The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-11-21

| Unlteu SJaueS lS the very smallest exporter Ol
all these nations, selling less to Brazil than
even Portugal or Germany. But she is sec.
ond In imports from that country only to
Great Britain, who sells LAT per cent over
half Of all the foreign commodities that are
bought for that market.
The United States Is, moreover, the only
one of these nations whose imports from
Brazil exceed her exports to that country.
With all the others there Is handsome per-
centage In their favor, while with us there Is
against us the immense difference between
ACT per cent and 2o9o per cent, all Of which
has to be made up in gold coin, literally taken
out Of the country and never to return.
Here Is work for the statesman and econo-
mist, as well as the merchant and ship
builder, to correct this balance sheet, and in
doing this they may restore our industries to
their lost prosperity, and find work for our
unemployed and discontinued labor.
From the report of the Brazilian Commits
sion, we also learn that the increase of foreign
trade with that country from the year 1869 to
1874 exceeded that from 1864 to 1869 nearly
26 per cent. In accounting for this the COM
mission say: "The progress of transatlantic
steam navigation for some years past has
greatly contributed to the prosperity of the
empire. Again they say: "To the relative
increase In the tonnage of the foreign trade
the steam packets, which in great measure
are advantageously taking the place of the
sailing vessels, contributed largely"
If we would compete successfully in that
market with the great commercial powers of
Europe we must have direct steam commu-
nication with that country. Yet when the
slightest move is made to that end by any
effort to secure the aid of government in
establishing line of steamships the cry of
subsidy Is raised, and every Congressman
official existence is Immediately put in ieop-
ardy. We may as well look the matter
squarely In the face, and carefully consider
the odds with which our merchantmen have
to contend We know of no shorter or surer
way Of getting at the bottom of the trouble
than by comparing what we have done for
our maritime service with what other ma
tons have done for theirs. From very able
and comprehensive little pamphlet entitled
"Our Merchant Marine" written and COM
piled by Mr. Charles S. Hill, we get the fol-
lowing statistics:
A comparison of the total amount paid by
England and the United States during the
last ten years, in the form Of subsidy, shows
S52 13S, 847 on the part Of England, against
S., Ss7, 500 paid by the United States. In the |
trade with South and Central America and |
the West Indies Alone France and England |
afford their own against the American marine |
a support aggregating $2,449,ss6 so, to Offset |
which we pay ours not one cent What elo- |
ho II,
barren statement of facts?
But there are others still more startling |
than these-facts which constitute queer |
commentary on American craftsmanship and |
commercial sagacity. In the year 1876 the |
United States paid to foreign steamship lines |
$685. 40, subsidizing to that amount lines |
that were subsidized besides by their own |
governments. But this is not ali; it is fur |
Their shown by Congressional records that the |
assistance of the United States Postoffice to |
foreign steamships has amounted during the |
past ten years to $3,42 1888 Al, while during |
the same period it has paid to our own steam |
ships but 81 ,3S5,634 80, showing the amount |
paid by our own government to foreign ton
mage to be almost three times the amount paid |
to American tonnage.
our merchant marine from the seas, while our |
commerce has drifted away from us and our
Industries have become disorganized and So
ciety seriously threatened with social convul-
5ions growing out of our perverted economies.
Here we may read very important chapter
In the history of our decadence as we'll as of
that of Englands growing power and wealth.
There are other important facts bearing upon
this question, but which we find it impos-
sible to condense within the compass of
a single article; we shall therefore
continue the subject in another
article, in which we shall show that the SUBJ
sidy of $4,000, asked for the establishment
Of line of steamships from this port to Bra
I'll, is but justly due to this State under an
equal distribution Of the regular postal ap-
and that the government, by
granting will not only not lose cent, but
will realize handsome profit in the expendi-
ture.
The fate of Robert L. Case, late President |
70 nd |