Speech #670331125

Lasker say this is more beneficial than section 34 of the merchant marine act of 1920 would have been. yet shipowners. shipbuilders. and all interested hailed section 34 as salvation of American merchant marine. The estimated cost of this provision to the Treasury is $10.000.000. 7. The immigration provisions of the bill. whereby 50 per cent of Immigrants are required to be carried in American bottoms. and it is said that this would mean $8.000.000 to merchant narine. Mr. Rossbottom says the immigrant business would give occupation to not less than 25 goodsized passenger ships in the North Atlantic where the competition is the strongest. 8. The Army and Navy transport services are to be discontinued. and contracts made with private parties. at a cost to the Treasury of something like $5.000.000. according to some. although this is denied by others. The minority sought to have witnesses produced by the War Department to establish the facts. but the majority of the committee would not sunnon them and the War Department would not order them to come. 9.