The Connecticut labor news., 1922-05-26

tlOn COnQemnlnS the Snlp SuDSluS Dl
 Six distinct reasons are given subsidy bill which is backed by th and the great shipping and banking
 The resolution follows:
 WHEREAS: Congress through it's committees IS now conducting hear ings on s. 32I7-"A bill to amend and supplement the Merchant Marine Act of 1920 and for other purposes" which is in fact bill to subsidize the shipowners of America; and,
 WHEREAS: This bill in every feature thereof is predicated upon sidy is needed to equalize the wage cost, which it is claimed runs strong ly against the American vessels; and,
 WHEREAS: There is no material difference in either wage cost or sub sistence cost running against Ameri- ican vessels and any real enforce ment of the Seamen's Act will pre- vent any differential against vessels under American flag in the future; therefore,
 RESOLVED, That acting for and on behalf of the Trade Unions of generally opposed to subsidies of any 
 sidies being granted to shipowners, because, first, there is no proof that subsidies ever built up or materially aided in building any merchant ma rine; second, because 1t IS provocative of ineficiency and graft and general paraSitism.
 Resolved further, That we are op- posed to this particular bill for req sons some of which we cnumerate as follows:
 First.
 Because it presumes to sell the vessels now owned by the Govern ment when in fact the so-called sale Is nothing but a smoke screen to hide the fact that the ship-owners are to receive the vessels for nothing and then some hundred million dollars over and above the purchase price for operating the vessels for 10 years, after which time the ship operators may turn the vessels back to the Government.
 Second.
 Because this bill confers upon the Shipping Board powers such as have never been, so far as we can asCer tain, given to any commission or board in any country; under this bill
 
 1t can reduce the subsidy or double it, 1t can sell the vessels at any price to one person or refuse to sell to an other person at a high bid because it is of the opinion that the bidders character is such that he may not use the vessel to promote the interests of the United States; 1t can lend money to one person at per cent. interest and refuse 1t to another, when both are to use ti for the same purpose. Third.
 Because the shipowners who are advocating the bill and will be the recipients of the bounty refuse to give any real information about their business during the last 10 years, in fact, any information, which might show whether any subsidy is really needed ,even from the point of view of those favoring subsidies as prin- ciple, unless ordered to do so by the Joint Committee conducting the hear ings.
 Fourth.
 Because the shipowners are so or ganized that there is not nor will there be any competition between them in the buying of the ships. Fifth.
 Because the shipowners have dom mated the policy of the Shipping Board during nearly all of it's his tory. They are dominating it now and there is no reason to believe that they will not continue to control it in the future.
 Sixth.
 Congress has, during our history, except in two or three instances, given the shipowners anything they asked; and it is, therefore, the ship owners and shipbuilders who are at least indirectly responsible for the decay of our sea-power, and there IS no good reason to believe that the shipowners asd their policy will inn prove after getting the subsidies.
 Finally we believe that this is no time to sell the vessels; but that, hav- ing tried to operate the vessels under agreement with the shipowners and having failed, we may now try to op- crate them directly in the manner that Mr. Rossbottom is now operat- ing his "spoked team" without any serious loss to the Government. We believe that the losses would be much less, if any, and that the shipowners would then buy the vessels which they have SO far refused to buy