The Portland daily press., 1872-04-17
THE PRESS.
WEDNESDAY MORNING, APRIL IL, '7s.
The Tariff and the shipping Interests

The tariff and revenue Dill tnat was to be
renorted from the Ways and Means commit
tee Yesterday contains, thanks to the united
efforts of Maine Representatives, provisions
for the relief of the shipping interest. There
is reason to believe that something, however
inadequate, is at length to be done
to revive American commerce. Exactly
what form the proposed rehei WIN
take when the bill in which II is
embraced has at length been modihed by all
the amendments offered during its passage,
it is impossible at this time to predict. But
it is safe to conclude that it will be much less
satisfactory than the very comprehensive
measure offered by Mr.. Lynch's special COM
mittee two years ago. Half loaf is better
than no bread, and the shipbuilders of Maine
will most gladly and gratefully accept what is
offered them in the tariff bill, even II 1t
should 90 no further than mere remission
of the duties on material entering into the
construction of vessels.
With all that we now know about the dis
position of Congress toward the shipping in
terest, and the determination of Eastern
Democrats and Western men generally to
grant no relief for that special industry which
is not involved in a complete revision of the
tariff in the direction of revenue reform, it is
interesting to look back and find that, in the
spring of 1870, there were those who con-
tended that the bills reported by the special
committee did not 60 far enough! In justice
to the Maine shipowners and shipbuilders,
who unanimously approved thosebills at meet
ings of their Association, it should be stated
that they were very far from sharing in this
egregious folly. Then, as now, they would have
been only too well pleased if Congress would
give them draw back on all duties paid
on building material, an annual bounty
of from $1.50 to $500 ton on all YES
sells built for the foreign trade, the privilege
of taking ship stores and coal out of bond
without the payment of duties, the denial of
the right to levy harbor, pilotage and other
burdensome local dues by State or municipal
authority and the provision that tonnage
dues should be collected only once year.
This just and beneficent measure, which
came to vote on the oath of May, 1870,
receiued the support of only. three Democrats
in the House! 1t was so generous in its pro-
visions for the revival of shipbuilding that
the Democrats were able to rally in body
against it, and by an alliance with the Re
publican minority, to defeat it by vote of
SO to S5. .
The time speedily came when the ship
builders of Maine were willing to accept
much less than was offered them in the
Lynch bill. At the present session of Con-
gress Mr.. Hale of the fifth district offered a
short bill merely providing for drawback
and taking ship stores out of bond. But
Democratic opposition defeated even this
moderate demand, and the hostility of Mr..
Cox and his associates, scho aoanted an
amendment permitting the purchase of for
eign ships, caused it to be referred to the
Committee on Ways and Means, instead of
passing under suspension of the rules, as
it was not unreasonably hoped it would do.
This is the measure that was unanimously
commended to the favorable consideration of
Congress by the last Legislature.
We have entered ON this brief review of
the agitation in favor of revival of COM
merce in order that it may be generally
known, in case the tariff measure passes,
who is responsible for the defeat of bills that
were in all respects eminently satisfactory