The Jones act, Puerto Rico, and New York
The Merchant Marine Act of 1920 is best known for its Section 27, called the Jones Act or the Jones Shipping Act, which mandates that shipping between US ports be restricted to US-based vessels, i.e., US companies. The impetus for the act was to ensure that there would always be a fleet of US merchant ships ready to be converted to warships in times of war. The federal statute has proven a disaster for Puerto Rico, and has even been understood as a cause of congestion in New York streets.
US Department of Transportation.
One hundred years ago today … The Wall Street Journal was predicting that the recently passed (June 5, 1920) federal statute would be a boon for US corporations, some of which it listed off at the end of this article.
The Wall Street Journal, 14 June 1920, p. 3. Newspapers.com.
Also that day, the Tribune was reporting on plans to enforce the act.
The New York Tribune. 14 June 1920, p. 9. Newspapers.com.
WRITTEN BY JONATHAN GOLDMAN, JUNE 14, 2020.
TAGS: Merchant Marine Act, Jones Act, Puerto Rico, Wall Street Journal