Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1936-07-30
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government money and subsidized
by special privileges accorded by
their governments.
So, it is made to appear, at least
from this line of reasoning, that
American firms are left to the mer-
cies of foreign shipping companies
in their efforts to expand our ex-
| port trade-that is, they are left
to these mercies unless this govern
ment takes a definite stand by
| which American flag ships are ac-
corded some advantages.
I suspect there are many fea-
lures of the ship subsidy bill which
was fathered by Senator Copeland,
New York Democrat, that will
prove unsatisfactory. Indeed, am
sure some of them will be found to
be wholly unavoidable. But the
point is, after all, that a start has
been made toward honesty of poll
cy in dealing with merchant ma
rine problems. I think no one can
refute the statement that as be-
tween concealed or disguised sub
sides and fortnight payments that
are known as subsidies, the forth
right and honest method is decid-
edly better.
Since the United States normally
produces a surplus of agricultural
products, it becomes highly i'm
portant to agriculture that the for
eign markets are accessible and
that the costs of transportation do
not entirely eat up the value of the
commodity, exported unless the
wheat from the plains states and
the cotton from the South and the
corn from the Mississippi valley
can be moved at reasonable cost.
1t can be moved at reasonable cost
only if American shipping is pro-
tected. That is not alone my opin-
ion. 1t is the opinion of many ex-
perts in the field.
One might properly inquire why
the foreign boats should not be
used to handle American commodi-
ties if the freight rate is lower.
There are two very valid reasons
why this should not be obtained.
One is that constant rate reduction
by foreign shipping companies
would sooner or later, probably
sooner, destroy the American mer-
chant marine. With this end
achieved, the foreign shipping COM
panies would do as they have at
tempted to do on number of occa-
sions-jack up the rates to suit
themselves. The other reason why
American goods should be shipped
in American bottoms is that mer-
camille marine is as necessary an
adjunct to our national economy
and our national welfare as are the
lines of land transportation. This
may seem to me broad statement
but I believe, nevertheless. it is a
truthful one because all fields of in
dustry as we'll as agriculture would
suffer if we were left at the mercy
of foreign shipping companies.
Further, the commodities that we
import would pay whatever rates
the foreign shipping companies de-
nanded in order to reach our
shores and we would pay the bill.
1t seems, therefore, that while
this legislation probably is far from
perfection, probably has entirely
too much governmental finger in
the shipping pie, presents a start
that eventually will be helpful. !
have heard no answer to this state
nent. 1t is going to cost about
so much for transportatio on the
ocean and if we can maintain an
American industry upon that cost
plus the aid of a subsidy of the
type now initiated, we have laid
out a sound unit in our national
commercial structure. 1t goes with
out saying, therefore, that if it is
helpful to one part of the country
it is going to be helpful to all 9TH
erS because we are so interrelated.
Political students have been en-
gagged lately in stirring arguments
over what posi-
Pests and bly, may be new
Drouth influence in the
ca m paigns of
1886. refer to the disastrous con.
ditions in some of the plains of the
| Middle West resulting from lack of
rain. I refer, also, to the presence
of pests in sections of the plains
| states.
1t has been interesting, not to say
humorous, to listen to the argu-
ments being advanced, arguments
based purely on political phases
that may or may not result from
those conditions. There is no agree
ment among the Democrats and no
agreement among the Republicans
as to the effect of the natural cir
cumstances developing in the mid
die west. Some Democrats con-
tend the drouth will react to Pres
ident Roosevelt's advantage. Some
Republicans fear that the Demo-
cratic contention is true. Some
Democrats are afraid that the loss
of crops and the generally bad con-
dition in which this leaves thou
sands of farmers will place them in
a state of mind where they will be
determined to vote against some
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