New Britain herald., 1924-12-01
WANTS CONGRESS-
 ID BACK MARINE
Shipping Board Report Urges Government Ship Ownership

Washington Dec. 1. A Strong
 rcalirmation" by Congress that the | United Sratrs is determined to
 maintain permanently a merchant ! marine "commcnsurute with the needs of the country from the
 standpoint ot commerce and na- ! ttonal dofrHso," was recommended today in the annual report Of the
 shipping board,
 such declaration of policy was
 declared hy the board to be dcslr-
 able despite Improvements in the f American shipping situation brought ahou' durng the past year by rslte consultations, stabilization of rates, and other measures
 ! Tho board also recommended that a joint committee be created. com
 posed Of representatives Of the board and the Interstate Com- movcc Commission, 10 coordinate rail and water transportation; pro- hihitiou ny law ot preferential ar. engagements between American 1 railroads and foreign shipping lines; and exemption from iaxa- 1 tioU of all earnings from American
 shipping in foreign trade. The re-
 port did not go into detail, however, regarding any ot these recommen-
 da'iors.
 Discussing the accomplishments . lNF rI ] that recently effected consultations ! Of general ocean trade routes, in- ] yolving decreases in the number Of government freight and passenger ships and in inc number of operat- . ing agents, were said in the report
 10 have reduced overlapping and duplicate services and to have cut expenses, making it possible at the same time to obtain a greater fexi- | hiIty with the tonnage in service.
 An examination Of 1.o2l freight and passenger tariffs filed during 1 the year led to conclusion by the
 board that there has been a gen cral stabilization in the rates, fares and charges of common carriers by water In interstate commerce" Inauguration last June of sys- tenn for training inexperienced
 American-born boys who seek en- ployment on ships had assisted tremendously in the boards policy Of Americanzatioh" of crews on government vessels, the report de- clar"d. During the year 383 officers and S42@7 unlicensed men weEe placed on American vessels, and of these totals. the board points out, 71.5 per cent were American citi- zcns. This. however, was a decrease i In total placements of l7,290 men from the yoar 1923, and also a de- erase of 3.9 per cent in the per- centage Of Americans employed. The reduction vas attributed to the lower average number of Amer ! ican vessels in active service dur 1 ing the year. and the decline in the percentage of competent Ameri- { cans availahle for sea service was said to have been due principally 10 improved economic conditions ashore,
 Lack of Rating
 "anothcr important factor" the report continued. was the lack Of q suitable rating in the vessA's crew which could be filled with in- experienced young Americans 10 eventually replace those leaving the sea for various reasons.
 "Thc door has been opened to American boys who have no sea training by substituting two Amer i ican-born deck boys for one ordi- nary seaman at a nominal wage and without material increase in i operating cost No report Of actual results is available for the fiscal ] year, but it can be said that it will assist tremendously in the boards policy Of .Americanization,"
 In a discussion Of Section eS of 1 the Merchant Marine Act, de- signed 10 afford preferential rail- road rates on cargoes to be shipped ] in American vessels. but which i vas suspended the board asserted i that application Of the section would have given American ships