New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-09-11
Ocean steamer Competition.

and OF all yir.uous indignation. KARL MARX
Ocean steamer Competition.
From The London Times.
Most readers will recOllect that during
the debates In the American Congress the stormy
discussions upon national rights varied by the In.
PRODUCTION OF a very different proposition. CONNER
tsl company charged tsell with the navigation Of the
Atlantic between Liverpool and Nsw.york aud subs-
died expressly by the State In aid Of la perform lnees,
applied TO have iis premium Increased AZ the aug
meutaton demanded amounted to 100 per cent on the
original grant, the petition created some little conster
line of Atlantic steamers will hen seforth receive twios
The subsidy before given This circumstance has BEEN
made TIE subject OF allusion by correspondent whose
communlcstiou, with the signature OF "FMs Play"
will be found IN another part OF Imp ession. Tnat
the writer b strangely mstsken In hs reference OF tho
question to that OF Free Trade will DO very easily dis
covered bu the general ain OF thought suggested By
the letter may be turned conceive to prodta
BILE account Ii 10 by clear that these matters
are rightly understood either on one side OF the ocean
the Other
lines of steamers British and one American, en-
couroged In each by large grants OF money from
their respective Governments to perform the voyage In
the shortest possible Tine the subsidy contributed to
the Britsh lse amounts to quarter OF million ster
ling that enjoyed by tho American Company was uii
lately about the IL 10 understood that, la con-
sldei alton OF these special allowances, he speutary
Companies to disregard certain ordinary vie 10 OF
mercantile enterprise. ihe vessels ara oult Tor speed
only aud carry heavier cargoes than malls and pas
sengers their otherw!se enormous tunusge bsiog alb
sorbed In engine and coal room They differ, la fact,
from vulgar merchantmen lGle less widely than ships
OEwar, being Constructed not Indeed Tor lighting, but
for ruuping 10 the prejudice OF all more productive ca
Iacef UDder these crcumi.anccs tho passage across
the Atlantic has been reduced from weeks 10 days, and
Is now literally question OF hours.
The American steamers, though not eNcslling our
in their average performances have succeefed In
winning ne race BY about bali neck; that 10 TO say.
the very quickes. transit rocoId-osing four hours
shorter than that next b it-hn been executed BY
an American vessel. IA the passage may DO set Il
go hours, there OF course, seems margin enough 70
make up the odd four and It ID evident that favorable
circumstances Of work or weather might any day turn
tbs scale In favor of the English The competdon, In
deed " 10 be prosecuted moro vigorously san bsforo,
and Is upon this assumption coupled with ths credit
Of victory, that the American company has succeeded
In obsirlng the large Increase OF subsidy mentioned
above.
Between the two Goverements, therefore a bounty
amounting TO something Ike three quarters OF million
annually will DO paid upon ocean racing Now, thero
be doubt that 10 o the very highest importance
10 bring two such countries Great Britain and Amer.
lea 40 close possible 10 each other. II msy DO con-
csded sso, that the great principle al stake 10 not dam
sged by tho smaLess Of the gain apparently pro-
durable -Four hours 10 no. large proportion OF $50
hut # hours knd even miau,es hsd not been closely
eekoped that very average Of 80 would moi have besn
reached chrome meter obtains The phze over another
by the Diff renee Of thirty seconds In year. This DIFF
ference IN Itself may be apprecsble but IL 10 owing 70
ths competition for seconds that our ordinary No
pieces goso we'll 20 ninutes. In good ths scsaai
difference will always be email other siss indeed tho
race would not be good one. But. granting ell tas,
It worth WI lie, upon sound views OF Policy opurcnaso
tho improvements st possibly ooAInable at - highs
PREMIUM ard If co. Is Ihis premium offered Ia the most
advisable shape and manneSi
Considering the relative position Of the two countries,
their commercial relations, AID their natural adysnts'
ses IL 10 rfecty certain thst the tfaij across th6
ocean which divides them would no. only be performed
without the aid Of bountieS, bat would DO psriormed
urder the stimulus Of strong conpettl n. Tais ca n
petton wou d no. indeed be legtnsely DO pushed 70
Ire extent Of trading Hlthou. profit Remuneration
would alvas DO looked 10 az alF condtlon oi v0y-
sze cut what IL may DO asked, would Do me prooaole
difference between voyages thus executed under inc
ordinary incentive Of trade and shoss performed under
The ARTIFICIAL enco1ra gemens of bounesf s for this
difference and nothing more that our State premiums
are now peid and If li miles an hour could DO doae
Al a uroh IL 1, desirable 20 DO III at lost
PeIhsps Il may DO ssid that four hVs hours difer
ercs in the delivery Of a mall may make tho difference
of pence war between the two Countries ana snss
need hardly lock beyond the recent cslss io -
illustration Of the contingency. But would even inc
rsils on the whole, be carried less exoedn ousy %.
a. present II the duty were len 70 the naa,dea enslp
Of British and American msrnersi tofnn ny ~
forgotten that bounes provide Us With ons VII nas
M s,samsbps they entirely drive oil others rom sno
fed II the stimulus Of fixed premiums saaeo ne
stimulus OF free competition 70 lost no ves.s' VII
ten ps 10 agGnss another winch s'sTD "NA 'N'
e ,sader viii e.sily observe that thsresa great
diatinction between bouniies mus ai.S"'o sna mS
~ .r,estiss excsIlepee When premiums were
uroposed for tho bes, ebronemeters 70 did noe
contract beforehand 70 pay an annual supsna "a
,orne manufacturing house, but sdJadged sue 70.
rad 10 the beat performances After free compeulio0.
IN the zane war Win rscehorses and with yachts
there are sub.ianhsl Incentives 70 sxceilsnee but
,b.v do not include special bountes 70 breeders os
bujIde,s although the ordinary stimulus OF comps.
ttion 10 much weaker In these CAGES than In thas
OF sesaoing steamers. IL IL hardly clear, therefores
thst cur policy In this respect h sound, aishough
on the other hand, may be said perhdps, thak
more II a. stake than mere superiority Of speed.
TIE steamers ultimate ~ triumphant, whether British
or American, will monopoize the whole rsfe OF tho
ocean 10 and fro and this traffic IL ID well worth secur'
pz By bounty 10 the conquerors. Just ~ no pffvsso
spec1stor could contend with salaried company, 50
no unsubsdized British line could compete With SUBJ
sioized American line The Americans, indeed, ~
that We were getting the Atlantic TO ourselves vnene
good premium evoked competition on tteir side Of sae
water and they now expect that still better premium
viii put them In our place. Bat what 10 be the eno
of sueh a strussei -Four hours advantage, moso -
less VIII certainly not decide such chsmpionsnip snc
has been plainly confessed these four noui, IN -
C. n an extra quarter OF million yesf, va.
tbs expense Of genuine or permanent usy ooa.
We have thrown out these REMARKS Tor pugs =
sdsratep becuuse II appears 70 a. @M of error
aon. very near toward conviens sne Ssss are 40
= ne c.,s hsfore us and that the TIE oss ncs,sS
nro.cbIng The predcanent Of Ffvai rs.-y
4, The very period when the room or hi ia
heeope smsilest we rendenns sd y - scarnelg
Iarress demands Az hisss n' s.rsrtsble iuvsutioe,
pessIps, ~. s ~ our Atlantic voyages can oe ms
sn sno Ws nav work up our four houn ,ss;
lnc.es'so .,,.sns perhaps, may turn mie seIp.Sus
or INC e. .s Ssrdly see how much more v - w.