The New York herald., 1869-12-26

splendid specimens OF their skill. This has cost
years OF LABOR and experience and millions or capt
tai yet tho writer referred to would give the AmerI
can shpbuilder but year 10 show his ability to
compete with these powerful opponents. AZ ship.
wright am decidedly opposed to allowing vessels
OF any class built Ia foreign country TO DO regis
tered rs American built. The American sh pbuilder
does not wish his competition to be confined to
building 'coasters y but he wants to compete with
the world, and II the government viii but give him
one-haif the help aud encouragement that Great
Britain has given her builders, he will ask but few
years 10 show hat iron steamers be built In this
country that will compare avorably in every respect
with those constructed abroad,
Tho finish OF our ships and steamers. or what is
properly called the joiner work. has Away been
sdered superior In every respect to the best foreign
steamships that have come to this port; this must
be admitted Tor the cabins OF packet ships will
compare well with those of many OF the English
steamships for comfort as we'll as workmanship.
The same Is true OF the outfit Of ships; for
country IN the world can be found more good judg-
ment displayed than Is manifested by our spar
makers, shipsIniths, Iiggers and saimaKers In the
various contributions OF their different branches to
furnish handsome "ntout.n
The shipbuildeS OF thls country have shown
what can De done In the construction oil wooden
vessels. But lev years ago our clipper ships found
ready market Ia England, because Ol their marked
superiority In strength beauty and utility over those
built IN that country; the foreign builders
slow TO take advantage OF the great Improvement
made in the models OF vessels by our builders, for
the eetest OF the "Uyde steamers that enters this
port bear unmislakable evidences OF the origin or
their lines These steamers In material and work.
manShip are i0regn, but In the symmetrical beauty
OF their model they are emphatically American.
IL Is very evident tat 1t IS not Tor want OF skill In
connected with the business that tDs country has
lost It's profit IN shpDuiiding, out because OF the
enhanced value OF everything pertaining 10 II, In
common VITA all other trades. This eau IN nea-
sure be attributed to the consumption oil vast guam
titles OF material durln. the war In budlng, altering
and repairing vessels Tor the protection OF our sea-
board Anu other operations connected win the
army and Notwithstanding the important part 1t
sustained la the rebellion from It's peculiar nature
II Is now suffering most, and tnar nom no fault OF
tnose Interested 10 It, Dwellings, stores, post ofices
city balls and capitos cannot De built abroad and
brought here. lailroads must DC constructed where
tDey are Wanted the labor Cannot be carried out OF
the country; therefore The various mechanics con-
cerned have the benefit OF 1t. But because ships
be built cheaper in foreign country the mechanics
who nave spent tue best years their lives In our
shipyards, alike exposed to the cold OF winter and
the neat Of summer, TO acquire knowledge OF this
profession must now turn their attention to some
thing else, or ego down with the wreck.n
IL Is " rescue this business IN all Its various de-
partments IRON OBLIVION that we now call upon the
government Tor help. Nor 40 we think II win ne In
vain Wnen the question comes before the present
session Of Congress. Republics are not ungratefnl.
We 40 not ask this help simply because "our snip
yards are empty although 1t IL well known That
when shlpwrgnts have been busy other branches
OF business have been correspondlngly good; but we
ask 1t AZ u means or selI-preservati0n Our govern
ment cannot AFFORD to let this branch OF Industry
die ont; 1t IL economy t0 sustain IT even though 1t
costs something. With our b 900 miles OF seaDoard
ana lake boundary we cannot feel ourselves secure
or sustain our tlle as q first class Power without
having tue control Of our commerce-forelgn AZ well
as domestic.
When needed an army can be raised equipped
and put In the field in u few months; but 1t lakes
years OF patience labor and experience to make
Amerlcan sailor to feel at home on the deck OF q
British ship and II the government would have at
Its commanda feet OF steamers and other craft to
be used In case OF emergency together with Compe-
tent oticers and men 10 man them 1t must en-
courage and foster this business by rendering the
aid necessary until such tune as 1t will be able
cesslu,ly to compete with those who have ALREADY
received this assistance and are now enaDledto hold
us at great disadvantage.
Inc people caunot forget the peculiar service rem
dered W THIS department. during the war, for With
out aid then We would have been almost power
less ana wholly at the mercy Of foreign foe. Yet
shonId such Calamity overtake us In years 10
come, unless Immediate measures are taken to
repair our heretofore unequaled naval force, II Is
10 be feared that not only Will we lind ourselves
crippled IN c0nendlng AZ sea with hostile fleets but
our IaIr name viii suffer aud we viii be compelled
To surrender TO ano.ner what has always been our
prerogatlvethc first naval Power in the world
Ine writer OF the article also states that we can
s 81 me the s Tns "a the
truth but Is not tho whole truth, Tor besides the DIFF
ference IN tue cost or materials neither can we COM
pete with foreign labor while that labor ia reduced
To figures below winch an American mechanic could
maintain himself aud family. our shipwright can
not 1--we for Iour or i've sngs sterling per day at
tie Vesent rate Of prices III this country. All kinds
oi labor are higher here than in England and Scot
land hut 1t is fact worthy OF note that during the
years that shipbudlng nourisned In this country
snlpwrgnts' wages were higher than almost any
other mecnanics while ut the present time there Is
Oranch OF skilled labor that Is not more renlunera
tive than shipbuiding.
But Notwithstanding this we are least thirty per
cent behind the Clyde builders In iron steamers and
the question IL, '.HOw can the government help US
III thus crisis au The way is simple, and we feel tnat
III encouraging this business the government is add
ing 10 its own security vastly more tnan IL could
with the same expenditure in any other way. None
would be injured and the benefit would be felt by
Gil.
Why should the government support one mode of
traffic TO the detrlment Of anothers Our compll-
Gated network OF railroads, extending all over tns
land, Is encouraged ana assisted by the government
Wne our freight, OH arriving AZ the seab0ard Is OF
necessity transferred TO the hands OF foreign vessels
for Shipment TO other ports. The Inconsistencies OF
such commercial intercourse must be apparent TO
every true American. II we can raise an article
Tor export why should we not be able TO place IL IN
foreign markets ~ our own price and not ship our
mercusndise to England or elsewhere IN vessels sail
inu under other faY8f
the government has Just aided in constructing
at great expense the racirc railroad. which brings
the eastern ana western shores gl2y great republic
into almost daily intercourse Without the AID re-
have been built anu we think the interest or the
country demanded 1t. IL is clearly TO be seen that
the business done BY this company Is ut the expense
annhlate tue traffic left to the Pacific Mail
line OF steamers now plying on the Atlantic and
Pacific seaboard and placed there ut the expendl-
ture OF private capital. The splendid steamers for
merry running from Buffalo. Cleveland Toledo and
Detroit on Lake Erie, were long since obliged to
succumb to their more powerful competitors the
railroads. Although once tue pride 0l the travelling
public, they are now numbered with the things of
the past. And unless The government enacts some
decided measures for our relief our coastng trade
In few years Will NOS be worthy the name or q
fshcrman's Heel, and our laie commerce VIII be
swept out OF existence; for what will be left by the
railroads Will be gobbled up by our Canadian friends
who have within the past five years increased their
lako neets In proportion ours have disappeared.
what, then is TO be doneS The government should
properly recognize the claims tnat this branch OF
industry has on Its protection. We care not how 1t
done long 8s 1t comes and Is sufficient Bountles
OF fair per centage on the actual cost might be
paid on oil sail vessels built ana owned In this
try for the next ve years sncn bounties TO be deter.
mined by the class Of vessel and the peculiar trade
Tor which she Is designed.
Subsidies should be granted to responsible capital
lists mot speculators), who would build aud main