The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-12-03
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE..
Important Meeting acknowledgment Of
the Special Committee Oh the s'De.
cline Of American COM
merce''-The Cost Of
hipbuilding-Sub.

ShIpDulldlng-SuD'
A stated meeting of Thu III was held yes
terday. with the preslden@y William L. Dodge,
In he chair. Several matte11 pnor import were
disposed OF, after which MN read the report OF
Professor Pierce In regard 70 aiming up the East
river. In the report the PhoN9neor expresses the
opinion that The enterprise would be injurious to
commerce. Resolutions thanking Professor Pierce
and his assistants and approving the suggestion OF
Professor Pierce that an appropriation should be
made by Congress to further Investigations into the
condition or tidal waters ground New York harbor
| were adopted.
After tins Mr.. A. A. Low, from the special COM
mittee on the Decline OF American Commerce, read
| the following
The committee appointed to consider the causes
| OF the "decllne or American commerce, and the
remedies the Chamber would recommend TO Con-
BY the .decline or American commerce. your
COMMITTEE understand the prostraton OF our ship
ping Interest tne decrease OF tonnage employed ~
the foreign trade OF the country, and not that which
IS merely local. The laws OF the United states pro-
tect coastwse traffic, and coastwise trac Is subject
only 70 competition from our railroad lines; hence
It II not uJuriousy affected by laws tnat operate
| as burden upon external commerce; that Is upon
| sailing ships ana sea-going steamers engaged III
European and other foreign trades.
In order to q proper and clear understanding Of
the subject 1t Is OF primary Importance to consider
the Change IN the carrying trade that has been ef
| fected by the use OF steam as motive power. In
the earlier years OF the republic, and down to COM
business with the East Indies, CHINA and other
glons employed vessels OF their own and owned the
cargOeSthey brought to our ports. These vessels.
being OF small tonnage ana ably commanded, were
insured at an annual premium Of only nall OF what
| is now paid.
Between our country and Europe, and more espe-
cally between our principal seaports aud the prncl-
pal ports OF Great Britain anu France, the business
| was Of y Inherent character.
The cotton tobacco and naval stores OF the South
were transported In 'freghting SHIPS" the owners
| Of which had little or no interest IN cargo, while
lines OF packets running hence to Liverpool London
| and Havre engrossed the passenger traffic between
the Old and New WORLDS and took the lead OF all conf
petltors IN the transportation OF the most costly
merchandise.
THE COST OF snIPBUILDING.
The outside cost Of the largest packet or reghting
ship known to our service prior to 1885 was $4,000;
| and TO the construction Of one the other tnere
| were many contrbulary interests. me carpenter,
| joiner samakcr, chandler, captain and merchant,
all had share; and the amount OF capital required
to bulld line OF packets was easily obtained from
these and other sources, the profits OF one vessel
! being quickly turned into the construction Of
| another.
| The competition OF steam with sailing vessels
began to be felt IN lS40 and, years went 1t
| became more and more severe, terminating with
| disaster to the latter.
OF costly merchandise and their first class passen-
gers; many owners lost their money.
vastly more capiiai and very different material.
The men who had combined 10 build the packet ship
had no Sufficient interest, and could have none to
aid IN the construction OF vessel whose cost was
made up largely OF machinery and outfits foreign to
| their own means OF supply. me merchants who
had acted as agents and part owners wefe for the
most part, educated and reared on the sea, and from
prejudice, not less than from want OF means, were
incapable OF graspng the new idea ana adapting
| their plans Co the dawning era.
| TUE DECLINE OF OUR COMMERCE.
Hence T. was that when the decline OF our mer-
1 ~ IN MIR aQi
ing vessels became Imminent, those who controlled
| the packet lines were disabled 10y their losses and
by their pre- udces alike from entering into conpe-
| titlon with companies already formed In England
who with large capital, commanded the highest
skill and all the appliances necessary to the con-
siruction OF first cass steamers, and more than all
| enjoyed the counenance ana support OF an enligh-
were 100 great to be met. and, as a matter OF his
tory, 1t may be repeated here capitalists could
not DC Induced to risk the money required to estao-
nrst obtaining the and Of the United states
| ers ever established from his to European
| port without the aud OF subsidy. although every
| attempt that has ever been made was naugurated
wnen we had sound currency ana tariff less bur-
! densome than now. Even the Pacific Mail Steam
ship Company enjoying the advantages OF coast
| line, was taus established. and, but for the dis.
coveries OF gold in California would not nave been
| at that early day, II at all, without such aid
Before our salllng ships were expelled from the
great transatlantic routes new class OF vessels had
! come into being, known at the time as clippers"
|
and extending to 1855, they were extremely
| profitable, commanding great preference, as
carriers, between our Atiannc ports and San
| Francisco, and between the ports OF India and
CHINA and own coasts These were gene
| rally chips OF largely increased tonnage, and.
being heavily spared, with deep kees were subject
to many notwithstanding greatly TO enhance the
! premium OF insurance. From san Francisco they
| proceeued to the guano islands, or TO Chlna aud
India, in quest OF return reiQAts and in all the
| Asiatlc ports coming in competition with The regu-
lar traders they quickly reduced the rates OF home
l ra fra1,yh Anrp thn ala mt .l,
fornla have afforded employment for such OF these
| vessels as stifl remain. Meantime the ports Of
| India and China nave been occupied by merchant
men OF all nations, and the vessels formerly used
| by our old East INDIA merchants have been con-
verted into wnaers. The business, too. has
goes III their own ships TO the many Of every CON-
mercial nation, who make up by their various con-
| trbuLlons the cargo Of the modern .'Indaman."
In this transfer or our commerce to English and
German houses having connections here IS seen one
| by means OF steam and Geographic communication.
| CAUSES OF TIE DECLINE.
| With these preliminary observations your CON-
mittee are prepared to assign az the causes OF the
decline OF our shipping interests the following,
j VIII
/ Fhst-The establishment of foreign lines OF steam
ers on oil the great ocean HIGHWAYS. These, by their
superior adaptation to the comforts and needs OF the
travelling ana trading community, expelled sailing
vessels from the routes that were the theatre
| OF our maritime success. few years ago these
lines were limited III their sphere to the ports Of
! Boston, New York and Philadelphia our own
coast, but they are now extended TO Baltimore,
Charleston, savannah and New orleans. Other
| steamers Dult and sre building In the
| rivers ana harbors OF England and France, to
| traverse the Mediterranean and Red seas by the
way OF the Suez Canal thus cutting of much or the
trade that has hitherto passed round the Cape OF
GOOD Hope. For sailing vessels the route through
the Red Sea is not supposed To be available, unless
| at too great q charge for toll and towage.
Second-rhe substitution OF iron vessels fox YES
sells OF wood. Your committee VIII not dwell on
| the superior advantages or iron hulls, as they are
fully set forth In letters which have appeared In the
| New York Times and in recent publication by the
| Atlantic Works OF Boston. When properly con-
| struced these bear the mark AL for q period Of
1 twenty years. while wooden vessels, made OF the
best materials, Will bear IL for onv ten or twelve
Years and usually reaulre rebuilding AZ the end OF