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Support the Merchant Marine National Merchant Marine Conference Held in Wash- ington Recommends Aids To Foster American Shipping ing the government = shipping bureaus, the National Merchant - Marine conference suggested a_ sub- sidy for maintenance of specified ocean trade routes and a subsidy through mail contracts to provide for main- taining the higher type of service needed in the interests of the country’s foreign commerce and for the trans- portation of mails. These recommendations were made at the conclusion of the conference on Nov. 16 and 17 held at the head- quarters of the United States cham- ber of commerce, attended by more than 100 representatives of manufac- turing, labor, agriculture, financial and other interests from all parts of the country. The final recommendations included suggestions for the amend- ment of the LaFollette seamen’s act, and for the removal to the depart- ment of commerce, as far as prac- ticable, the government services re- lating to the merchant marine. Running throughout the discussions during the conference was persistent opposition on the part of the -12 rep- resentatives selected by the American Federation of Labor, headed by Frank Morrison and Andrew Furuseth. The labor delegates returned a minority report, vigorously contending against conclusions that government aid for the merchant marine is necessary, es- pecially attacking statements that a form of subsidy is needed because of higher costs of operation due to wages for crews. Bix o recommending overhaul- Recommendations Ready John O. Leary, president of the United States chamber of commerce opened the conference with an address in which he emphazied the important- ance of the country deciding upon a definite and sane merchant fleet policy within the next year. He pointed out the relatively small progress made in the attempts to dispose of the govern- ment-owned fleet and the placing of it under private operation. “The changed condition resulting from the war make it desirable that we review the whole subject in the light of present-day conditions and endeavor, if possible, to arrive at a peace time program for our merchant marine,” Mr. O’Leary said, “the posi- tion of the United States has changed materially in the last ten years. In 1914 the American Merchant marine carried less than 10 per cent of our water-borne foreign commerce. In 1924 the American merchant marine carried in excess of 40 per cent of our water borne foreign commerce. Today we have a merchant marine. Whether we will have it ten years from now will depend largely upon the policies which are determined with: in the next year. * * * I am hopeful that the National Merchant Marine conference may be helpful to our gov- ernment in developing a permanent peace-time merchant marine policy which will be in the interest of all of our people.” Secretary Hoover opened the discus- sion with an address on “Our Na- tional Merchant Marine Policies,” in which he reiterated his views that the United States never will have a real or satisfactory merchant marine un- til it is owned and maintained by private enterprise. T. V. O’Connor, chairman of the shipping board, who followed Secre- tary Hoover, also declared against government ownership of the fleet, if private operation is possible, but he declared that the shipping board had been hindered in its work of establish- ing a merchant marine by propaganda. “Those who apply the argument against government ownership to our present shipping -situation,” he said, “simply are attempting to mislead the American public.” Four Committees Report The reports of the four committees, appointed by the chamber of com- merce from various shipping interests and others, which have been making a six-month survey in various parts of the country of economic conditions relating to shipping, were heard and considerable discussion was given to these reports. made the reports were: Gen. J. G. Harbord, President of the Radio Corp. of America, on “Relation of Merchant Marine to American Foreign Trade”; Judge Edwin B. Parker, umpire of the mixed claims commission, Washington, “Government Relations to the Shipping Industry”; A. J. Brosseau, president, Mack Trucks, Inc., New York, “Gov- ernment Aid to Shipping’; C. W. Lonsdale, Kansas City, “Disposal of Government Owned Ships.” The re- ports of these committees were ana- lyzed by a sub-committee of the con- 463 The chairmen who. t ference and were combined into the 15 final reeommendations. Representatives of the American Federation of Labor and former Sen- ator Atlee Pomerene, of Ohio, con- demned the subsidy recommendation. Mr. Pomerene was a member of the committee that drafted the final con- clusions adopted by the conference, but he said he could not support the re- port because a_ subsidy would not establish an American merchant ma- rine. Changes Suggested in Control The conference recommended the complete reorganization of the gov- ernment machinery for the administra- tion of shipping affairs. The changes it provided are: 1. The reduction of the shipping board to three members with only semi-judicial regulatory duties. 2. The transfer of the administra- tion of the government-owned fleet to’ the Emergency Fleet Corp., the presi- dent of which would be appointed. by the President of the United States and would act under the supervision of a national advisory board also to be appointed by the President, with a member of the cabinet as chairman Regional advisory boards would sit with the national board in determin- ing policies relating to the increase, decrease or sale of trade route serv- ices. 8. The application by the national advisory board, with the regional boards concerned, in accordance with principles prescribed by. congress, of any system of government aid that may be authorized. 4. The concentration in the depart- ment of commerce, as far as prac- ticable, of government services re- lating to the merchant marine. “There is no thought,” the confer- ence declared, “of monopolizing ship- ping to and from the ports of the United States. It is well recognized that vessels under foreign flags can be depended upon to carry satisfactorily a portion of our export and import, commodities. But it is clear that our people are determined that they will no longer depend almost entirely upon ships of foreign countries for their foreign trade, no matter what the cost.”