, 1877-10-06
Free Trade i'm Ships.

strongly urged in the next Congress is
repeal of the navigation laws. 1t is ht
tie singular that the proposition to repea
these laws finds its strongest advocates II
the West, where they neither build ship
nor buy them. In the Eastthe newspaper:
discuss the question as one having two
sides of nearly equal value to consldera
tion. It is admitted on cne hand that i
England should be drawn Into the Russian
Turkish war, the repeal Qf our navigation
laws would assist the Un'+ed States to re-
cover at least portie;i pf, the carrying
trade we lost during our civil war. 1t Is
contended on the other hand, that if ths
navigation laws are repealed, therewill be
death blow given to ship building.
Americans will then be able to purchase
ships more cheaply than they can build
them. If the British ship owner can sell
to Americans ships which have become
| nearly valueless to him on account OF
European disturbances, the advantage OF
the transaction lies with the British seller
rather than with the American purchaser,
or the former will be saved from aportion
of the loss he would otherwise have lncur-
red. The American will obtain his ship
a little cheaper, but this advantage will
be offsetby the destruction of the business
of ship building, and consequent deterlor-
alton in the art. This is the argument
which is advanced in the East where,
from the magnitude of the interest involv-
ed, they may be presumed to have given
the question due consideration. A recent
issue of the Boston Globe advances the
idea that there are more ships ahoat now
than there is profitable work for. This,
it claims, is the reason why the ship build
ing interest languishes in American yards.
Ships are not built, because there is now
no profitable use for them after they are
built. 1t is everywhere admitted that we
can build wooden vessels as cheaply as at
any time during the last half century, and
cheaper than they can be built in England
The Globe contends that iron sailing vessels
can be built i'll the Delaware at lower
price than would be asked for similar
vessel in Glasgow or Newcastle The
hulls of iron steamships costno more than
in England or Scotland, although in the
manufacture of machinery there Is still a
margin in favor of Great Britain. These
conditions do not cause revival of ship
building, because, as has before been said,
there is no profitable business for ships
after they are built Carrying freight on
the great ocean routes Is not now protl-
table. This state of affairs is being met
i'm a measure by the construction of sail
ing vessels.
In many cases, steamers which can find
no profitable work to do are made over in
to sailing vessels. 1t has been discovered
that in regard to many articles of COM
merce gain in time does not compensate
for the increased costof transportation by
steam In fact, the steam business has
been overdone. A few years ago it was
assumed that steam would drive sailing
vessels from the sea. 1t is now found by
actual trial that wind with its uncertainties
is a cheaper motor than steam, when ap-
piled to a large portion of merchandise.
In other words, gain of 4 few day across
the Atlantic or across the Pacific does not
compensate shippers for the increased
rates steam vessels must demand. The
Globe contends that if our navigation laws
were repealed very few would take all
vantage of the privilege of buying ships
in the cheapest market In the event of
war between England and other European
powers, vessels would be transferred from
English to American owners, and retrsns-
ferred whenthe warwas over. Theywould
sail under our flag as long as it might af
ford better protection than the English
flag, and return to their native cOlors
when that condition ceased. 1t is, perhaps
hardly worth while to shape our Legislation
on any probability that England will be-
come involved in var 1t is clear she has
no such present purpose. 1t is even
doubtful if the entrance of the Russians
into Constantinople would induce England
to espouse the cause of the Turk. 1t Is
as certain as anything not positively
known can be, that Germany has assured
Russia that the Turk may be carved at
leisure, if the Russian Is strong enough
to carve him. If England imterferes in
the process, Germany will come to the re-
lief Of her ally. Under snch conditions
England Will hardly rush into fight if
she can honorably avoid it.