SHIPPING: Junk?

What will become of the government ships?

Since the Administration Subsidy bill suffered ignominious death in Congress, Mr. Harding has been at work on a plan to liquidate, take the loss and humiliation, and retire from maritime trade. Details have not yet been announced.

It is reported that the 12,000,000,000 tons of steel vessels, built at a cost of more than $3,000,000,000, will be sold and scrapped over a period of years to save the nation the cost of their upkeep and the money lost in their operation. Placed on the market in a lump, the government might fail to find purchasers for them all, and certainly would recover only a few cents on the dollar.

What will become of the ships? Arthur Brisbane (Hearst editor) suggests:

"Anchored along the shores of rivers and other peaceful waters these ships, with the machinery taken out, should make fine houseboats. Sleep on deck in Summer, below in Winter, fine opportunity for those that live in Florida, Georgia, etc."