The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1870-05-12
Our Shipping Interests.


this subjectin these columns We have
attempted to show the injurious effects
of our present tariff upon our CONNER,
eial interests, aud tho utter futility of
the expedients Of subsidies" ''draw.
backs" &c, proposed in Congress to
remedy existing evils. We have shown,
from time to time, that these remedies
did not reach the source Of the Difficult
", and consequently could not cure it,
that nothing but repeal of the present
ruinous tariff would restore our tonnage
andour commercial marine to what it was
ten years ago, and We are grati6ed to
ind the positions we have taking more
than sustained by recent report to
Congress BY committee on this sub.
ject The report Of the committee re.
f.rred to, says The Batimore States
nan:
United States nearly equalled that Of Great
Britain, and was nearly one-third of the entire
tonnage Of the world. In 1867 the commerce
Of the United States had declined to 3,s6s, CHS
tons, as given in the report Of the Treasury
Department, and since that date ithas steadily
decreased. % the other hand, the tonnage OF
Grcat Britain In 1868, as stated BY Hon John
bright, President Of the British Board of Trade,
amounted to !, 49,, 900 tons, apreponderance Of
o,oUu,VO0 tons in favor of Great Britain as
compared with the United States The report
says:
"Enaland, in adopting free trade, sur
rendered lallacy tor which she had contended
for centuries. In 1854, when the laws relating
TO the shipping and navigation Of Great Britain
underwent important changes, the deca wing
protectionist party predicted the speedy ruin
OF British maritime supremacy; one argument
was, british shiP-builders can not compete
with the pauper labor of Continental nations
How utterly false the forbodings have proved
Is amply demonstrated by experience. We
Know 81 no other nation in the world than the
United States that refuses to register a foreign
built vessel, and at the same time requires the
payment OF duty upon the raw material"
Ten years ago the iron works Of New York
sent forth splendid lines Of steamers, equipped
with engines and machinery which could not
be surpassed in the workshops of any other
nation. Now, say the committee with the ex-
eeption Of the outfit ef the Spanish gHnboats at
MT. Delamater's works, not solitary marine
engine or iron steamship IS in course Of con-
strncton. The. Allaine Works, where the
Collins steamers were built has been converted
into a horse-stable; the Fulton Works are sell.
ing their shops ald machinery, models and
stock the Etna Works are commencing
small business in architectural ironwork the
Neptune Works are turned into A sawmilI the
ouintard Works repair on old vessels. and OBJ
taip an occasional job on Southern railroads,
and the Morgan Works are earnestly laboriug
Tor future which may never come. Other
works are in a like lredicament.
u appears that an AL l,000ton wooden ship
built in the United States costs $780, currency
per ton, while precisely similar vessel built
IN tbe Bripth Provinces costs $40, gold, per ton.
IL Is stated that American ship-buiiding has
not improved within the last twenty years
while within that period the art has greater
progress In Great Britain than all the centuries
which preceded IL.
Steamers and ships especially DESIGNED FIR
the foreign CARRYING trade of the United States
are built in England in great numbers. Our
futile Efforts to protect our ship-builders are
last destroying the business Of our ship-owners
and ship-masters, and throwing the profits Of
our Immense earrying-trad into the hands Of
foreigners. On the Clyde alone, ifty-eight
steamers regular traders between New York
and foreign ports, have been built since 1860
Ihe report states that the DAYS of wooden
ships are over, as will appear to any one who
VIII visit the warves OF New York or Jersey
C,sy and Hoboken, and look at the steamers
which carry on our trade with Europe Or II
this does not satisfy such one. he NAV visit
Inc docks OF London, Liverpool. Bremen,
hayre, Hamburg, Marseiles. Trieste, Alexan-
ara, calcutta, etc, aud see how greatly wood
en- ships have disappeared from these great
inaris q traiiic, and how nine-tenths o: the
iron ships which have succeeded them bear un-
misiakable marks OF British origin
Why Is 81 this 2 The reply Is given in the
report: awe are forbidden" it saws, "to pur-
chase foreign-built vessels, and at the same
time The building Of ships here Is rendered i'm
possible at paying prices, owing 10 the heavy
inxes imposed upon every article that enters
into the construction Of a vessel. Ship-owners
o. this tree country are therefore placed ia the
following position: Our Government prohib-
rs the purchase and admission of foreign built
vessel. to American registry, and at the same
time, py over-taxation, puts II utterly out of
orr power to build proftably at home. We
! VINO, twelve years ago, not only did three
tourths OF our own carrying-trade, but also a
large proportion OF that OF the rest Of the world,
are now actually obliged to allow foreigners
70 bring 70 and carry from shores 10, sl3, SOS
TONS Of freight annually. We who could show
| an the port Of New York thirty-two large ships
OF 1000 tons register each, building in the
month Of September, 1865, can now, in the
month OF September, 1869. find only one ship
on the stocks. Are we wrong In expr sssina
our earnest conviction that, IL this country
adopted more liberal commercial policy, her
ports, like those Of Great Britain, would soon
be joyous with the busy hum Of industry? An
itber great difficulty in the way Of restoring
The lost ship-building of the country arises
| from the conflict between labor and capital.
and the damaging effect denominations among
iworkmen-"
vi The committe protest against the Registry
laws as only in the interest Of foreign ship.
nwners and seamen. II Is, they saw, ofoourse,
better 10 build our ships at home than abroad,
but Il Il better to build them abroad than not
70 build them at all. II is better to employ
our own ship-nasters, mates, and seamen Of
pur commercial rivals. All this can be ac-
fomplished by repeating the law which pro-
/ hibils an American register to a steamer built
/ IN the cheap building yards Of Great Britain.
The following remarks are made Of the sub
Get Of "subsides ~
The improvements which the builders Of
England have effected In steam machinery,
combined with their improved system Of ship
guiidipg, and the facilities which they enjoy,
md which enable them 10 construct ships and
sD9ines at prices with which no other countries
san compete, give Great Britain very long
cad in the construction Of iron steamers. Her
builders supply their own and other countries
tfith steamers which will earn large profits in
trades III which steamers built Ia the United
/ states can not live, and they have entirely ex-
ploded the idea that subsidies are necessary to
}le support Of steam lines on the great routes
bf ocean traffic. The most successful steam
iues, in commercial point Of view, are those
Which rely upon traffic, aud care nothing for
faaiI contracts or subsidies. Steamers OF mod
Efrstc speed and large cargo capacity can earn
Ifuore money 10 the New York and Liverpool
.traae, withouta subsidy, than the fastest steam
Prs which carry comparatively little cargo,
e "a burn great quantity Of coal, can earn
xsith the most liberal mail-ssryice compeDsa-
Ion which either the United States or Great
Britain are likely to give. A steam ship that
Esiii carry 5000 tons Of cargo across the Allan
Eic in twelve days. burning 800 tons OF coal on
the trip ia ten DAYS. with /. 900 tons Of