The New York herald., 1922-12-07
NATIONS COMMERCE
. MOSTLY UNDER FLAG
Shipping Board Report
Shows 80 Per Cent. i'm
American Ships.
L.. S. GAINING ON SEAS
More of Its Vessels in For
eign Trade, New Liner
Services Opened.
EXCEL In EFFICIENCY
Transport Larger Cargoes to
Deadweight Tonnage Than
Foreign Craft.

United States shipping in foreign
senger services In the north Atlantic,
the Pacific and TO South America, and
stabilization OF the Governments ship
ping venture on strictly business
basis are pointed to as the years out
standing achievements in the sixth an
nuai report of the Shipping Board.
The functions of the board since its
Inception to carry forward the nations
tremendous efforts to transport food,
troops and supplies overseas during
the war. the report notes. have been
extended until they relate not only to
the physical running OF ships but
range over the entire field Of a nations
merchant marine.
The board" the report says. "is re-
quired not only to aid in the develop
ment OF ships and shipping companies
but also to assist in planning the i'm
provement and development of ports and
transportation facilities in connection
with water commerce"
$4,000 seamen Under Flag.
The board has had during It's career
s,444 ships. totaling about 19.59S.900
deadweight tons. Some have been sold
and many are now tied up idle. The re-
port shows that. Notwithstanding de-
preston In shipping. there were at the
close OF the fiscal year. OH June 80, ap-
proximately $4,000 men engaged on ves-
sells of the American merchant marine
and a larger number Of longshoremen
employed in loading and unloading.
More than 100000 annually has been
saved by reduction OF marine and long
shore wages of Shipping Board vessels.
Reductions after strikes and negotia-
tions ranged from 1s to rs per cent.
The policy Of the board in making
wage readjustments is declared based
wherever possible upon collective bar
gaining, which has resulted in allaying
as far as possible the discomfort and re-
l sentiment which usually follow wage re-
| ductions."
| During the year there were 1892 ar
| rivals and departures OF vessels engaged
long tons Of cargo. or this total SO per
cent moved In American bottoms. In
relative efficiency indicated by the rela-
ton of load to deadweight tonnage the
American percentage was 37.9 per cent
compared with 3s.4 per cent. Of foreign.
While American ships used 2.62 dead
weight tons to move each ton OF cargo.
foreign vessels used 2.74.
Recounting the difficulties encoun-
tered in the boards effort to dispose Of
its idle tonnage. the report says no one
was willing to buy in large quantities at
anything like a fair price under present
conditions. The effort to find buyers
was continuing. but the board still had
for sale 1856 vessels. totalling 10.809.-
172 deadweight tons. OF these 1885,
were steel cargo ships and 225 were
wooden cargo ships, while the remainder
were Of steel, wooden. composite and
concrete types. The transfer of the feet
to private hands. II II Is to be accom-
plshed as part OF the building UP OF the
American merchant marine. must be
slow process. the report adds.
world Tonnage DeteriOrnting.
Perhaps one of the most favorable
factors that will help In the gradual
working out of the problem is that a
large percentage of the worlds tonnage
is now over fifteen years OF age. and
is approaching that period when the
cost OF maintaining the highest classi-
fIcation becomes so serious n factor In
operation as to influence operators to
purchase other tonnage rather than to
pay the heavy cost of keeping up older
vessels" the report says.
THE Increase in value of the vessels
due to the demand that will come in the
next few years as a result OF the grow
ing age of the worlds tonnage should.
however. more than compensate for the
cost OF upkeep during the period that
must elapse before these factors become
controlling ones"
During the year the wooden fleet was
reduced by 236 vessels. and the cost OF
the upkeep OF the fleet was reduced by
$4,000. The maintenance cost stood at
$g19 per vessel annually.
The amount from sale of outlying
projects" was 81 .84.75 representing a
return from property which had been
given a present fair value" OF H.i13.eoo.
The report says that In accordance
with agreement made with the office OF
the chief coordinator.' sales and trans
fers were made at prices 10 per cent.
below present fair value sales from
real estate brought In an additional
ss.0sS,7 Notable among the economies
recorded was reduction of n.o45.0b In
salaries through reduction OF the per-
sonnel of>>the maintenance and repair
department by AIS employees.