UNITED STATES.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16463, 16 June 1919, Page 3

UNITED STATES.

SHIPPING SCHEMES.

MR. HURLEY’S PROGRAMME,

By Telegraph—Press Assn,—Copyright,

NEW YORK, June 8. The New York Times’ Washington correspondent reports that Mr. Hurley, in a statement, said that the United States Shipping Board completed, or had under construction, a tonal of 2434 vessels, aggregating 13,885,106 deadweight tons, at an average cost of 180 dollars per ton. —Aus.-N.lt. Cable Assn.

AMERICAN SHIPPING POSITION.

(Scientific American, March 29.)

The chairman of the United States Shipping Board returns from his three months’ stay in Europe with* a niass of first-hand information regarding the shipping situation in the maritime world, and tlio American public will be glad to know that one effect of his investigation has been to make him very optimistic as to the future of American shipping. He believes that the obstacle of inexperience will quickly give way before American industrial strength and energy. Our progress will be facilitated by the widespread upheaval which iias occurred in the maritime world. As evidence of the changed conditions, lie makes the startling statement that the difference in wages here arid abroad is to-day practically negligible, the pay given to British seamen during the war being 72 dollars a month as compared with our pay of 75 dollars a month. Furthermore, ho would have us remember that wages form only a part of the issues now raised by the seamen of the world. Ho found that the conditions of living for the seamen aboard ship and the recognition of their rights as citizens, oven upon tho sea, overshadow the wage question. Our own Shipping Board lias provided comfortable quarters “fit for Americans to live in”: and, says Mr. Hurley, “the seamen of other nations, as I found during my stay abroad, are intent upon obtaining the same treatment aboard ship.” Another effect which will undoubtedly be of great assistance to our merchant marine was tho action of the Commission of International Labour Legislation, appointed by the Peace Conference at Paris, which has accepted the principle of uniformity throughout the world of seamen’s wages. Everyone is interested, or should be, to know exactly what has been the effect of the war upon the shipping tonnage of the world, and Mr. Hurley’s figures may be taken as the latest and most accurate. Prom them we learn that the steam seagoing merchant tonnage of the world in 3 nly, 1914, was 41.226.000 gross tons; that there has been a net loss of 4,245,000 tons and that to this should be added tho loss, through failure of normal increase by new construction, of 12,000,000 tons, making a present world shortage, over what would have been afloat had the war never occurred, of 16,245,000 tons. Tho losses to tho Allies and neutrals by enemy action, by marine risk, and by capture or seizure by the enemy, amounted to 15,218,000 tons. The Allied gains during the war were, by new construction 11,856,000 gross tons, and by capture or seizure from the enemy, 2,393,000 gross tons, making a total gain of 14,249,000 gross tons. The net loss, therefore, to the Allies and neutrals was 969,000 tons. Tho figures for the gross losses to individual nations through enemy action are very impressive. Out of a, total for tho Allies and neutrals of 12.815.000 tons, Great Britain jost 7,753,746 gross tons; Norway'; 1,178v--335 tons; France, 907,165_ tons ; Italy, 862,124 tons; and the United States 383.987 tons, the percentages varying from 36,8 per cent, for Great Britain to 7.2 per cent, for tho United States. During the war Great Britain built and acquired sufficient tonnage to reduce her net loss to 3,443,000 tons and during the same period we increased our snipping to the extent of 3,370,868 tons. As the result of his survey of the British yards, Mr. Hurley reached the conclusion that under favourable conditions the British may reach or even exceed the 3,000,000 gross tons output predicted for 1919. i Moreover, ho found that France, Japan and Italy have ambitious programmes of construction. France wishes to buy a million tons of ships built in Great Britain and a like amount of ships fciilt in Atnerica, and wishes to have constructed in Americap yards another two million tons of cargo steamers. Italy expects in three years’ time to have four million gross tons and Japan has a programme for this year of 793.000 gross tons. Norway and Sweden are laying plans for the active upbuilding of their fleets, and even Switzerland intends to construct a merchant navy, when canal improvements are made on the Rhine, which will bring raw materials in exchange for manufactured goods. Finally, it is Mr. Hurley’s conviction that if the natural and desirable expansion of the foreign trade of tho United States -is to take place, three conditions must be fulfilled. First, to distribute American products and bring in imports through American agencies and largely in American ships, we must find or develop seven men with experience in handling foreign trade whore there was but one man in, 1914. Secondly, we must recruit an American personnel for the operation of the ships and the handling of the work at our ports. Lastly, we must make a permanent and increasing extension of our banking facilities.

CLAIMS FOE SUBMARINE LOSSES. NEW YORK, June 8. The Times’ AVashington correspondent states that the State Department has announced that the claims of American citizens against Germany arising from submarine warfare and the seizure of American property in Germany amount to a billion dollars.— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

LABOUR AND PROHIBITION WASHINGTON, June 14

Mr. Gompers, giving evidence before the Senate Judiciary Committee, said American Labour resented the prohibition laws. He was personally apprehensive regarding the results, unless the use of light beers was allowed. An anti-prohibition demonstration at the capital on a large scale voiced Labour’s disapproval of prohibition.—Aus.N.Z. Cable Assn.

EXPORT OF GOLD PERMITTED (Received June 16, 9.25 a.m.) NEW YORK, June 10.

The Washington correspondent of the New York Times states that the Federal Reserve Board has announced that the embargo on the export of gold from the United States has been removed, except to enemy countries and Bolshevist Russia.:—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.