Milford chronicle., 1923-09-28
SHIP SALES SLOW

Inc Harding policy of continuing.
Ine operation of the American mer-
chant marine, even if it must be done
Dy the government, is being pursued
Dy the present administration. IF io
I acknowledged that the governmenr
cannot hope to operate the sbins sc
cneaply or as efficiently as private op-
orators would do, but in the absence
OIL any better plan, the government
Will operate the ships rather than
yield our ocean transportation to our
commercial rivals. Whenever oppor-
tunlty offers and fair price can be
had' the Shipping Board is selling
goVernment-Owned ships, but with the
guarantee that they will be operated |
IN the American foreign trade for a
period OF at least five years.
There has been great difficulty in
securing even an approach to a fair
price when this condition is imposed
upon the purchaser. Last April the
0oard advertised ships for sale on this
;ondltlon and some weeks ago the I
IrsI sale was made-two ships to the I
trace line, with the guarantee that z
hey will be operated between the !
Vest Coast of the United States and
he West Coast of South America. In '
he past week seven combination h
relght ana passenger ships were sold a
the Dollar Line, with guarantee p
lat they will be operated in a round e,
le-World service. This service, un-
er the American flag, will be watched e!
lth great interest, for there is not tE
the present time any other regular eJ
'und-the-World service under any CT
lS. Shortly after the war one Amer "b
an concern started a round-the-
Orld service but apparently it was be
It found to be success.
1t will be noted that the few ships
at have been sold as above men
ned, were sold to transportation
es that have been in operation for :
my years. The government ships ma
II be added to the fleets already in I'm
GRAFTON. This is favorable circum- tur
nee, for there is greater likelihood al
It the operation will be successful Fai
en- undertaken by concerns that al Fai
dy have an established business ty
a record for successful manage and
Mt. Under the Harding policy, which illu
received wide public approval, no pes
IS would be made if the ships were met
be transferred to other flags. A Mot
year guarantee, however, is the the
condition that could be imposed, and
even, under this short limitation, adv;
7as found impossible for a long NAL!
to give ships away if the pur- logi
ser were bound by an agreement worl
his kind.
ne reason for reluctance 10 buy uI
s with this obligation attached is III
e plain by Commissioner Plum
who, in a recent address, pointed "A
that on an average the minimum "
leap of an American ship in for S
trade is five dollars per ton per
That is, because of the higher !
OF operation under the Ameri- =
Seamen's law, it costs ships un-
he American flag that much more
on per year than it does foreign ,
=. Mr.. Plummer asserted that the
leap is in no way due to the in
'ncy of American seamen, either
deck force or the engine crew. h
due to American standards of III
which affect American ships
the time their keels are laid NJ
being the principal item" III
7as the Harding theory that since Nj
overnment, by it's shipping laws, II Nj
es upon American ships burdens WI
their competitors are not COM "
to bear, the Government should
those burdens. 1t was for that
that he recommended passage
bill, but this sug-
4 was defeated by a Democratic
ter. AS the only alternative.
'vernment is operating as many =
is it can find traffic for, and has
BILE to find buyers for only nine,
sacrifice prices.