Show American Efficiency Still Makes a Profit Most people know that American America ship hip lines which operate in world trade in competition with the ships of other countries receive a subsidy from the government The subsidy is supposed to tomake tomake tomake make up for the higher operating costs chiefly higher wages of the American chips The theory is that without a government subsidy our ships could not compete for freight or passenger busi- busi ness with foreign ships and soon there would be no American merchant marine The necessity of having merchant shipping shipping shipping ship ship- ping in time of war is the justification for government subsidies There is no great argument about that The subsidies are accepted as right and proper But few know there know there is a provision in the subsidy program which requires an American ship line to repay the subsidy if and when earnings permit It was a pleasant t surprise the other day to read that American Export Lines had paid back to the maritime commission commission commis commis- sion that i is the government the entire amount of its subsidy rec receipts for thelast thelast the thelast last 10 years a total of Undoubtedly unusual circumstances during the war had much to do with the good earnings record of American Export Lines but it is also likely that American ingenuity and operating efficiency efficiency efficiency effi effi- had s something to do with the good showing It is encouraging evidence evidence evidence evi evi- evi- evi dence that American enterprise is still a factor which helps to offset the competition tion of low wages and low standards of living in foreign countries |