New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-02-07
IRON SHIP BUILDING.
SPEECH BY SENATOR CRAGIN-A PLAN TO RE
GAIN OUR LOST COMMERCE.
(GENBRAL PRESS DIsPATCHl

(GBEERAL PRESS DIsPATCMl
WASHINGTON, Feb. 6.-Aftcr the passage of
tho Diplomatic and Consular bill IN the senate. this
morning. ON motion OF Senator Crsgin of New -Hamp-
SHIRE, tie bill 20 establish iron shpbuildng yard
the waters falling into the Atlantic Ocean, and another
the Mississippi River of its tributaries, was
taken up. Mr. Cragin said:
Mr.. President: This bill is OF such importance that
the proposals which ts foundation were communi-
Gated by President and twce since have been the
subject of special letters from tho Secretary Of the
Navy, recommending its passage means OF securing
economy on naval expenditures and OF restoring our
carrying trade and ocean commerce 1t has been re-
ported too and is passage asked by the Naval Com
nittee IN report which ask to be read by the Clerk.
The repo read By he shows tbs, the proposals
building which tAe and coal shall be made into
nor for he purpose steamships and machinery aai that
BY various improvements Which this Company control The methods
posed will reia The labor and cost 't iron steamer, may be b9t
Committee have ded amendment which compe the COMPANY to
supply a 'hPbaIders With this inn worked into TOMS rlurel
whether Tor ships machinery I've cent upon it, cost th beng
not more than he cost OF supervision and will eoaee all BULL
for the building Of ships 10 restore and MAINTAIN oar carving
ecure By the properly Of com5,nI eIsns created be
%k 5o1 ' PlT b I g% eongo Of the Scr,s
Of the navy Of War and Of the Treasury empowered collect
proucs the fund therefor in half the OF the bonds
HAVE LOST AND THE RELIEF OFFERED.
Mr.. cragn stated that we have not in the entire
United States perfect shpbuiding yard. having
creation Of ronclads or large steamers for commerce.;
that it was by the possession Of these that Great Britain
had produced vessels which had taken from people
the most profitable trade or the wOrd-the ocean
carryngand that our people had wlled ana determined
trade should restored to that the Presi
dent. IN each annual message, bad urged il; that
aung upon it, but no practicable plan
until this one proposed, had been reached. Mr.
Cragin traced the policy OF England for 40 years IN
building up her ships and shipping; compared ours
with from 1852 to show that in seventytwo years mp
1861 had reached within SIX per cent OF the tu-
mage which had taken England nearly 500 years 20
create that the succeeding ten years had been
steamsbip5 TO contend equally with rivals. He
ceeded that combinations had been formed last
Autumn by the foreign steamship companies to put up
nom co. TO 14id. per Dushe the freight charges ON
wheat and that TINS advance win us ntlo upon COY
planters tls,l37O15 He said this was az much plumber
t6at we were being conquered and subdued by
nsdiOus schemes the value Of our landed products
taken from Us. while submitted to still greater
exacton. Our of relief lie In the passage OF this
fallen IRON 653g 3 tuns in 1861 372s3is tuus 1872
England had increased js)5,369 1861 10 995l257
1872 ncludng her colOncs that she lad gained
o. tuns for each tun We had lost thus absorbed the
increase 20 herself the commercial development OF
the world The international commerce OF the world In
1860 1922 and in 1870 It was s9567O6O. In
this had VI the nrst participation OF 10 per cent,
while in the last had fallen TO per cent. England
had doubled her commerce during TINS PERIOD and all
other nations had increased frOU 80 10 70 per cent while
ours taken gold value had remained nearly sta
tonary, notwithstanding We have u larger basis for
commerce than any nation ia the world
Senator Cragln proceeded TO demonstrate from the
published Government statistics that We mad lost as our
proportion OF the passenger and carrying trade the
last ~ years. SAP 1905 that II loss in gold. and
that this ratio continued II would make Impossible
resumption continuance OF specie payments. He
stated that had continued fair competition in the
carving during the past 10 years the per
cent of increase with that Of England would have de-
VeOped an aggregate national wealth. in addition TO the
present s5SOOOO0 These losses the result OF
our failure place iron steamships equal superior 10
those nations upon the England France,
aud other nations, China and Japan, had aided In
the OF iron ship works, but We had done noth.
ing although better Ores Goals, aud plOyed
skilled mechanics. Individual capital, no SAID. cannot
massed maided IN such large sums necessary
other have DONE or acknowledge ourselves
whipped from the ocean, and surrender % our rivals
that rich carrying trade which has made every
nation rich and prosperous while they held IL.
10 railroads. and appropriations 10 Improve the rivers or
the west building up there great empire hut we nave
forgotten guard that great West by supplying ships
under flag TO cOnveyits products To hnal mar
kets and thus the farmers and merchants from be-
ing ruined the value OF their products from being
hhed by high reighs and forced sales through foreign
reports OF the Secretary Of the Treasury stating that IL
was necessity to restore our carrying trade To sustain
specie payments and keep down foreign balances, and
concluded by saying: Dir. President, the honorable
secretary Is correct. He might added that the
turning OF these balances against nation until II Is
constant debtor drains 1t or its vital power until 1t Is
destroyed revolution OF its people yigor Is
given 70 regain It's property This bill provides the first
OF the measures to these balances To produce
iron steamships restore trade, to aid Indus
tries TO regain independence II Is not
can; promises aid to tho whole people, TO the whole
country. Give this aid and American ingenuity indus
Try Ylgor, and energy Will accomplish all the remaining
conditions 10 place our country where the most earnest
and pTOudest Of American hearts wOuld have her-in
the front OF the first nations of the earth.