The Portland daily press., 1870-05-09

~ ulcIlCdu sup WucIl tApOIlcu 50 ldT DIS W
allow drawback on everything which has
been used in her construction and which has
paid a duty.
As the case now stands we exact of the
American ship-builder duties on all themateri-
al used in the construction of his ship, and al
low the foreign ship-builder to work up the
same material, with foreign labor in foreign
country, and bring his vessel all finished into
the United States free of all duty. 1t is true
the vessel is, SO to speak, to be reexp0rted,
but precisely the same as the imported mate
rial which goes into the American ship is re-
exported when she first sails from port for
foreign county, A simple statement of the
case shows the advantage given 10 the foreign
the justice and the necessity for the applca-
ton of the drawback principle to vessels en-
gagged IN the foreign trade. 1t also demon
strates the great advantage foreigners have
over our own builders, and the reason why
still further aid should be afforded. So. too,
of ship stores's. Every vessel, whether Amer
lean or foreign, on entering from foreign
country, is allowed to enter the stores which
are 10 be consumed on board free of duty, and
to retain a sufficient amount for consumption
on its outward voyage. The outfit and stores
10 be used by an American vessel on its voy-
age to foreign country ought certainly to be
placed Oh as favorable footing as those Of a
foreign vessel which arrives in an American
port from foreign country.
These provisions of the bill, as will be seen,
place the American ship builder and ship
owner upon the same footing, SO far as build
ing material and stores to be used on the voy-
age are concerned, as the foreign owner and
builder is placed by his Government, leaving
him to contend only against the cost of trans
porting his materials and the disadvantage of
having to obtain them at distance from the
place where they are to be used, and the adj
ditional disadvantage of higher priced labor
in constructing and sailing his vessels.
To the builder of wooden ships this draw
back of the duty on the material may be suf-
ticient, as he has attained knowledge and a
skill in the art Of ship-buiding which enabled
him before the war to build, ii not absolutely
the cheapest, the best ships that sailed the
ocean. With the iron shipbuilder the case is
different. He is inaugurating a business
which is new TO this country, but which in
Great Britain has, under most favorable cir
cunstances, been brought to great perfection
1t is the unanimous opinion of those en-
gagged in building iron ships that the plates
and frames for such vessels can only be adj
vantaeeously rolled and wrought near where
they are to be used; that they must be made
to order to save waste and labor, and that il
would be expensive and inconvenient to send
patterns to England to shape the frames
beams, and plates of vessel by; that if the
iron were imported in the crude shape il
would require larger outlay of capital to
work It in connection with the yards where
the vessels would be built than could be com
manded TO start new and paratively ex
perimental business of this kind. They are
also of opinion that by the use of American
| II, haff no h,,;lt G
| reduced weight of metal, OH account Of its SUI
perior quality.
AS as Illustration Of the superiority O
American iron AMI its appreciation by the
underwriters, Mr.. John Tucker, the vice.
president of the Reading railroad, stated te
the committee, at its session in Philadelphia
that one Of the iron steam-colliers built fol
his company at Chester, Pennsylvania, while
passing He'll Gate, New York harbor, last
summer, struck rock, cutting ten feet in hal
| bottom. The vessel was raised and the in
jured piece of iron plate was exhibited anG
attracted considerable attention. In accord
ance with their request, The piece was sent to
the Lloyds underwriters in France as speci
men Of the quality of American iron, and re-
suited in reduction of insurance on these
vessels Of from eighteen to seven and hal
per cent. per annum, a saving of ten and 9
| by the use of American iron.
| 1t was urged before the committee with
great force that by the use of American iron
we should develop the business and build ut
| a class Of vessels that would soon obtain 9
character for superiority of material and
WOrkm anship, and that, as in the case of the
collier referred to, the insurance companies
would discriminate in their favor; that Amer
lean invention and ingenuity would be
brought into play, and the same superiority
in marine architecture would manifest itsel
in the construction OF iron that was formerly
manifested in constructing wooden vessels
Americans arc ready to adopt new ideas, and
are on the qui uiue for the latest improve
ments, while the foreigner is apt to plod on in
the beaten path and resist all innovations
There can be no doubt that we have in this
country, at points proximatc to our large nav.
igable rivers in the South and West, as wei
as on the Atlantic coast, iron. coal, and tim
Der that will, when these resources are fully
developed, enable us to compete with any ma
ton in the building of iron or composite yes
sells, and that it would be of great advantage
to the country to encourage and secure the
building Of such vessels from American iron
In regard to the practicability OF building
this class OF vessels on our western rivers as
cheaply as they can be built in Europe, after
the business has been established, desire 10
call attention to the letter of John Player, OF
Philadelphia, who, my colleague on the COM
mittee Mr.. Morrell informs me, has had
large experience in the iron business in Great
Britain, as we'll as in this country. Mr.. Player
says, (page POS of Report:)
sslt is chiefly the lack OF organization and the sit
nations of the different establishments that prevent
ship plate iron being cbeaply produced 1T Is iac'
beyond dispute that rig iron IN be made as cheap,
and coal eau be OBJ aimed che on the hio than
on the Tees, in England. Why, then, cannot iron
for ship building be m lde an ships be built on he
Ohio at the price by ton with American iron as
at the Atlariic ports with European iron, even il
eanizatio.n used in England and the policy used in
France"
The best locality for building iron SAL, in the
Unit ed States will be found to be on he Mississippi
Ohio rivers above Cairo; and the iluation wle
iron for building the same can be made che,p as
in England is OH the Ohio"
But other questions may be asked. Can pig iron
be made OH the Ohio and coal worked for converting
it into shp-pates at the price iron and coal
costs in England? The answer is decidedly YES
and CT places could be pointed out the Ohio
where pig iron be made and coal de ivered quite
as cheap as in England, and why this IS not gener-
ally known could easily be explained, if necessary.
This subject is of the greatest national impor
lance, and should be Investigated by those who al c
interested in the prosperity OF the country before
measures are taken which will only partially assist
in improving the cond ion of ship owners and which
can rever satisfy the nation. With such eI ormous
deposits OF iron and coal throughout the cOun-
try in situations most favorable tor wOl king them
is it policy to let them remain un disturbed and pur
chase ships with gol from other nations or emp'o,
Ca ial at home in developing the resources OF the
country, and give employment to thousands of it