The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-05-12
THURSDAY, MAY 12, 1870.
REVIVAL or AMERICAN CON-
HERGE

CONSIDERABLE attention is still devoted in
Congress to propositions for the revival of
American commerce. An able speech on this
subject was delivered in the House of Repre-
sentatives yesterday by Mr.. Lynch, chairman
of the select committee which has charge of
this subject, and it is said that he will soon
report bill that will put in practical shape
q comprehensive scheme for rehabilitating
our depressed shipping interests Nothing
can be palmer than that this general subject
is eminently worthy of profound and liberal
consideration. However much other vigor-
GUS nations may differ about protective
and free-trade theories as applied to the
ordinary forms of domestic industry, they
all agree in assisting their
foreign steamship lines. An obvious neces-
sity for this policy arises from the direct and
unavoidable foreign competition by which
these enterprises are confronted. Practical
experience has shown the folly of American
steamship lines, unsupported by Government
aid, attempting to compete with British ves-
sells which are not only constructed of cheaper
material, by cheaper labor, but also sustained
by large appropriations from the British trea-
were the pride and glory of the country.
The war of 1912 was waged mainly for their
protection, and the last war was used by
jealous British ship-owners as a pretext for
Fastening their destruction. And
now, after all the triumphs
and trials of the past, the American people are
compelled to choose between humiliating
acknowledgment of British supremacy on
the ocean and a resolve to continue the old
conflict under new conditions that cannot
fail to restore American prestige and to Sc
cure to our citizens fair share of the profits
of the foreign commerce of the country. 1t
has been proposed to incorporate four steam
ship companies and to establish six steam
ship lines, one of which is to ply between
Philadelphia and Baltimore and Southampton
and Bremen, sailing each alternate week, and
if this project is approved by Congress, with
the understanding that contracts for the
transportation of the United States mails
and other aid in the shape of subsidies
or drawbacks on the cost of materials shall be
granted, it is probable that the loss of ton
mage and position incurred during the Re-
bellion will be regained in less than five years.
The expense to the nation will not exceed
$4,000, 900 per annum, and as ten times that
sum is often lavished upon the navy without
any substantial service being rendered to the
country, it will be infinitely more advantageous
to make the proposed appropriation than to
continue building ships which rot in the
docks before they are completed, and
to pay enormous salaries to officers on the
retired list who have never rendered i'm
portant service. Enough money has already
been wasted in naval experiments and ex-
travagancies to endow the United States with
q much finer and larger fleet of steamships
than any other nation now possesses, and if
Congress does not soon devote a portion of
this misspent money to the revival of the
dropping shipping interests, we will bo re-
duced to the absurd position of spending on
the navy larger sum than the whole annual
profit derived frem American ships