The Republican journal., 1871-04-06
Letter From St. Johns.

| presume you were aware that | left
Belfast in the new bark Mendez, ten
days since, for this port as passenger for
little rest, and to see how the bark
worked Arrived here all safe in about
Sc hours.
Since have been here I have looked
about some, especially at the ship yards
I find there are about twenty vessels now
building here. About half are double
decked, and several (seven think
above one thousand tons
The English Government looks after
the interest Of its shipping, A vessel of
the Mendez size, (say $50 tons.) will cost
here about $21, 900 or S22 900 at most,
all ready for sea, and gets rate in the
English Lloyds of 8 years, the same as
we get in the French or American Lloyds,
for the Mendez. The vessel built here is
| nearly every piece in her of spruce, from
keel to truck, and not one third the
weight OF iron we put in, treenailed with
spruce limbs, and coal tarred all over,
While we, in the Mendez, have hacmctac
and hard pine, locust treenails, and cost
ABOUT $4,000 They, get just as much
freight as we do. We could build such
vessels as they build, with their opportu
mites, for less than they do.
Everything that they put into ! vessel in
building, or on board in sailing, is duty
free. paid IA cents for chains they
offer them to me here for 3 cents, and al
most everything in the same proportion
IT'S no use for us to build vessels to COM
pete against such fearful odds. To clear
q new vessel from the custom house here,
costs about five or six dollars. To clear
the Mendez from Belfast, cost $1,000.
This is not the worst feature in the nav
igation laws. Every time q ship-master
clears or enters his vessel at the custom
house, he is obliged to make oath to
falsehood There is no avoiding it, and
all parties in it know it to be SO. In the
case Of the Mendez, for instance-the
captain, to conform to the laws of the
United States, makes up his shipping A.
ticles for some kind of 4 voyage, to re-
turn to the United States, as he cannot
clear for a foreign port otherwise He
then ships crew by the ran to st. Johns,
puts their names on the articles for the
voyage, and clears rs the laws require.
Well, he comes here, and pays the crew
off, and they go home as agreed,
Now he must go to the American Con-
sui, and make oath that his crew have
deserted, as there is no law by which YOU
can legally discharge a sailor in a foreign
port The custom house officials at Bel
fast know all this, the consul here knows
Just what is done; still, with all this num-
buggery, those Congressman expect us to
respect them, They get our money, and
we get in return the worst laws it is pos
sibe for us to have
/ do believe | could come here and
build vessels, and make money by it,
They do not have so good system in
building as we. They do not need to
study economy and manage as we Do.
They have at least % per cent. advantage
to start with, setting aside the difference
in our ships. | will agree to build a ship
Of the same class and materials here, ut
% per cent. less than in Belfast could
set a ship up here right.alongsde Of them,
and make money at their cost prices.
think now l shall give up trying to
build ships, when l realize, as one must
here, what disadvantages we are laborng
under.
The Mendez works very nicely, carries
large cargo, and is ready for sea, bound
to Havana.
! | shall leave here for home next Mon
day, by the American steamer New Eng
land to Portland, thence by cars to Bel
fast, and be glad when get away from
| St. Johns. Yours truly,
HENRY MCGIIYEEI.