The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-07-18
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Leaving a balance in our favor of

'..r.n IT
Some of these foreign importers have American
partners They hire our houses and stores, put the
industry of our seaports in reausiton contribute in
a variety of modes to the wealth of the country,
and send abroad the products of our soil and la
Dor. .. d..
In illustration of this portion of his remarks, the
senator referred to the tonnage engaged in COM
merce, to show how much the foreign had increased
under the reciprocity treaties, and that large por-
ton of our commercial intercourse with other ma
lions is carried on in foreign vessels.
II has been common complaint in past years,
and continues to extent to be still, that our
commerce is going into the hands of foreigners,
Looking at statistical returns, they at first
glance to confirm the impression that the complaint
is well-founded. But our judgments ought not to be
formed on superficial examination. five go back
to the year 1924, Il take the year the senator has
referred to, we find the tonnage of American ves-
sells, which cleared from the United States to have
been 9l9, BOB, and the tonnage of foreign vessels
cleared, to have been, 102,552, or little less than
nine to one in favor of ours In 1916, the
American tonnage cleared was 2,053,977, and the
foreign 930,275, little more than two to one in
our favor, showing enormous difference in the
Of increase. While ours has but little more
than doubled, the foreign has increased more than
nine fold This great increase in the foreign ton
mage employed in carrying to and from the United
States the subjects Of commercial exchange would
certainly furnish just Of alarm, if our own ton
mage, 80 employed, had been stationary. But it
has greatly increased. .r. A
During the last four years it has increased more
than 500 600 TONS at the rate of "a per cent while
the foreign has increased about 100000 TONS or less
than IS per cent? so that it may be fairly presumed
that the full effect of the reciprocity treaties has been
felt If we compare the proportion in which British
and foreign tonnage is employed in the foreign trade
of Great Britain, shall find less cause to be dis
satisfied with own condition in the same respect.
take the year ending 9Th January, 1871, q cannot
obtain the returns of later year) and find the yes
sells of the United Kingdom "entered inwards"
from all parts Of the world, were 1880, with ton
mage Of 2s07 ,367--exceeding ours in l8i5 only
a bout SOC, 900. In the same year, the number OF
foreign vessels entered ''inwards,n was 1855, and
their tonnage, 1897, $40 Thus, 1t appears, that
the foreign tonnage engaged inthe foreign trade Of
Great Britain in 1910, nearly equal to one-hsf
Of the amount Of her own tonnage. With us the
proportion Of foreign tonnage engaged I'M our COM
nerce 10 eur own is also more than third but
ess than half and somewhat less than the proper
ion engaged in the commerce of Great Britain
II we test the relative importance Of the CONNER
,ia transactions carried in the two cases by the
tonnage of all the vessels, we find those engaged in
BUR commerce average ala tons each, while those
engaged in the commerce of Great Britain average
only lSl tons each. III we pursue this examination
further, we shall find still less for concern
We border on the PROVINCES of Great Britain, and
constaht intercourse IL hhlntolneu between mem
and us in variety Of commercial transactions OF
comparatively trivial importance, but constituting
arge aggregate. This circumstance enables us 70
account for fact, which, at first sight strikes us
with some surprise, and excites some apprehension
We End the number Of vessels that entered the Uni
ted States in l645. was I3, 1923. OF this number s.
1873 were American, and $500 foreign. This seems
A large proportion; but when we look into the de-
tal we find that OF these $50 entries, 1852
nearly oin-hfths-ars from the British North Ameri-
can colonies, and that their tonnage amounts to