The Bozeman courier., 1923-07-04

scraped, which had not been done for
years
"In January, 1922, the experts re-
ferred to, having in charge the recon-
ditioning, asked the present board,
among other sundry items required
for the completion of the Leviathan,
to appropriate $4,000 to cover the
cost of the trial trip, which sum in
cluded the cost of guests. The ex-
perts then, as now, contemplated at
least five days for the trip. At that
time-fully 16 months ago-the
board, consisting Of four Republicans
and three Democrats, unanimously
accepted the recommendation of the
/ experts and made the appropriation.
At the same time, at a hearing of the
house appropriations committee, In
reporting the various items that went
into the total of the Leviathan's re-
conditioning cost, the board included
a trial trip. .
when the government took over
the Leviathan during the war, the
navy, first having made sure her ma
chinery had not been tampered with,
but in face of some necessary repairs
which are minor compared to those
now made, sent the ship on more than
| five days trial cruise in southern
waters-five precious days neces-
sarily lost to war transport.
"It would be futile to array the
opinion of the Democratic national
committee alongside that of practical
) ly all the experts of our navy and
: American ship-building and operating
| companies. Fortunately the respon-
: sibility for thorough test of the Le-
l viathan is not upon the shoulders Of
the Democratic national committee
| but rests solely with the United
= States government
"It is customary practice the world
= over to have trial trips for all vessels
e but particularly extended trips before
D passenger ships like the Leviathar
j are put into the regular service.
: need only recall the extensive tria
? trips taken by the Lusitania and the
|. Mauretania..
s "The cost of reconditioning the LIE
: viathan was more than $8,000,00
o The cost of the trial trip, as proposed
i by the experts and authorized by th'
Il board fully 16 months ago, was $120,
S 900, of which $107 900 would have t,
e be spent, irrespective of whether
V single guest was carried. 1t has bee
e the universal custom on the part o
} shipping companies throughout th
= world to invite non-paying guests o.
k the trial trips of new vessels, in or
e der that the complex organization an
q service machinery of the ships Nigh
z be broken in. For that purpose tn
z experts insisted that 400 to 500 guest
z be asked on the Leviathan's trial triI
e Invariably shipping companies invit
= as guests the people whose good wi
2 it is desirable TO win-journalist
= legislators, freight and passenge
z men, exporters and importers, an
= others who could later be of aid {
z the ships business.
Xi "Just because the American me-
z chant marine is a government ente
Z prise does not permit US to ignol
2 and avoid the best business method
q of private companies. The stool
= holders of private concern wou
= not dream of challenging the invite
3 list of its board of directors, and tn
z is why the expenditure of only $1S
= 900 to pay for the food and comic
z Of approximately 400 to 500 CUES
E is an item that sound business jud
z nent ought not for moment to cha
q lenge, especially when the total co
z of $8,000,0O0 is considered as the
g itial investment and tie $4,000 spe
z in this way will be returned to t
q shipping board beyond measure
= the future.
z eff the Democratic national cor
Z mittee had only shown the same S
2 licitude few years ago for the S.
3 000,000,000 of American Taxpayer
2 money, much of which was wasted
careless management by a shippil
2 board under Democratic adninistI
g ton, we would perhaps today be pa
. ing less money in income taxes a
3 the Harding administration would
3 less burdened with the necessity
z raising vast sums to pay interest
Z the national debt"