Milford chronicle., 1955-11-18
our MERCHANT MARINE


Board, along with group OF members OF
ne Merchant Marine and Fisheries Com
mittee of the House, visited European snip
building centers. The Boards chairman,
G. Morse, has made Significant
report, in a speech entitled An Adequate
American Merchant Marine.
Early in this talk Mr.. Morse said: The
worldwide potential Of shipping business
continues to increase-and we, as nation, |
have got to have our fair share OF 1t! For
eign flag operators will offer tough competl-
ton in worldwide shipping experience as
well as with new, fast and efficient cargo
SHIPS" Then Mr.. Morse described the bee
hive of activity he saw in the yards ana
machinery works of Scotland, Germany and
other countries. With few excepIlons eV7
cry major shipyard we visited employed
more workers than are presently employed
in all of the major American shipyards turn
ing out seagoing merchant vessels. These
Yards are efficient, excellently equipped, and
are well organized. For the most part, there
is plenty Of skilled labor and it works hard.
The ships they produce are of good quahty.
AS Mr.. Morse put it, 'True, our ships are
built to what we feel are higher standards
of safety and comfort for passengers and
crew. But their ships are designed for the
purpose Of making money, and IN that tney
are eminently successful.
Then Mr.. Morse went into some OF the
problems that confront the u. S. merchant
marine in this intensely competitive sltua-
ton and what is being done to solve them
both by government agencies and oy the
shipping and shipbuilding companies.
! In a short time we must replace some
/ 300 of the ships in that important part OF
our merchant fleet which receives govern
naent subsidies provided to help offset the
very great differences in both building and
operating costs as between foreign and Y. >.
lines. Schedules for requirements have Deen
worked out. AS an example, Mr.. Morse cited
one. OF these schedules, which has been fnal-
/ lied, made for company with 81 Shlps 10
] be replaced. The job will be completed, over
T. a 12-year period, at a cost of $685. ,OOO
4 He also dealt with what is being done to
"deVelOp and maintain an American ship
Il building industry capable of filling our com
mercial needs and at the same time provide
basic, ever-ready nucleus OF shlpDulldlne
slzills and facilities which can be expanded
in time of national need" The tgureS art
! certainly impressive contracts placed by
J, tprivate operators, along with government
programs placed through the MARITIME
. Board, now total many hundreds Of millions
: of dollars.
Space precludes cOverage of many othe
I important points brought up by Mr.. Morse
/ He does not, it should be emphasized, init
; mate that all the problems involved hav
: been licked These are problems OF com
} plex and long-range nature-and 1t is vita
: that they be continuously reviewed and deal
: with in the interest of the national securit
and the economic welfare alike.
Z Finally, Mr.. Morse said Of the laws Pre-
viding government aid to Our. merchant ma
rine: seThese laws are designed for one thin
alone-to put our private shipping busines
: on basis of parity with our foreign con
! petition; from then on out it is up to ther
a to successfully compete. / have every cor
T .fidence that they can and will do So"
NG2DNc&