The Portland daily press., 1867-02-11
DAILY PRESS,
PORTLAN ND.
Monday Morning, February II, 1867.
Drawbacks for shipbuilder..
PORTLAND.

The principal interest which Maine has in
the passage of the Tariff bill now before the
House of Representatives, beyond the desire
to have some settled policy, turns upon the
twenty-second section, allowing to ship
builders a drawback of all duties upon
the principal materials used in the
construction of sailing vessels. We publish
in another column the debate in the Senate
upon the motion to strike out this section.
The debate will furnish a history of this fea-
ture of the bill from its first appearance in
the Finance Committee to its adoption by the
Senate in its present form, and will give suf-
ficient notion of the only arguments which
are likely to be urged against it. 1t is to be
hoped that the House will amend the propO-
sition so as to include steamers, according to
Mr.. Fessenden's intention, and will then pro-
ceed to carry out the full intent of Mr. Lynch's
resolution by remitting all taxes as well as
duties upon materials employed for this pur-
pose.
Nothing less will afford any relief worth
mentioning to this important interest. In this
city, Mr.. Dyers yard is deserted. Mr. Law
renee had one large ship on the stocks last
year, but sees no prospect to warrant him in
laying another keel Mr.. Winslow is about
to stop the business. In Yarmouth, Mr.. S.
G.. Blanchard is preparing TO abandon the
business. In Bath not new keel has been
laid for year. In Kennebunk, Capt Thomp-
son is working against hope; had three ships
on the stocks last year and three frames which
he intended to put up this spring, proceeding
leisurely and fully aware that there is no sale
for tirst-class vessels. at present prices Mr.
TitcOmb is building coasters, for which there
is a moderate demand. From Boston, Chel-
sea, Mediord, New York, Williamsburg, comes
the same monotonous report. And mean
while our foreign trade is actually Increasing
And last year out of 43S millions gold
value of imports 327 millions were brought
over, and out of 5G5 millions currency value
of exports 352 millions were carried away, in
foreign bottoms. ..a ,a -,csa-. b.
Nothing can be palmer than the teaching
of these facts. Unless something is done, the
art of shipbuiding will be lost to us, and with
that goes our carrying trade, unless that por-
ton of the navigation act of 1893 which virtu-
ally forbids American merchants from running
foraisn-built ships should be repealed, which
is unlikely. Close upon the decay of our nav
igation follows the decline of our naval power,
for the merchant marine is the reservoir which
feeds the navy. Sailors cannot be improvised
like soldiers. But why dwell upon these ar
guments, which have been urged by our own
shipbuilders IN theirrec convention, which
have been presented to Congress directly by
the Legislatures of Maine and New York and
indirectly by the Legislature of Michigan in
its protest against further registry of British
vessels in the United States ..tt-..f
1t is thought in some quarters that the pro-
posed relief will not be adequate. That point
deserves to be considered. The cost of a
Maine-built ship Of 1927 tons, in currency, as
taken fro m the builders books, is for