The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-12-07
NEEDS OF OUR MERCHANT FLEET


 Because of the failure of the last congress to make provision for more efficient operation of the merchant marine, the. United States Shipping Board has been making extraordinary effort to carry out the evident intent of the law to establish an American merchant marine on a permanent basis There is constantly accommodating evi- dence of success as to the main object, regardless of the obstacles with which the program has had to contend. In its recent report the board shows progress in disposing of vessels and material that were the accumulation of the war and which were not needed by nor suited to the ship program. The process of gradual liquidation of obsolete or improperly constructed vessels is far better than the program of scrapping and sacrifice sales which certain shipping corporations have ad- vocated.. The gradual process, while necessarily involving the sale of some vessels and materials at far less than cost, has the virtue of bringing in more 1 revenue than the alternative method proposed.
 The question of funds for carrying out the provisions of the merchant marine act is still unsettled. The last congress seemingly preferred an in- definite drain on the public treasury to the definite, indirect subsidy pro- posed by the board and warmly sup ported by MT. Harding. In its report the board asks for authority to use some of the construction loan fund for reconditioning existing vessels for service as needed. The recommends tion of joint rail and water board contains far more significance than appears on the surface. Such board would serve the important purpose of 1 tying-in land and water movements in more continuous and expeditions progress from originating points to destination, regardless of the trans fers between rail and water carriers. Such a board would doubtless find much to do in discovering and cor recting existing impediments to ship ments due to lack of correlation be- tween land and water carriers. The question of joint rates and through bills of lading would be thoroughly and completely investigated for the purpose of expediting the nations haulage in the most economical and eff ficient manner, Such a program would relieve the public of a great and unnecessary transportation tax.
 The board especially emphasizes the public necessity of regarding the mer- chant marine more in the light of a naval reserve, for all Americans recall how desperate was our condition in the early months of the war, not because we lacked either goods or men, but because we had no ships to carry them to the field of action. We built the merchant fleet at great cost and loss because it was the one thing neces- |
 sary and lacking to our success. What ever public monies are expended upon preserving this fleet should be cheer fully charged to the account of na- tional defense and preparedness. The attention of the government is directed to the now neglected ways in which the government might but does not throw it's business to it's own merchant marine. This can be done through confining government passengers and goods to government flagships, pro- viding for the transportation of at least half our immigrant quotas in American ships and more liberal un- derwriting of postal subventions so as to bring the compensation for this service more nearly into line with present operating costs.
 There are ways in which our gov ernment has neglected to foster the merchant marine, policy which has greatly handicapped the shipping board in its efforts to carry out the intent of the act under which it operates. This question of the merchant marine is nationally one of our most impor- tant. The next task is to win the serious attention of congress to it's pror-.' support.