New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-09-11
REQUIRED to make Free Traders distrustful Oh the
theories which doom them TO such oxpOsure'


We are not now building vessels extensively, save
FOR our domestic trade and not likely soon 10 be-
One for this is the great falling OH since our
Civil War in the volume OF our Cotton anu otheI
Southern staples which formed the bulk of our ex-
ports. We made Five Millions OF baies or one NIL
lion TINS of Cotton in 1907 whereas we have since
the War made but Two Millions of bales to Two and
and q Half per annum; and of this require full
third for our home consumption, which is quite as
uch as we ever did Consequently, we have less than
Two Millions for export; whereas we formerly had
over Fonr Millions Our production OF Rice, Sugar
and Tobacco has likewise fallen OF, though no"
slowly recovering OF course, we do not neeu 80
many ships as we once did; and the great gaps III
onr Commercial Marine caused by the exploits OF
the Confederate Alabamas ShenandOahs, &C. OF by
transfers nominal or actual of American vessels 10
foreigners have not been filled; for, II we hau hau
The vessels we lacked employment Tor then' ana
fhe reduction of our seaboard tunnage occurred sim
ultaneously with great, though quiet, marine rev
olution. through the rapid displacement of sailing
bv steam, vessels-such at least, as have steam for
nm ultimate resource in the absence Of propltious
winds.
Sir Morton Peto, in bis notes. on his visit to this
country. judiciously observes:
In this question of construction will, probably,
be found one main difficulty attending American
steam intercourse with Europe. They cannot con
sruct steamships in the United States TO the same
advantage that we can in Great Britain. Not only
are our rates of wages less but steamship
ing yards on the Clyde, the Tyne and the Mersey;
are situated close TO the materals-the Iron ana
the Coal-requred for the purpose of steamship con-
StructiOn. This circumstance must always give
Great Britain an advantage the United States
in respect TO navigation conducted by steamers
Tbe first cost of our steamships always will be less
and the CAPITAL invested in them being less, OF
course they can be worked TO advantage AT lower
rates Ia addition TO this, we derive, at present
considerable advantage from the superior qually OF
the steam coal with which our ships can Oe sup
phed'
in building and running ocean steamers which no
policy could surmount. Our Labor is dearer, our
facilities for the cheap production of Steamships less
ample than those of Great Britain. While the ocean
was navigated by sail-vessels almost exclusively,
the abundance and cheapness of our Timber gave
ais advantages which counteracted the cheap Labor
and Metals of our European rivals but we lest this
when steam was substituted for wind as motive
power. And not we only, but our Colonial neigh
SDors lost it as we'll They have cheap Labor and
Metals but Shp-Budng has nevertheless deserted
the ST. Lawrence, well as the Hudson and the Della
ware, for the Clyde-has abandoned Nova Scotia as
well as Maine. But small part of it could be
Coaxed back to shores by the repeal of our Tariff
Even though that should reduce our Labor TO Euro
gean prices we should still encounter obstacles in
the capital the machinery, the experience, the To-
cation and the prestige, of our British rivals which
we could not hope to overcome
The complaints of stagnation in Shp-building are
not confined even to our continent. They are lex
cept as to the construction of iron steamships the
Clyde and at few other favored localities in Eu-
Iope) universal. popular British ANNALS for 1862
an its Commercial Summary for S6S-69," says:
In both wood and iron ship-building general
and great depression existed in 1867 On the Thames
Shs almost amounted TO a suspension of the latter,
causing the greatest distress the eastern parts of the
metropos at least 10000 persons being rendered des
1itute of employ The relative totals of shipbuil
ing in ls5 and 1867 were as follows TOR all parts of
the kingdom