The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-02-25
The Decline and Recovery Of American
Commerce.

There has probably been no report from
Congressional Committee since the famous
one from the Committee on Reconstruction,
In which Mr.. Fessenden laid the foundation
OF most of the reorganizating legislation that
followed, that has been so widely read and
generally approved as the late report on
American navigation interest The Ship
builders and shipowners and all connected
with the maritime interests of the coun-
try have been reused by it to hope
that at last the day is dawning, ana tia'
their case is not without remedy aiter a'i'
In reviewing the report very lew dissen'lns
opinions have been expressed, ana tnose nave
come chiefly from the representatives of the
New York shipowners who insist that the
American navigation laws shall be repealed,
and foreign built vessels admitted to Ameri-
can registry. The Philadelphia North Amer
ican, recognized authority on financial and
commercial topics, has an article on this sub
ject which we are sure will prove interesting
to our readers:
The report of the committee on the decline
OF American commerce is document so ex-
haustive in its exposition of the subject as to
leave little room tor comment. And vet We
Snre tne views It presents
and the measures it recommends are vitality
important to all who are interested in the for
eign trade OF the republic. Indeed, those who
peruse this report carefully will arrive at the
conclusion that this subject is one far trans
cending the mere interests of the commercial
classes, and rising to the dignity of national
concern Affecting our whole future as mari.
me Power in peace and war.
Hitherto the discussions OF the subject have
been so much confined to mere questions OIL
relative cost of construction, aud the progress
OF steam and iron in superseding wood and
sails, that the general reader will be consider
ably surprised on reading this report to find
the demonstration clear and indisputable that
prior to the war all these causes combined did
not suffice to affect in any material degree our
maritime strength, which, down to the very
debut of the Anglo confederate pirates on the
ocean, continued 10 rival that Of the greatest
seagoing Power in the world. The exposition
OF this fact and the subsequent result OF the
depredatiOns upon our commerce, is necessary
to proper understanding of the subject.
For this report shows that the carrying
trade was frightened away from American
vessels and went chiefly to English vessels,
from which it is now extremely difficult to re-
cover II, because in the meantime the Eng
lish have been improving their service So
much as to be, in point of fact, able to do the
work more speedily and at less rates than we
can. Not only did this piracy leave nothing
for our vessels to do; it scared the American
shpowners into transferring large part Of
their tonnage to foreign flags, from which, I'm.
der our laws, they cannot now get back, al
though many of them are still running in the
American trade under foreign flags, the for.
eign ownership being, in most cases, merely
nominal.
There are some facts contained in this re-
port to which attention ought to be directed.
One is that while the British steam tonnage
has nearly doubled in the last seven years, its
aggregate Is still little more than one-sixth
that of the tonnage under sail. The figures
are for 1868, sail vessels, 3646,15O tons:
steam vessels, 619 ,199 tons. This is for the
foreign trade exclusively, and it shows that
the revolution has yet very much to do in
the English service, and that if we take hold
earnestly, we can overtake our rival. The
tonnage of sail vessels in the foreign trade OF
England exhibits no decline, Down to the
year 1864 the increase of sail vessels was
rapid and steady. But then the increase
seems to have halted, and steam tonnage
went ahead:
Turning now to the United States we find
that the registered steam tonnage had at the
close of the war been reduced to 9S,OOS in the
AoAoaSH tIduc, III lOOO, against brlClSn steam
tonnage Of 523,69S But then we began to
recuperate, and in 1859 we have steam ton
mage in the foreign trade of 221 ,S39, which is
much higher than we ever had BEFORE while
the British steam tonnage in the foreign
trade has risen to 619199. Our registered
sail tonnage in the foreign trade, however,
does not increase at all; and here is where
the falling off occurs. 1t will be observed
that while the British sail tonnage has not
declined at all, our sail tonnage has fallen
nom l,5O4,375 in 1855 to 1,34S, 7O3 in 1868.
Inc English increase their steam tonnage
steadily, but take care to maintain their sail
tonnage at the same time, in good condition,
until they are ready to substitute steamers
Bearing these facts in view, the reader will
understand why the committee have reported
bills looking to the announcement of steam
ana sail vessels, and iron and wooden ones
alike. Iron steamers cannot be built fast
enough to supply all needs, and if they could,
tne capital requisite to purchase them and
pulld up paying lines with them is not so
readily obtained. Hence the committee pro-
pose to allow drawbacks on the raw materials
used in the construction of vessels, whether
OF wood or iron, to offer such inducements as
Will encourage the use OF American materials,
TO allow ship stores and coal to be in bond for
use free of duty, to offer bounties to American
vessels engaged in the foreign trade, to relieve
our vessels OF onerous tonnage duties and 9TH
er lmposts, and to offer subsidies to American
lines Of steamers in the foreign trade.