Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-02-24
GOVERNMENT
ADONL7 HOPE
FOR COMMERCE
Edward C. Plummer, Member
U. S. Shipping Board,
Talks to C. of C.

''The only method by which ships fly
ing the American flag can engage success
fully in commerce between the United
States and other nations is one of Gov
eminent aid,' declared Edward c. Plum
mer. commissioner of the United States
shipping board, in an address before the
indianapolis Chamber of Commerce to-
day.
The war brought the ships and settled
most of the confusing problems sur
rounding the organization of merchant
marine, leaving only the problem of how
to utilize the merchant feet for the ma
TONS own good, he said.
"One need not be familiar with
shipping TO realize the facts which now
face the Shipping Board he said. AT
present this fleet of American ships is
occasioning an expense to the Govern
ment Of some $5.0G0,000 per month, a
sum which would have the advantage Of
personal initiative, personal investment
and therefore personal responsibility,
would unquestionably more than main
tain for the United States a great ship
ping industry that would be priceless
in its ability to maintain the commerce
Of this country and find a market for the
grain, the coal and the manufactured
products Of this country in foreign lands !;
markets which must be found and
utilized in order to prevent the ac-
emulation of surplus products here,
which surplus inevitably means the trow-
ing out of employment of thousands ana
tens of thousands of our people.
Therefore it becomes necessary, in
nravapt sacrifice Of tha vast
investment which our people at the call
of war made in merchant shipping, to
devise some method by which these
vessels built and now owned by our
people may be maintained in operation,
may be maintained in operation, may be-
come our commercial messengers and the
servants of our workmen; retaining for
the benefit of our people the tens Of
millions of dollars which for 80 many
years have gone annually to the owners
of foreign ships, and the only method
by which this end can be attained, the
only method by which ships flying the
American flag can engage successfully IN
commerce between the United States and
other nations is one of Government aid.
1.-The overwhelming non-partisan vote
by which the Jones law designed to give
such assistance to American vessels was
congress
this fact then had been demonstrated
to our national legislators.
"Now, why did Congress by such an
overwhelming vote declare its readiness
to give such aid as would enable Amer
lean vessels to regain that position upon
the ocean which was theirs SO long as
the shipping laws created by Washington
and his patriotic associates remained in
force?
"The answer is, that Congress had
come to understand how war develop
ments had made the services Of American
vessels in the foreign trade of this coun-
try absolutely essential to our continued
prosperity 1t is not simply that an
adequate fleet of American ships engaged
in conducting and promoting our foreign
commerce would in its mere operation
create a new and we'll paid industry
which would give direct employment to
tens of thousands of men, and pay to our
own people the millions upon millions of
dollars which otherwise go out of this
country to enrich other nations.
Neither is it merely because the main
tenance of a great fleet of ocean going
vessels would give direct employment to
tens of thousands of men in our ship
wards and repair docks. Nor because the
materials used and the work performed
in the building and repairing or modern
vessels calls upon practically every part
Of this country and upon almost every
trade for supplies and observation-disclosures
in this time Of depression the work re-
ferred to above would do much to relieve
the distress which has resulted from lack
of employment; but the dominating fact
which brings home a realization of the
truth that our ships must remain on the
sea is the fact that the people of this
Countrywide farmers, the miners, the
manufacturers have so increased their
production that they have vast SURPRISES
which must find markets in foreign lands
or millions of people in this country Will
have their opportunities to produce and
earn, crippled or destroyed 1t is the IN
sold surplus that closes the factory door,
that cuts off the weekly pay check, that
sends men into the streets hunting for
work"