Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-04-19

globew hich do not pay for them
selves, bat which enable American
SINNERS 20 get satisfactory rates for
their cargoes.
Slight Hope for Sale
AS a matter of fact. the entry OF
tbe government into the shipping
business is considered a foregone
conclusion because the bids probably
will not be high enough to justify
sale. Under the circumstances, then,
the government will then go the
whole hog" abandoning the previous
practice of operating some ships
through agents who received COM
mission plus the cost of operation
This agency method has been one OF
the most Instantaneous practices
set I'D since the famous cost plus
10 per cent" of war contract days
at least this is what the administra-
ton says about it, now that II mas
had a chance to observe the prac-
ice under peace. time conditions.
It is interesting to learn that 81
uer cent of Americas foreign COM
merce is handled by the American
ships today. About "a per cent con-
sists of oil tankers in the Caribbean,
and the Great Lakes traffic, neither
of which would be affected by gov
eminent competition because of the
short hauls involved.
nTiUQfn owners
engaged in trans-oceanic trade nave
about 80 ships. Eight ships are OPP
Grated by the Hartman lines and
about fifteen by the international
Mercantile Marine. Some of the So
called industrial ships operating on
specific routes by the industries that
own them, such as the Steel corpo-
ration, naturally will keep on operat-
ing their own vessels, but by and
large, it gets down to about 30 boat%,
which will feel the competition of the
government if unaided. Some of
these owners are said to have APP
piled already for foreign registry.
Sympathy Promised
They can also. to be sure, always
go into the coastwise trade If they
desire, but the probabilities are that
those already engaged in business
will ask the government to cooper
ate with them in preserving the bust
ness they have built up and SYM
pathetic ear will be given to their
case.
There are many such problems
yet to be worked out as only the
fundamentals have been agreed
upon. The United States shipping
fleet consists of about 1890 YES
sells, only 300 OF which are being.
operated. If 400 could be kept go
ing the board would feel that it
was accomplishing d great deal. The
remaining eleven hundred ships are
not all suited for foreign trade. Dur
ing the war the demand was for
vessels of very few types and it was
easier to standardize them for war
purpose. Now, however, the govern
ment feels the need of specialized
types to compete with the fleets of
other countries, and a special appro-
priation will have to be authorized
by congress for new construction as
natural corrollary to the govern
ment's new policy of public opera
| ton. It's just as if railroad had
built all day coaches to carry
troops and found after the war that
1t needed SleeperS, refrlgeratlnS
cars, flat cars, oil tankers, etc. The
American government will set out
to compete for the trade Of the
world and will need all the types
that other companies abroad now
maintain.
The new policy represents a
turning point in the history of
American -. merchant shipping. The
war claims and attendant confusion
has about been cleared up and by
July first when the present fiscal
year ends, Chairman Lasker hopes
to turn over to the president a
completely re-organiZed service
ready for The aggressive competi-
ton which the next few years will
require. In his place he will I'M
doubleday recommend that prac-
tical shipping man be appointed.
President Harding himself has hint
ed that one of the officers of the
fleet corporation would be pro-
NOTED for it is no longer a ques-
ton of policy-Chairman Lasker
has worked that out for his sue
cessor-but it is a matter of opera