The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-06-16
American Shipping in Peril.

The outline of the proposed reciprocity
treaty between the United States and Canada,
which has been submitted to the Senate for
preliminary inspection, contains one provision,
TO which the attention of the people should
be directed, and which, if adopted, will very
seriously affect one of the leading interests OF
Maine. The provision is as follows:
Act 9. Canadians may purchase American
built vessels and register them as Canadian ana
Americans may purchase and register Canadian
built vessels in like manner.
The real meaning of the article is, that Ca
madam built vessels may be admitted to
American registry and to all the privileges
and advantages of the coastwse trade of the
United States. The pretended reciprocity in
allowing American built vessels to be pur-
chased and registered in Canada is sham,
as the laws of the Dominion now allow such
purchase and registration. The privilege is
not utilized, because it is no privilege. Canada
has no coastwise trade to attract American
vessels, and she can build vessels cheaper
than we can build them for her. This ap-
pears to be cunnlngly devised scheme of
English and Canadian statesmen to obtain,
under the guise of reciprocity, what England
has SO long sought in vain for her shipping
the advantages of an extensive and valuable
coastwise trade-and the Provincial papers
may well exult in the prospective advantage
to their shipping under this provision of the
proposed treaty. Any provision admitting
Canadian vessels to American registry would
unquestionably result in transferring the
ship-building of New England t. Canada and
placing the control of our coastwise trade in
the hands of the shpouilders and shipowners
OF the Dominion. Canada hascheap labor,
cheap material, comparatively low taxes and
the advantages of cheap capital furnished by
English capitalists. The shipbuilders and
shipowners of Great Britain, who have so
long sought participation in the coastwise
trade Of the United States-the most valuable
selves of the opening through Canada to this
rich field of commercial enterprise. 1t would
only be necessary for them to transfer a por-
tion of. their business to. Canadian yards to
secure all the advantages of the treaty. Under
our present laws-laws which have existed
since the formation OF the Government
American built vessels only are admitted to
American registry, and all foreign built yes
sells are excluded from the coastwise trade of
the United States. f9i5
This monopoly OF the ceastwise trade of our
own country has enabled the American ship
builder and shipowner to withstand the
otherwise unequal competition of his foreign
rival and to keep the American flag afloat
when it would otherwise have disappeared.
When demand for tonnage springs up, the
American shipbuilder now knows that it can
be supplied only by building the required
amount, as foreign built vessels are excluded,
and he can enter upon the business with con-
fidence. But should the vessels built by our
neighbors, within days sail of our shores,be
allowed to come in and supply the demands
of our increasing business, shipbulding in the
United States would soon be classed among
the ''lost arts" The loss of our shpbuilding
would result in transferring the principal
ownership of tonnage nnder the American
flag to forNgnes-while only nominal own
ership would be held in the United States
The shipbuilding interest of the United
States, and particularly Of our own State, af
ter a long period of depression is reviving and
exhibiting something of its old-time impor-
lance and prosperity, furnishing employment
to thousands of our citizens and adding mil
lions annually to our wealth. 1t needs fos-
tering and protecting until it gains strength
to enable it to compete with its foreign rival.
To sacrifice this great national interest which
has been, and is, if properly protected, again
to become prime source of strength and
glory to our country, for anything which
Canada has to offer us would be blunder
worse than crime. The draft of the treaty
is before the Senate for advisement and some
action will probably be taken upon it during
the present month.
The voice of Maine should be heard in pro-
test against any provision which imperils the
shipping interests.