▁States ▁Congress ▁with d rew ▁all ▁mar itime ▁mail ▁subs id ies , ▁which ▁by ▁then ▁included ▁a ▁total ▁of ▁$ 4 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁per ▁year ▁for ▁Pan ama ▁Pacific ' s ▁three ▁lin ers . ▁At ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁March ▁ 1 9 3 8 ▁the ▁Pan ama ▁Canal ▁to ll s ▁were ▁re vised , ▁increasing ▁Pan ama ▁Pacific ' s ▁costs ▁by ▁$ 3 7 , 0 0 0 ▁per ▁year . ▁As ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁these ▁cost ▁increases ▁and ▁continu ing ▁labor ▁difficulties ▁Pan ama ▁Pacific ▁dis cont in ued ▁its ▁New ▁York ▁– ▁California ▁service ▁and ▁took ▁all ▁three ▁lin ers ▁out ▁of ▁service . ▁ ▁SS ▁Argentina ▁ ▁The ▁US ▁Mar itime ▁Commission ▁took ▁over ▁the ▁three ▁sister ▁ships ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 7 ▁and ▁had ▁them ▁extens ively ▁ref urb ished . ▁Each ▁was ▁fire proof ed ▁to ▁comp ly ▁with ▁Federal ▁safety ▁reg ulations , ▁which ▁had ▁been ▁re vised ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁fire ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 4 ▁that ▁destroyed ▁the ▁l iner ▁. ▁ ▁Pennsylvan ias ▁passenger ▁capacity ▁was ▁re vised ▁to ▁ 5 0 0 . ▁She ▁was ▁equ ipped ▁to ▁carry ▁ ▁of ▁cargo , ▁of ▁which ▁ ▁was ▁re fr iger ated . ▁Pennsylvania ▁had ▁been ▁built ▁with ▁two ▁fun n els ▁but ▁during ▁the ▁ref it ▁this ▁was ▁reduced ▁to ▁one . ▁The ▁ref it ▁increased ▁Pennsylvan ias ▁t onn age ▁by ▁about ▁ 2 , 0 0 0 ▁tons .