User:Kevspo14/sandbox

1919-1930

Wesley L. Jones

The Merchant Marine Act of 1920 – Is a United States federal law or statute established to protect all maritime workers including those from shipping companies, off shore oil rigging companies, fisherman and essentially anyone employed in the maritime industry. The act laid foundation for the industry and established important rules and regulations that are still in effect today. The act has long list of regulations but the most significant is the Jones Act. The act governs the transportation of all merchandise about United States coastal ports. All merchandise coming into a United States port from other United States port must be carried out by Jones-Act approved vessels. These vessels must be built in America, manned by American sailors, owned and flagged by the United States of America. "The Merchant Marine Act of 1920 is an earnest effort to lay the foundation of a policy that will build up and maintain an adequate American merchant marine in competition with the shipping of the world. The first section declares that the United States needs for national defence and the proper growth of its commerce a merchant marine of the best type of ships sufficient to carry the major part of its commerce, such vessels to be owned ultimately and operated privately by its citizens. It asserts it to be the policy of the United States to do whatever may be necessary to secure such a merchant marine, and the Shipping Board is directed to keep this purpose and object always in view as the primary end to be attained in the disposition of our ships, in the making of rules and regulations and in the administration of the shipping laws. This expresses the thought, desire, pur- pose and aim of the American people. This section is the chart to guide and the yardstick to measure every act of the Shipping Board and should be kept in mind in the construction of every provision of the act and in every decision the board may make".

The Merchant Marine Act of 1920 is commonly referred to as the Jones Act after the most significant section (27), and author/sponsor Senator Wesley L. Jones. The Jones Act protects multiple aspects of the United States including job security, National security and stimulates the American economy. The United States Navy provides a great deal of work to the domestic maritime industry by employing them to fix and build their fleet. Without the Jones Act, transportation of goods could possibly be outsourced to other countries. This would allow foreign countries in United States water ways and could potentially pose a serious threat during wartime. The United States maritime policy along with the United States Coast Guard federal regulations are among the most stringent in the world. The Jones Act ensures vessels adhere to these regulations and standards which have many positive impacts to include; reduced workplace injuries, maximum protection for marine wildlife by establishing safe emission and pollution levels. American mariners operating in American ports streamlines communication, decreases security breaches all while stimulating the American economy.