The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-04-15
MAINTENANCE MOBILE LINES IS VITAL NEED
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ties an adequate and maintained American merchant marine and such course will be followed as will fully guarantee il and contemplate its larger development"
 The government should be able to determine within GO days, or by June l5. whether it can effect satisfac- tory sals of it's shipping holdings, Chairman Lasker announced.
 Leading Expprter's View.
 Charles A. Moffett. president of the Gulf States Steel company, which shipped it's mill products into twen- said:
 T think the shipping board has done the right thing. Primarily | favor private ownership and opera . tion Of ship lines and am opposed to government operation Therefore, l would prefer that the ships were sold to private parties who would be able and would undertake to carry out the broad merchant marine policies of the shippins Q. board. If, however, such purchasers cannot he found, the logical and only alternative of the shipping board Is to continue control and op- eratlon until such purchasers do develop.
 Benefit To Birmingham.
 Birmingham is especially inter ested in exports and also in coast wise service through the canal The establishment of regular sailings out Of gulf ports, especially via Mobile. has proven distinct benefit to manufacturing exporters of this dis- trfct and it would be a setback; to have these regular sailings. which have been made feasible by the be disturbed.
 board seems to do. However, the merchant marine is the prime nee essity and the board is right in its determination on it's preservation"
 Similar approval was given by other shippers. One shipper said: A Convincing Preferf.
 We were furnished an excellent profert of what regular sailings out of Mobile to the Pacific. coast and Cuba and other foreign countries mean to this district very recently. l read in the Age Herald an itemized statement of movem ents to the Pac - fife coast via Mobile and the canal last week showing total of more than 11.000 tons of Birmingham pipe, iron and steel products going that way In three steamers In as many cays. There was also an itemized d statement showing large shipments of Birmingham wire. nails and hoop iron to Cuban ports, to Porto Rico and to the Windward islands. Created Regular Lines.
 Prior to the good offices of the shipping board there were no reg ular sailings to Pacific coast out of Mobile. Now there are five lines regularly plying between Mobile and the Pacific coast and doing a large and regular business each way" Has Helped Warrior.
 The outbound Warrior river craft is 100 per cent employed in hauling rails, pipe and other iron and steel products to the coast for export and Pacific coast This busi- ness, it is pointed out, has increased continuously as merchant marine service out of Mobile has been fostered by the shipping board. Shipments From East.
 Another feature of the Warrior river service is in connection with the Mallory line, whereby 2t rail rate from New York cc mingham is saved. This arrange ment was brought about by the shipping board at the special insist ence of F. l. Thompson, the mem- Der from the gulf.
 General opinion among shippers coincide with that expressed by MT Moffctt. They say they prefer private ownership and operation, but that the merchant marine is the out standing necessity and that the ship ping board has done the country q distinct service in it's determination 10 preserve the merchant marine in one way or the other.