The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1923-11-29
SHIPPING BOARD /,
REPORTS GAINS
Fewer Private Vessels Are
in Foreign Trade

The survey OF the employment Of
the American merchant marine for
the quarter ending October /. 1927
by the buemu OF research OF The
United States shipping board shows
IN comparison with the conditions a.
July ]. 1929. a slight reduction h
number OF the priyately.owned YES.
sells IN the overseas foreign trader
and 70 per cent increase In the
number Of priyaiely.owned veaseIn In
iay'up. The active shipping board
fleet shows an increase OF four yes.
sells, while the laid.up tonnage Is re.
duced six steamers by sides.
Dealing first with the privately.
owned fleet. II Is found that five
passenger vessels were withdrawn
from overseas service, and ono was
added by withdrawal from Iay.up. Z
-Four cargo vessels were withdrawn
from the European services. one from
the East coast OF South America. one
from the Far East. two were added
10 the West coast OF South America
and one 10 the Orient service, giving
a net decrease OF three cargo vessels
and four passenger steamers. to
tai OF II, 500 gross tons.
Tanker services showed a net de.
crease In the services overseas OF
five vessels Of 1888 gross tons. five
Withdrawals occurring from the Eu.
ropran services and two from the
Far Eagt. while two tankera were
added TO the Orient service.
FOREIGN SERVICES
SHOW GAINS
The nearby foreign services West
indies. Caribbean and Canada show
q net increase Of eight vessels and
60.s6l gross tons, the increase being
chiefly due 10 tankcrs in the Mexican
oil trade. One passenger vessel was
added 10 this service and one cargo
vessel withdrawn.
In the intercoastal trade no actual
changes have occurred In the num-
Der Of vessels employed The fleet
presently engaged In this service
consists OF five passenger vessels OF
$3.50 gross tons: las cargo vessels
OF s27. Os4 gross tons, and 100 tank
ers OF ISL. 1903 gross tons. total OF
go vessels and i.655.2s5 gross tons
The total privately owned fleet
shows a net increase, over the num-
Der and tonnage 80 owned az July !.
OF Is vessels, due principally tos
transfer from government TO priva;a
ownership. During this period nine
cargo vessels were transferred from
the control Of the alien property Gus
todian 10 private operation. II ves-
sells were sold By the shipping board,
new construction added four, and six
were added thru change Of registry.
Deductions have been made OF eight
vessels thru loss. abandonment,
scrapping and sale 10 foreign flag.
TWO FAMOUS
VESSELS SCRAPPED
Included in the vessels deleted
from the documented list and sold
for scrapping are two well-known
and erstwhiie famous carriers-the
Minnesota, the largest cargo vessel
ever under the American flag. and
the Philadelphia. one.time premier
ship OF our passenger fleet, and an
active auxiliary in both the Spanish
American and world wars.
The inactive private shipping az
gregates 542.S75 gross tons as com
pared with 471.3T5 gross tons on
July ]. Twenty.four additions have
been made TO iay.up during the pc
Rod. but the % additions TO the fleet
offset this and retain practically thd
same number OF vessels in active>
service as for the previous quarter.
or the government feet. including
both shipping board and the Panama
railroad vessels, there were. on oc-
tober /, 3s5 ships OF 2.34o. 665 gross
tons in operation out of a total OF
1906 vessels aggregating s.4s5,351
tons. Six vessels were in the inter-
coastal trades and II were in the
nearby foreign trades. The remain.
der Of the active ships were engaged
in maintaining our overseas foreign
trade routes.