The Republican journal., 1869-10-28
The SHIPPING INTEREST.

e HI SHIPPING I'm thSSI.
The Congressional Committee of inve9ti@a-
ton into the cause of the decline of Aneri
can shipping is still Mt work Ii had !. Sos
sion in Boston, where ii was addressed by
some of the leading shipping merchants and
builders, and WIS lat week at Portland
We copy the remarks of some of the builder
Of the latter city aud yisinity, made before
the Committee
REMARKS or GAIT. JOSEPH ". DYER.
Capt Dyer 4 shipbuidcr well known IN
connection with the shipbuilling interest OF
this State, was next introduced. His answer
to whether he in favor OF 4 draw back
was yes. lie thought we could compete with
foreign builders in building some Glasses OF
vessels successfully The increase in prices
paid for labor WIS one thing that had ncreas-
ed The cost OF 4 vessel From 1882 to 1860
he paid ut his yard from 81 80 to - .oN, now
he had f. pay from $40 to $500 per day.
but even Cat increase did not prevent our
ICompetmg with other nations. a. American
Woikmrn could accomplish more in Il day
than foreign mechanics. Before the war he
! built two ships on un average each year.
! Then he could a 1000 ton ship from so 900
to $50, 900, since the war il cost from 50. 900
to $4,000. II the navigation law WAS re
| pcalrd il would not benefit the interest any.
! He firmly believed that il the Government
did NOT do something for relief of the interest
from its present depressions il woulu drive
| the ship carpenter out Of the country.
Capt. d. was asked if he could not easily
make u ship carpenter out OF Il house builder
and he answered that he would rather Try to
make one out OF a person who was perfectly
green about the use Of tools. We must keep
l L., l.,,. "a
interest OF late Years it was the custom of
new vessels to copper on the other side of the
water Is ii was Il great deal cheaper unless
perhaps where the ship was intended for the
South American or Pacific trade.
CAPT. c. NJ. DAVIS REMARKS.
lie begged leave to differ with Capt Ryan
in regard 10 the causes OF deterioration in the
class of American scamcn. We must go fur
Their back. We are wanting ships TO make
scamcn on. Give lis them and the discipline
on oar ships VIII rise in proportion. Some
| ,hing must he done for we can't compete
with foreign builders. At Quebec he can
! have 4 1000 ton ship built for S}s in gold per
ton. II we had the drawback allowed We
could then hold oar own with any nation.
| Although the demand for vessels is less
| than il has been, we would continue to build
as before the war ii we could do 80 rs chaap-
~.
He expressed himself us in favor of repeal
me- the navigation law, 50 that we could pur
chase in foreign markets, and then with the
drawback allowed our builders could compete
successfully with other nations, but NOT be
able to control the market and carry the
prices above those on the other side.
Wooden ships we could supply the demand
for within six months, and if the tax was
Ia,
we could ultimately compete in both wood
and iron ships.
! lie WAS net in favor Of rc-admitting those
vessels built in the United States and now
under u foreign FLAG, as they were not what
WAS wanted. In the natural course Of events
they were Old, and in fact there was not
@rr:t many OF them now ailoat.
MIR. GILES loHNG's REMARKS.
Mr. I.orng, = Yarmouth shipbuider, said
thtJ before the war he could oct the frame of
h ship delivered from Canada for SO TO SIS
pes ton, and now il cost from SO to so per
Iton.
! lie belicNed that one reason why no more
ships welc built was that capitalists could in
vest their money in government bonds and
get a higher rate Of interest without the tax
and risk when put into shipping.
He also asserted that many of our best car
| pcnters had left Maine and was OF the opinion
! that all would eventually 90 if something was
NOT done soon to help the business
He held the same views Oh the drawback
rs given by the other speakers.
If we were protected for few years by
the navigation law VIC would thereafter fur-
nsh superior ships TO foreigners 1T the same
rates
The Workmen, maslcr-huldcr and con-
tractor We're frequently part owners OF ships
they built us were also many of the black
smiths, Triggers and filters; hence the interest
in this when depressed affected everybody in
the same way.
He was very much opposed to the eight
hour system adopted by government. as it
helped to call away some Of our best work
men to the navy yards and create diss:tSfac
ton TO the price of labor in our yards.
MR. JOHN E. SIMPSONS REMARKS.
Mr.. Simpson gave some statistics showing
the great appreciation of metals within Il few
wears Before the war our docks were over
taxed now they are idle. He Vindicated
the good character Of our mechanics, and
stated when repairs are made in New \ DIRK
thew are completed much more eXpediliously
than in Europe.
| The price of labor in New York on old
work is 81 per day; in Portland it is S3. The
strikes had affected the rate Of wages in Bos-
ton and New York-increasing them. He
said he had some knowledge of building iron
ships, and thought with proper facilities we
could compete with the Clyde.
If government will protect us as the En-
glish government protects their builders, we
eau compete with them in building ships OF
any material He had compared the same
class of English and American work and was
satisfied of this.
He also showed that we are ahead of Eu-
ropean mechanics in docking ships He was
opposed to repeal of the navigation laws.
If they are repealed and duties on materials
removed, we cannot yet compete with Eu-
rope: but thouoht we could do il in five
years.
CAPT. CYRUS sTURpIvANr's REMARKS.
Capt. Sturdivant argued earnestly for re-
lief, and hoped coal would be put on the list.
He showed the burden of taxation which lay
mon our commerce, and said that the pre-