
tellectual stupidity the Richmond,
Virginia, News-Leader should be ac-
corded first place." declares the Re-
publican Publicity Association, thru
it's President, Hon. Jonathan Bourne,
Jr. "The Richmond Chamber of Com
merce recently endorsed the ship sub
sidy measure as means of establish
ing a permanent American merchant
marine. The News-Leader immedi-
ately took occasion to say that this is
remedy that most Democrats be-
lieve to be wrong, and then it pro-
ceeded with a discussion of the SUBJ
jects which is probably unprecedented
for inconsistencies.
Admitting that one of the numer-
Gus disadvantages Of the United
States merchant marine is that the
berths, wharves and trade connections
of American lines are inferior to those
acquired after long years by older
companies under other flags, the
Richmond editor says that this can
be remedied only as experience is
gathered and friendships are formed.
How experience is to be gathered
without actually operating ships the
editor does not explain. How new
friendships are to be formed without
forming trade connections he leaves
his readers to imagine.
IA further suggestion of the News
Leader is that the U. S. merchant
marine feet be turned over to private
owners at small fraction of it's cost.
Admitting that foreign ships can be
operated at less expense than Ameri-
can ships the editor evidently does
not perceive that ships thus turned
over to private owners would be pur-
chased by foreign operators and
would soon be giving first service to
the ports Of the country under which
they had been registered and building
up the trade Of our commercial rivals.
An equally absurd statement by the
Richmond editor is that: If the
worst came to the worst it would be
better to assist the yards financially
in maintaining their organizations for
the study Of new designs than to un
dertake the general scheme of sub
'sidy. That is the best the country
can do and all it should attempt to
do
"Thus he admits the likelihood of
the worst coming to the worst, and
when that anticipated failure is real
lied his only suggestion is, that the
government assist shipyards in main
tanning their organizations and study
ing new designs.
$50 far as designs are concerned,
private enterprise has already devised
the best known to the shipping world.
The problem is not one of maintain
ing organizations in shipyards. The
great difficulty is in operating ships
at cost which will enable the Amer
lean owner to compete successfully
with the foreign rival whose expenses
are less.
"The subsidy bill does not propose
compensation that will make multi
millionaires Of ship operators. The
subsidies are meagre in amount and
will cover only the difference in cost
of operation of American ships as
compared with foreign ships. In re-
turn for every subsidy paid, the
United States will receive valuable
service, maintenance of regular and
frequent ocean transportation lines,
for the carrying Of mails and trans
portation of freight and passengers
where a service is not already avail
able. These regular steamship lines
will be business builders for Ameri-
can industry, finding new or larger
markets for our products and bring
ing the profits on that enlarged trade
to the American producer. In addi-
ton, the United States would have
first call upon the merchant marine
as an auxiliary Of the navy for trans
! portation Of troops and supplies in
case of war.
''The Richmond Chamber of Com
'merce is absolutely sound in the posi-
ton it has taken. The Richmond edi-
tor discloses the inconsistency and
unsoundness of the position he has
taken"
THE PEOPLES GOVERNOR
The people of North Dakota may
well feel thankful that they have a
man like R. A. Nestos in the COVER