Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-11-25

protection of American industry are
really burden upon our shipping in
dustry. | believe the policy of
England in substituting lines of
steamers TO the various ports of the
world, has given her a prestige which
is almost insuperable. My own
impression has been that large sub
sides should be given as an induce
ment, and that those subsidies. while
they would cost the government
something in the beginning, would
cost the government nothing in the
end. 81
1.-THE hi partisan commission which
heard Mr.. Low recognized the force
of his statement and unanimously
recommended the legislative aids
which he had proposed but congress
then failed, as it so often has to en-
act into law the recommendations of
its committee.
Not a Difficult Problem
"Now, it is not that the problem of
an American merchant marine Is q
difficult one-it is about the simplest
problem that has faced congress IN
fifty years. The same sort of leSls-
lation that has made this country
the greatest steel producer in the
world; that has covered this land
with manufacturing establishments;
that enables the worllmen OF this
country to receive higher wages and
enjoy better living conditions than
the workmen of any other nation find
would solve the shipping question
If we would but follow examples set
by our greatest maritime compet-
tors. the problem would be solved
Why, then, don't we do it?
zone reason for non action appears
to be inability on the part OF our
LEGISLATORS to frame n law which all
will at once agree to be perfect.
THE British didn't wait for the
ideal. They took what they could
get. As defects developed in those
ships. they were remedied. $50
when in more recent times, a fin
ancial power in this country created
the great International Mercantile
Marine and it seemed as If the su :
premacy of Eritain's merchant fleet
might be threatened, parliament
promptly advanced from the national
treasury all funds necessary to build
two steamships, and directed that
they should be superior in size and
speed to anything then known. The
buSIldbld anu Lll6 ui ltdliid IC-
suited, not only built by money from
the national treasury but supported
by twenty-year mail contracts and
naval subventions sufficient to enable
their owners to repay the cost of
these ships and be still S5,000,000 to
the good.
Another legislative stumbling
block has been our attempt to pass
real shipping aid law, to which
our competitors would not object,
OF course, that is an impossibilty.
Ocean transportation of this
country's international commerce
is the greatest single commercial
prize in the world. For years prior
to the World War. foreigners enjoy
ed practical monopoly of that bust
ness and they know it's value. They
want it back. They already have re-
gained two-thirds of it but they
want it all. They know that last
year Shipping Board vessels receiv-
ed SOS, 100000, or nearly one-quar-
ter of what the people of the United
States paid out for the carriage of
their cargoes during that period.
They know that if it hadn't been for
Shipping Board vessels, they would
have had the bulk of that S10S,0OO,-
600. Also, as foreign shipping pa
pers so often and emphatically state
they know they could have charged
higher rates nd made some real
profits out of carrying these cargoes