New-York tribune., 1922-01-19
Ship Board Fleet
Cut Over Half in
Year, Says Lasker
Tramp Vessels Eliminated
Altogether, He Informs
Congress; Tonnage Good
on Vital Trade Routes

P'om The T'ibune's Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON. Jan. ls.--The Ameri-
can government fleet has been reduced
from 1a5 vessels on regular berths and
flfty-one tramp steamers on Decembe r
81. 1920 to $50 berth steamers and no
tramp vessels at the present time,
Chlrman A. D. Lasker of the Shipping
Board advised Congress in seeking q
new appropria ton to carry the GOV
ernment shipping agency over for the
coming fiscal year. it was disclosed to
day when the appropriation bill was
presented to the House
Chairman Lasker gave an exhaustive
statement regarding the operation
Of the feet, showing how, by consoli-
dation of different lines and the tvine
up of unproductivo vessels the board
has progressed toward eventually get
ting the government out Of the ship
ping business.
When the new board came into
being, Chairman Lasker said, at de
cided to end the tramp service entirely.
because IT felt that under the law it
was inundated only to keep alive trade
routes which called for berth steamers.
IN addition, we are running less shps
because VIC consolidated different lines
that were beng operated by the Ship
ping board TO the same ports. 1t is
tue that this means some loss Of ton
mage but the added expense for doing
the added gross business was not war,
rpnted. The tramp steamers, for in
stance, which added to the volume.
were losing heavily and doing nothing
10 estahllsh a permanent American
merchant marine.
The new board has felt that its
functions were those of a semi-lioui-
dating body. 1t is the avowed purpose
OF the Jones act that the board should
sell Its assets and cease operating ships
at the earliest possible date. In line
with that the new board felt that it
was not the purpose of the law to
see how much gross business we could
40, If that gross business had to be
done at net loss, but rather what was
the minimum number of ships we could
run and keep alive necessary trade
routes until such time as they could
be turned over to private owners.
with this major policy in mind.
which meets not only the Jones act,
but, VIC believe, the spirit of the pres
en' congress and the country, we vast
~ reduced our feet. Naturally that
would reduce our gross volume, but at
the same time it not only largely de-
creased our net loss, but it is helping
US get the inetficiency reduced and re.
moved IN our operations, since we have
retained only the best operators and
can give much more careful super
vision to their operations.
I'VE want to make it clear. though.
that even with these reduced number
OF ships we have discontinued no es-
scatlai trade routes, and through the
operation of the routes covered by the
Shipping Board an American merchant
can ship his wares under the American
flag to any port in the world.
Bat beyond this reason Of policy
which brought about decreased busi
ness is the fact that freights have
vastly decreased. The same number of
ships as were operating in the year
ended June so, 1921, would not have
done over half the gross business in
dollars and cents if the going rates
then were as low as they are today.
Thus, it will be seen that, ship by
ship, we are carrying much more ton
mage to-day than in the prior years."