Evening star., 1924-05-02
IN TODAY'S SPOTLIGHT
BY PAUL y. COLLINS

The House bill to amend section 2,
of the merchant marine act of 1920
introduced by Representative Waltei
Newton of Minnesota, has beer
favorably reported out by the com.
| mittee on merchant marine and fish.
cries. and will be before the House
! within few days. In the Senate Il
! Lodge. Extensive hearings by The
committee were concluded last Sat.
urday and recommendation that the
bill pass was unanimous.
This amendment modifies the &C,
i.authorizing a lower through rail rate
on shipments billed through 70,
ocean export. The present law makes
no discrimination as to what ship Is
to carry the export. The, Newton
amendment requires that 1t must &C
under the American flag in order
to get the lower rail rate, when the
Shipping Board certifies that II car
supply adequate bottoms to carry the
traffic offered. II Is an effort to stim-
ulate the American merchant marine
with preferential rates over foreign
competitors and thus provide traffiS
for the hundreds OF American ships
now lying idle.
****
Tho application OF the discrina.
natory clause Of the bill to Amer
ican shipping, depending upon q
scertification OF the Shipping Board tc
the Interstate Commerce Cbmmis-
sion that it can supply adequate
ships to carry the commerce, will
probably be postponed to July 1
1926, in order to give ample time to
assure shipping facilities. At pres
ent there are only forty privately
owned American ships and some 4OO
government owned ships engaged
In transoceanic traffic There are
government owned vessels lying
idle. and 1t Is from these idle YES
sells that the Fleet Corporation would
provide the American bottoms to take
which it is the intent of the legis-
iation to displace in American ex-
port trade. OF these 900 idle ships
about 200 could easily be put in com
mission, though only fifty are to-
day In spot condition for imm ediate
use
A proposal that the new plan be
tried out first in only certain ports
OF the country has been rejected. be-
cause the Constitution expire ssly
prohibits any discrimination be-
tween states in the matter of COM
merce regulations. Article I. Sec
tion 8: mo preference shall be
given by any regulation of commerce
or revenue 20 the ports of one state
over those OF another"
This oompels the complete under
taking TO carry all the American ex-
ports or none. for the differential in
the rail rate will throw all TO Amer
lean We sells as soon as the law goes
into effect Exception is made in
the certitication OF the Shipping
board regarding wheat There could
not be supplied enough American
vessels for all of our wheat exports
hence the lower rail rate will be
permitted on wheat whether it goes
by American or foreign ships across
the ocean. The same privilege is
not accorded to fiour--it must go
under the American flag on the
ocean or lose the through rate by
rail, and this apparent disUimina-
ton against American Millers calls
forth the first American complaint.
* +
All is not harmony amongst the
witnesses and experts who have ap-
peared at the hearings Some who
professed to represent only American
interests stand charged with being
more interested in foreign shipping.
These contend that the proposed dis
elimination in favor of American
ships in our. export traffic will be
countered abroad by discrimination
against our vessels in retaliation.
The reply given is that British ship
ping especially has always gone the
limit IN preventing American COM