New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-08-27
THE PROCEEDINGS


opening Of the session. Mr. Hewitt read aloud the fol-
lowing postal card, which he had just received:
Mr. HEWITT
pose than ridcule the laborng mani YOu have made
10 point to gather up all the crazy men OF NewfOrk
ana SHOW them up as sample Oh AierlCan n y @
fraud bad counterfeit and every intelligent working
man can see through your game. JOHN PErERs.
The card was postmarked at Baltimore. Mr. Hewitt
said this gave him an opportunity TO oxplan Tne wit
before the committee the first week were ali vol
unteers, and were not called by the committee, which
was not responsible for any wild theories
that had been advanced; then men emil
nent IN various walks of life had been
called. II there were any real workngmen who had
anything say the committee would be glad TO hear
from them. 1t had received letters from workDRmen
throughout the country which would appear on the
record; generally these expressed dissatisfaction
The committee would meet in NewYork until Wednes-
day. then at Pitsburg and Chicago, and he hoped to
hear from real wOrkngmen. He added: 1--WE have no
theories to estabsh want only facts; we don't ex-
pect to reform society," don't expect that Congress
do t; but think Congress can do something To-
ward it, and we hope TO get at some useful truths.
DECLINE OF AMERICAN SHIPPING TRADE.
Charles IL. Marshall tho first witness invited TO
appear. He said substantially 81 am a shipping and
commission merchant; the house represent has been
in existence forty years. and the Black Ball Line OF
sailing packets belonging 10 IL was started more than
sixty years ago. lt IS not now known by that name,
sailing packet lines having been superseded by steam
am now only small owner, but am bondholder; the
more sailing vessels man the poorer he is.
The United States prior to the or 1861 was one OF
the greatest shipping nations in the world; its
commerce was only slightly exceeded by that
OF Great Britain and we had fair pros
peot surprising It. There were various reasons
for this We had the material-wOod-close at hand;
the tendencies and tastes OF the people were favorable
to seafarinR ie The work OF constructing ships went
on until the transition period about 1855, when was
demonstrated that iron the best material for ship
building We had not developed our iron industry, aud
England had but we were carried for time By the
impetus we had gained. Then tao war broke out and
the amount OF tonnage greatly diminished through
fear OF prlyateers. During the the high tariff on
building material made it difficult TO construct ships IN
competition with England, and tue tonnage laws forbade
our buying in foreign market"
"Ih $780," continued the witness, our foreign ton
mage was $780, 1896. and our coastng tonnage was
5993I3; in 1877 foreign tonnage was l,57O,599,
and our coasting tonnage was 2,4SS1lS. At present
our steam tonnage in foreign trade including the trade
with China and japan and the Philadelphia line OF
steamers, is l9Ol33 tons. The American and foreign
tonnage entered at the Custom House in 1850
WAS. American, 1921, 2S5 foreign, 2353911:
Excess Of American tonnage 3,567,374 Then the tide
began TO turn and in 1869 foreign shipping was IN ex-
cess Of American nearly 100000 TONS and In 1876.
52s7 $40 tons This shows the decadenee OF American
shipping favor Of foreign countries This Is the only
country which prohibits its citizens from buying its
and ships In the open markets even Japan does
not forbdit The PROCESS OF English shipping is some
thing extraordinary Prior to 1849, the same rule APP
ulied there which wo have; the navigation laws
then swept away and the carrying trade OF England was
as free s any oher foreign vessels can engage IN the
cOastlnR trade there.
Mr. Hewitt-What DO you bring forward as the chief
argument in favor OF aboshing navigation laws aud
throwing open the shipping trade TO the Worldi A.
Chiefly t would enable the American shipper TO get his
tools I'm the cheapest market There has been only one
iron sailing ship built ia this countryside Iron Age;
still build wooden ships at cost Of from $50 to 500
ton; on the Clyde iron ship, with East India outfit
can be- built for about But an iron ship has
great advantages; in the Bureau Veritas 1t rates for
twenty years. while wooden ship rates for only nine
years. an iron ship is practically indestructDle II 1t
kept on the rocks, while wooden ship 10 constantly
repairs. We build iron ships nere-ony
D few steamships
Mr. HowItt-If iron ships could be built here as
pheaply AS on the Clyde would your arguments hold!
Mo; but don't believe they can be-"
Mr. Hewitt-Ih have my doubts, and should be glad to
hear from some iron steamship builder II none YOlun
teers testimony we will subpoena one to TESTIFY.
MIR. Rice-How about quality A.-There is reason
why an American iron ship should not be good as one
Quilt on the Clyde The iron ship has also greater car
ryng capacity than of wood; all these things tell In
avor OF the foreign iron ship and though the shipping
business is dull all the world the building business
Dn the Clyde is active.
Mr.. Hewitt see It stated that there are 1900
steamers in England waiting 10 DO chartered Arms
may be 80 but II it is because they belong to class
u vessels which have been superseded by improvements
in construction or machinery.
o-Haye the navigation laws intcrfered with our
peOple getting their business done cheapyf A-No;
because the ships of other nations have come IN the
great evil is throwing out OF employment the great
elass OF people who depended on commerce Tor nVe
hood But for the navigation laws should have gone
abroad and bought iron ships, and lad now merchant
marine.
OF the coasting trade had been thrown open at the
saEe time would not England have stepped IN aud dis
paced our vesselsi Al am not in favor OF the mme-
liate removal Of protection from our coastng trade
Mr.. Hewitt-Is 1t not advantage TO the shipper OF
raw material and the consumer OF foreign goods 10 nave
them carried by those who will carry them cheapest
Ayes.
o-As oapitaI seeks the most remunerative channels
would Il not be more profitable to allow foreign nations
to do the carrying for and let our capital seek other
channels where it be employed more probably A.
Yes What complain OF Is that we are not allowed to
invest our capital in ships equality with citizens OF
other nations.
Mr.. Rice-The instances you have given would apply
emally 20 free trade IN other thingsl Ayes. am
free trader think free trade would tend to build up
the manufactures which 1t is to our profit to produces
some manufactures have been protected TO death.
MAKING UP FOR AN ERA or SPECULATION.
Mr. Hewitt-HOw do you explain the fact that the
aame industries depressed in England, where they
have free trudel AThey share in the general depres-
sop Of business throughout the world; but the volume
of exports and imports has increased ia England the past
year. and paupersm steadily diminishing there; here
exports have increased and imports have diminished,
while pauperism has increased We are paying our
debts abroad which were incurred during the era Of
speculation. -,
Chiefly TO the inflated currency The apparent prosperity
was hollow and unsubstantIal.
things and ought TO be renewed II the Government