| Show p r f S LI a r 1 8 e I Y NHA 1 it A whimsy whims at years year's was a meeting of 01 mar maritime union chiefs to ese what could Iol id be done to pep up water ship ship- shipping ping under the US flag This Is somewhat akin to a crew member In the he engine room of a ship who keeps open open- Ing openIng the sea val valves vel an all anthe a al athe l the while s complaining complaining 11 of havIng to r work under such wet con con- conditions conditions sa III 5 III III According to the union leaders not flot over ovel 10 ot of c W Harder the American exports are be be- be being Ing shipped in hulls lying flying the American flag thus depriving ing Americans ot of the work Suggested panaceas for lor this situation Include bigger tax subsidies for American ship owners to enable them to overCome the tho pay between American and foreIgn seamen s as well as laws pro pro- prohibiting the transfer of US ships to operations under Pan Pan- PanamanIan some other flag This is no question but that the active American merchant marine compared to the size ot of the United States is quite a puny thing But perhaps the best answers to what is wrong should be secured from the customers the shippers Many years ago In the day of saIl shippers of port and sherry wInes liked to ship by bywater water as the rocking of the shIp on a loo long voyage helped age the contents of the wine casks However today's shIp pers pel's are not concerned about an ocean voyage Improving i a eI nn nr r nd ele ButON their product 5 p 0 to move hove gootis from one point to another ef- ef efficiently and with the minimum of bother In other words theY desire dependable service 5 And this Is why many shIp pers give AmerIcan shipping a wide berth 5 For Fol as they found to theIr sorrow too often the scheduled sched- sched scheduled departure and arrival times mean nothing it if the radio operators decIde to tie up the shIp or if 1 the and wipers have some beet beef with the en en- en engineers or it if the cooks and stewards refuse to sail be be- be because cause they dislike the black tomcat in the galley 5 Thus while these IdeologIcal disputes between various seg- seg segments segments ments of the crew keep a shIp from sailing cargo Is tied up In the hold If the merchandIse is being financed often orten the only on- on only ly action for fol days on end Is IsI the steadY mounting of Interest charges while the dIspute goes goeson goeson I on interminably III 5 In the meantime shippers I oai wait for r delivery of f their goods to get their sight fh drafts is gh hon lored ored so they can meet a pay pay- payroll roll The consignee Is waiting for tOl the goods so he can sup sup- supply ply his customers before his competitor sells them III This Is the real problem of the Amerl American an merchant marine ma- ma rine This is III the reason why both shippers and consignees so 80 often orten specify shipment on anythIng but an American ship When people ship they are buying a service Until the anion recognize there Is no substitute for dependable ser ser- service vice Ice foreign ships will con con- continue continue to substitute for Amen Ameri- American can ships |
