The Portland daily press., 1870-02-19

"no ~ hposslole fof us TO compete with ner
auu mat we are reduced to the alternative OF
either purchasing Our ships of her or of sur
ienderlng to her The carrying trade. 1t is fur-
ther urged that this trade contributes SO great
ly to the wealth of nation that we should Sc
cure it, by purchasing anc sailing forelgn-D uilt
ships. To which end it is necessary that all
restrictions to the purchase OF such snlps
should be removed from our statutes
The opposite policy of allowing only Ameri-
can built vessels the privilege of the American
flag and register was adopted at the formation
of the Government, and has been uniformly
adhered TO since, modified only by the act OF
Dec. 3D. 1852, which permits foreign vessels
wrecked in the waters OF the United States'
and repaired in our ports, the repairs amount,
ing TO the value OF the vessel, to take oul "a. az
American register. The best PROOF OF . ING
wisdom of this policy is the rapid and hninu1 1o
rupted progress which we at.a, rn,Io n Great
mercial nation under its operations. 49,
Rritain bacame the first maritime nallon Vi the
world under like policy, wnich sue never re-
Taxed until her merch"h' ni''iAh0 was "'i0i's'h
onad heyoud danger.
In order TO understand and appreciate the |
practical operation of the policy of admitting |
foreign built ships to American registry, and |
its effects upon the national wealth, we must |
consider somewhat in detail the manner in |
which shipping of cOuntry-and particularly |
mat OF our OWNS built up and maintained |
Inc shipping of the United States has never
oeen built, and only to limited extent has it
Deen owned, by capitalists, but by men of mod
the shipmaster and the merchant, each having
an interest III the production, the sailing and
the freight OF the ship, Independent of the
profits to he directly derived from ITS earnings
Inc lumbeiman, to make market tor his
| timber the mechanic, to obtain employment IN
constructing, the ship chandler, for sale of his
| goods in furnishing, the ship master, to obtain
| business in his profession, and the merchant,
| to secure the commissions resulting from the
| management of the business, all unite in
| bniidiug, owning and sailing vessels. To use
| the expression of Mr.. Lorng, practical ship
| carpenter largely interested in building and
| ownihg vessels, who testified before the COM
| mittee at Portland: THE whole parish are Of
ten interested in building and owning vessels"
rms associated effort not only supplies the
| capital but the practical knowledge and expe-
rlence to construct and manage this descrip-
| ton OF property successfully, and also furnish
eS an Incentive TO produce it far greater than
that OF mere interest on investment of capital
| alone.
By purchasing our ships in foreign countries
| we transfer not only all the tabor necessary TO
| construct them, from the taking OF the timber
| from the forests, and the ore from the mines,
| to the launching OF the ship hut also all the
business of furnishing the outfits and supplies
| for the voyage. lie is estimated that more than
sixty per cent. of the tonnage of the United
| States engaged in the foreign carrying trade is
engaged in treighting between the ports of for
eign countries and many of these vessels new
| er return after sailing from our ports. What
| advantage would it be to our country to have
| the real or nominal ownership of this class of
| vessels, built, fitted, manned and provisioned
for their voyage in a foreign port, touching on
| Iy at the ports of the United States to obtain
an American register and then pursuing their
voyage, perhaps never to return. IT such ves-
sells were really wholly owned in the United
| States 1t could be of no advantage to us.
1t would not be tonnage, the production of
which would and in furnishing profitable en-
ployment to American mechanics and Ameri-
can agricnlturists and help increase our ma
| tonal wealth. 1t would not multiply comfort
able cottages nor create thriving villages of in
dustrlous woIkingmen around busy American
| shlpyalds in times of peace. 1t would be sim
| ply the investment of American capital in
property out OF the country, the divide nd from
which only would be returned to US. Itwould
| give no strength in time of war Representing
| capital alone, it would partake of the tmidity
| OF capital, and whenever threatened seek safe
| ty under neutral or hostile flag.
! Still further, we cannot build up truly
| American marine in foreign country, for the
| reason that the countries in which we build
VIII have every advantage over US in connecting
| Tor the carrying trade which is to sustain such
a marine. FIRST. in the profits of the business
OF ouiiding and lifting out the vessels. Second
IN the command of cheap capital. Third. in
combining the building, owning and managing
interests, which can only be dc ne in the coun-
| try where the shipping is built. And fourth, |
IN the prestige such countries would obtain in |
| furnishing the vessels which Americans would |
| own, and also those which were to compete
| TOR business with American owned vessels |
Furthermore, 1t is not probable that American
| capital would be sent to Europe to build ships
| with which to compete One quail terms for bust
| ness with the ships of those who build for
| them, unless these foreign built vessels were
| al owed to participate in our coasting trade, a
| chapge IN our policy which would noe only en-
| tlrely destroy every mechanical branch of in.
| dustry OF The United States dependent upon
| shipbuildIng, but would rum the present own
ers OF coastlng vessels. 1t would be admitting
to the enjoyment of American business foreign
ers who pay no taxes to the American govern
MEET, and who by that exemption, would be
enabled TO drive American taxpayers out of
employment.
The policy of admitting foreign built ships to
American register, on payment of duty, has
also oeen urged upon US. The COMMITTEES can
not recommend such legislation, Tor whatever
DUTY might be so imposed, would operate only
| TO the advantage of the foreign shp-owper.
with whom The American purchaser and own
/ er OF such foreign built ships would have to
| compete. Ii we were to admit foreign built
ships to American register at all, it would be
with the view of enabling our ship-owners to
supply themselves with vessels at rate as low
| as that paid by foreign competitors. An Amer
lean ship-owner must in such case be able to
purchase as cheap the foreigner, or he must
obtain better ships; otherwise he is deprived of
that equality OF ability to compete which is an
essential quality of the success desired by those
who engage in the carrying trade of the world |
The statement is in itself a sufficient answer
to the proposition. |
But there are other objections more weishty |
than those referred to, that should prevent the |
adoption of either policy. They would deprive |
US of The mechanical skill requisite to build |
our navy ia time of war, or oblIge us TO main
tam IL at great expense connected with Gov
erument works in time of peace, and would |
also compel the maintenance OF a large naval |
force entirely useless as peace establishments |
out necessary TO preserve aud defend the ma |
tonal honor and interests in they were |
a OF . pn,lI he hr,,,, l
to every American to see Great Britain en- |
ployed and paid by to rebuild the ship
ping she SO effectively aided TO destroy during
the rebellion: 1t We adopt policy that will
admit OF such results, that nation could well
afford TO pay our most extra Hagant demands
upon her for damages inflicted by the cruisers
"hlch from her ports made war upon our COM
meice during the +. belIion.
Every consideration, whether of interest or
OF national pride, pels US 10 build upon our |
own soil the ships which are to bear the FLAG of
our country to all quarters of the globe.
ms result can only be accomplished by |
adopting policy as liberal and enlio htened as
that OF the nations with which we are TO COM
pete for the carrying trade of the world, which
natlons are now in possession of the field.
Ihose nations admit all the material enter |
lng INTO the construction of vessels free OF
duty; they allow the withdrawal from bond of
all stores used on the voyage of a shin SAILING
TO foreign port, the same as though such
stores were exported; and they pay literally to |
s'Saneis ior carrying the mails and thus eS- |
tabllsh lines to all arts of the world
The subsidies paid by Great Britain and |
France to establish their steamship lines and |
for the promotion of their general shippipg
interests, are returned to them many fold BIZ |
the nations that pursue more narrow and |
short-slghted policy. 1t is the United State
that supports tue foreign steamships which |
run to and from her porls, by the mail, pas
senger, and freight money which one paws to
EN-, rather than to establish lines of her own |
Worse still, while carefully scrutinize |
every appropriation for our own navy we nav
more co support the most efficient |
arm OF the navy OF Great Britain than is ask
ed for the support of our OVID.
Inc testimony taken by the Committee is |
nearly unan nous that by offering to our cti-
ZeIs the same encouragement and projection |
as is afforded by other commercial nations 70 |
their cltizens, our shipping can be built, and |
lines of ocean steamers eslabl shed as fast as |
the requirement OF business demand, and that |
there would be present demand for ships if
they could be cheaply supplied
That although the cost OF iron and some other |
materials would be higher by the amount paid |
tor freight, and the wages of labor are also hirh-
er with us than in Europe, yet we should have |
an advantage in the cost of timber large |
amount OF which is used, even in the construc-
lion of iron vessels and that the higher rates |
paid for American labor would be more than
by its greater efficiency and |
xiii. This leads us to the difficult question as
o the methods in which government shall en- /;
ieaVor TO extend its aid to our decaying naviga-
.on interests. Your committee afier the most
,arelui elaboration, impressed with the great
tnpfraf