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Show SKINNING THE SHIP BUILDERS That Is am lid term for tho treatment treat-ment accorded tho Pacific shipbuilding shipbuild-ing Industry. The railroad freight rates on steel have been raised 02 per cent from Pittsburg and 105 por cent from Chicago Chi-cago to Pacific coast points. At such rates freight on steel for an 8800 ton ship amounts of $87,500 a protective tariff In favor of Atlantic Atlan-tic coast ship builders. The common citizen imagines government gov-ernment operation of railroads advanced ad-vanced freight 25 per cent and docs not know this discrimination. Western shipbuilders aro compelled com-pelled to pay double tho freight thoy ' paid In 1916, and a rate much high-' er than even Japan pays on steel. No steel Is allowed to bo sent to tho coast by water, tho shipping board claiming it needs all tho ships on the Atlantic seaboard. The railroad administration is piling pil-ing up an enormous deficit and there foro It Is compelling tho shipbuilders to pay the utmost. The western shipyards proved uncomfortable un-comfortable rivals ot Hog Island, and hence havo to bo held down with unjust un-just discriminations. m i |