RED HAND Anti-Corrosive and Anti-Fouling Compositions for Ship Bottoms For Topsides, Masts, Decks, Holds, Etc. Telephones: Bowling Green 8527-9293 1 Broadway, New York City Cables: Rahtjens U. S. Ecuador's Best Customer The Department of Commerce has just received a report from Consul Richard P. Butrick, at Guayaquil, which states that Ecuador's best customer is the United States. A statement by the department, based on Mr. Butrick's report, follows in full text: The United States ranked first in the Ecuador's foreign commerce in 1925. Forty-two per cent of Ecuador's exports were shipped to this country and 45 per cent of her imports were United States products. The exchange with the United States contributed nearly one-third of the favorable balance of the year, which amounted to more than 17,000,000 sucres. (The average value of the sucre in 1925 was 24 cents.) Erie Canal Centennial There were great "doings" in the Port of New York last month in a belated celebration of the one hundredth anniversary of the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825. One of the big features was a water parade managed by the Marine Pageant Committee, of every known type of harbor vessel from the Hudson River to the Lower Bay, including passenger steamers, steam lighters, coastwise tugboats, grain elevators, railroad floating equipment, freight steamers, gasoline lighters, harbor tugs, yachts, salvage steamers, Diesel tankers, canal boats and motor boats, representing commercial vessels; and these were accompanied by mine layers, subchasers, training ships, destroyers, cutters, eagle and patrol boats, and all of the well known local harbor shipping men officiated as members of the committee having the water parade in charge. These were supplemented by the Mayor, General Summerall, U.S.A., Rear Admiral Plunkett, Commandant of the Brooklyn Navy Yard, and others of civilian rank. The celebration was concluded by a complimentary dinner with speeches and good cheer, at the WaldorfAstoria Hotel, on the evening of October 7. Mexico Revises Export Duties George Wythe, Acting Commercial Attache at Mexico City, has reported in a cablegram made public October 20 that remission of export duties have been decided upon by Mexico and several other changes in the export tariff schedule made. The cablegram is the basis of the following statement by the Department of Commerce. A number of changes in the Mexican export tariff schedule, including mainly remissions of duty, published on October 15, to become effective November 4, 1926, are reported in a cable received in the Department of Com mrece. Duty-free export is provided for the following (the existing rates being given in parentheses): Item 65, Kapok (0.02 peso per gross kilo); item 66, flock cotton (0.01 peso per gross kilo); item 67, cotton yarn waste (0.01 peso per gross kilo); item 154, cotton seed husks (0.50 peso per 100 gross kilo); item 221, so dium salts not specified (0.50 peso per 100 gross kilos); item 222, talc and mica (0.02 peso per gross kilo); item 255, wastes of linen or hemp yarn and the like (0.01 peso per gross kilo); item 289A, rags of cotton free, and item 289B, rags of other fibres, free (formerly item 289 rags of cotton and other fibers, 0.01 peso per gross kilo); item 290, rags of any fiber, unraveled (1.50 peso per 100 gross kilos). The following new items have been added to the export traiff: Iitem 117B, beet-root, free; item 267A, ixtle scraped, cut, or prepared, 0.20 peso per gross kilo; item 283A. printed motion-picture films, free. These rates are increased by the regular surtax of 12 per cent of the duty. New Ferryboat to Governor's Island Bids will be received at the quartermaster's office, Second Corps Area, U. S. Army, Governor's Island, New York, about the middle of November covering the building of a new ferryboat for the War Department, to be used in the Governor's Island service. The hull of the vessel is to be of steel, having a length of 130 feet, breadth over guards 46 feet. It is understood that alternative plans may be submitted for propulsion, either by steam, direct Diesel or Diesel-electric engines. O Shipping Board's Public Hearings N Oct. 13, the U. S. Shipping Board, acting under resolution adopted by the Senate in the closing days of the last session, announced a series of 33 public hearings in different parts of the country, all but two of which have been held. With the hearings planned for Washington and New York early this month they will be brought to a close. The Oct. 13 announcement by the Shipping Board said: In order to obtain information for their guidance in preparing a report to the Senate, members of the Shipping Board are holding regional hearings throughout the United States during the month of October at which all persons interested in the development of an American. merchant marine will be given an opportunity to express their views. To cover the situation in a satisfactory manner, the Shipping Board placed the matter in the hands of a "Merchant Marine Planning Committee," consisting of Commissioners Plummer, Chairman, Teller and Walsh. This planning committee after a thorough and exhaustive investigation determined that to get proper results the people of the entire country should be heard and arranged a series of regional hearings at which interested parties were invited to attend and submit any matter germane to the Senate resolution. All seven commissioners are participating in these hearings, and each hearing is attended by two commissioners. The Merchant Marine Planning Committee prepared the following questionnaire: On June 3, 1926, Senator Jones of Washington submitted the following resolution in the Senate of the United States (S. Res. 262), which was, in due course, adopted: "Resolved, That the United States Shipping Board be, and it is hereby, requested to prepare and submit to the Senate, not later than January 1, 1927, comprehensive and concrete plans for building up and maintaining an adequate merchant marine for commerce and national security (1) through private capital and under private ownership and (2) through construction, operation, and ownership by the Government." The United States Shipping Board requested an answer to the following questions to assist it in formulating the concrete plans called for by the resolution. It requested that the answers be typed on sheets of a fixed size. A. Do you favor an American merchant marine? (1) through private capital and under private ownership, or (2) through construction, operation, and ownership by the Government?' B. What method do you advocate for the purpose of enabling American flag ships to compete with foreign flag ships in commerce to and from the United States? C. In addition to the foregoing please submit any other or further suggestions or data you deem pertinent to the issue presented by the resolution. Two members of the Board, Chairman T. V. O'Connor and former Commissioner J. H. Walsh, visited Europe during the past summer and both returned deeply impressed by the strides being made by England, France, Germany and Italy in the development of harbors, docks and wharves, as well as in shipbuilding. It is believed that the farmers, manufacturers, bankers and business men of the country are becoming aroused to the fact that a merchant marine is necessary to America if it is to maintain its position in world of commerce, since without ships of its own America will be at the mercy of those nations which have ships to get their own goods to foreign markets. During the hearings full opportunity is given to everyone to express a frank opinion as to the method by which the further development of the merchant marine shall be carried forward. The Century Audit Corporation 41 Park Row Chartered Under the Laws of The State of New York, 1913 PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS MILES S. CHARLOCK, President From Mills Established 1824 You no doubt have very definite Burrshel Linen Duck will Burrshel cloth is stronger yet The Burrshel Company 48 Front Street, N. Y. C. Mill Agents: Telephone Bowling Green 4161-4162 FOR SALE A few desirable Parcels of Land Overlooking the HUDSON RIVER Estate of W. O. Ross 136 LIBERTY STREET NEW YORK CITY New York President Espouses American Ships In a Washington dispatch sent out on October 26, from Washington, the President is quoted as being anxious to have appropriations for the use of the Shipping Board and Emergency Fleet Corporation large enough to insure effective operation of these agencies, although he feels that a policy of rigid economy must be followed in all of the Government bureaus. The President, it was learned, would give no intimation. as to whether he approved or disapproved the request of the board for a $4,500,000 increase in the appropriation during the fiscal year 1926. As pointed out by the White House spokesman on October 26, Congress has approved the appropriation of an extra $10,000,000, which is considered the Shipping Board's "fighting fund", for use in the event foreign competitors of American lines start to cut rates in ocean freights. Competition Stressed This money, however, is not available for the ordinary expenses of the board. It has, however, in the opinion of the White House, been useful in protecting American foreign shipping. The President's spokesman also declared that contemplated rate cutting on the part of the foreign lines, operating in competition with private American lines which were purchased from the Shipping Board, had been abandoned because of the existence of this fund. The fact, it was said, that to operate them under Government control was sufficient warning to foreign lines that the ships would be kept in service. As a result, it was said, rate cutting plans were never effected. President Coolidge feels, it was learned, that the Shipping Board has made great strides in reducing expenses and cutting down on losses incurred through operation of services. This tendency, his spokesman said, should be continued and every effort made to put the lines on a paying basis as quickly as possible. Grants Cargo Rights On Oct. 15 the United States Shipping Board "authorized the Export Steamship Corporation to handle cargo from the Canary Islands to Mediterranean ports in connection with the operation of the American Export Lines, providing such trade does not interfere with private American shipping." DALZELL TOWING CO., INC. 21 STATE ST. TELEPHONES: Bowling Green 5630, 5631, 5632 5633 NEW YORK CITY NIGHT CALLS: Atlantic 3914, Flatbush 6427, Virginia 8548-J |