The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-12-02

editorial OpInIOnB Of tho Leading Journals
Upou Carrent TOpics-COmDiiod EverV
Dny for the Evening Telegraph.
THE PROBLEM OF REvIvING AMERI-
CAN COMMERCE..

THE PROBLEM OF REyIvING AMERI-
CAN COMMERCE.
From ths NJ y. Herald,
Tho national Congress, which commences
its session in Washington next Monday, will
have many and great questions to deliberate
on.-questions of foreign and home policy,
questions of finance, questions of tariff and
internal revenue; but we think we are not ex-
aggerating when we say that, so far as con-
Germs the grandeur and prosperity OF the
metropolis Congress will have before it no
question of greater Importance than that of
restoring American commerce TO the proud
position which it occupied fifteen years ago.
DO our readers know that whereas in 1851 the
tonnage of the United States had reached
about five and half millions-somewhat in
excess of the tonnage of England--it has
since fallen off to four million three hundred
thousand TONS and that of England has in
creased to seven million three hundred thou
sand? The fact is a startling one, and par
ticularly when the statement is added that of
the tonnage which we still possess only about
One-fourth is occupied in the foreign trade,
and even that chiefly in the scavenger work
of supplying Europe with the guano of Peru.
We do not to-day possess single steamer
plyinp between New York and any European
port, but have surrendered the whole foreign
commerce of our port to the English, the
French, and the Germans
Many causes have operated In producing
this disheartening state of things. As Mr..
Low, one of our most enterprising ship
owners and merchants, stated before the
select committee of Congress, which has been
recently collecting information on the sub
iect, ''It is easier to explain the causes of
our decline than to suggest remedy" The
causes assigned before that committee were
various, the principal ones being the gradual
lat, hat hou OIL ta1 ~, CHI
from the wooden sailing vessel and side-wheel
steamer to the iron sailing vessel and screw
steamer revolution in which we took no
part, preferring to cling to the sailing vessel
and the wooden side-wheel steamer; the pre-
ference in freights' and insurances given to
the iron vessels over the wooden ones; the
difference in the cost to the English merchant
of his vessel and that of his to the American
merchant; the high duties paid on materials
entering into the construction of American
ships, which materials are free of duty in
England; the advantage which the English
have over us in getting all their ships stores
out of bond free of duty; the difference in
the rates of wages; the disadvantage under
which our deprecated currency placed us;
the failure of our Government to subsidize
steamship lines in competition with the Eng
lish and French; and, finally, the generally
prejudicial effect of our high protective tariff.
causes which it is in the power Of Congress
to remove or mitigate; and as to the first we
suppose it may be safely left to the intelli-
gence and enterprise of our sbipbuilders and
shipowners.
But notwithstanding Mr.. Lows remark as
to the cause being more easily discovered
than the remedy, there has been no lack of
suggestions as to the remedy. These sugges-
tions may be condensed into three principal
groups. They are-frst, the removal of all
Legislative restrictions on the purchase of
foreign ships and on their admission to
American registry; second, the granting of
liberal subsidies by our Government to steam.
ship lines; and, thirdly, the allowance of q
drawback of duties on all materials entering
into the construction and outfit and mainte-
nance of ships. 1t will be readily understood
that these propositions are not equally favored
by the two great interests that are most
closely involved in the questionable ship
owning and the shipbuilding interests. The
shipowners, as a class, may be set down as in
favor of all three. The shipbuilders are and
will be opposed, to the bitter end, to what is
termed free trade in ships. They say, and
with much force and reason, that it would be
the finishing blow to the now languid
and tottering interests which they
represent; and that it would not
only be ruinous to that interest, but
would be seriously detrimental to the nation
at large in closing up all the shipyards, send
ing the ship mechanics out of the country
or to other occupations, and thus depriving
the Government of its most useful and indis-
pensable artisans in case of war with naval
power. On the other hand, the shipowners
do not believe that, even with the allowance
of drawback, the shipbuilders of this coun-
try can compete with those of England. As
MIR. Westervelt, formerly one of our
greatest shipbuilders, stated before the COM
mittee, "The days of wooden ships are
ended; and to build wooden ships would be
labor lost. The shipowners say; 'Let us
buy our ships where we can buy them cheap
est; and if American ships can be produced
as cheap as foreign ones, of course we will
give our own the preference. Some of our
principal shipbuilders, including Mr.. Webb,
of New York, and Mr.. Mckay, of Boston,
have expressed the fullest confidence that il
they are put, in regard to the'cost of mate
rial, on an equal footing with the great iron
shipbuilders on the Clyde and the Tyne,
they can, notwithstanding the disparity OF
workmens wages, produce as good and as
cheap ships as their English rivals. All tha
they ask is q fair field and no favor.
THE EMPEROR'S CHECKNIATE.
From the NJ Y. Times.
While the foes Of the-Second Empire ar,
fNsxrIWN fn IL H.. II n