The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-05-13
Startling Decline in the Relative Impor-
lance Of American Shipping.
THE CAUSE AND CURE.
Will an Anglo Russian War Re-
store Our Trade?
WHAT CRUISERS CAN DO.
Views Of American Merchants on the Re-
wal OF Our Commerce.

Tho present condition OF the American shipping
interests 10 deplorable ono Seventeen years ago
tho American flag was TO DO In every port and tho
United States held foremost position among the
maritime Powers OF the world, rivailing even Great
Britain herself At that Time the United states was
regarded as tho coming Power into whose hands
Neptune's trident Was to pass whom Great Britain
should no longer rule the waves in unquesyioned
sovereignty. The events OF the civil arc TOO
recent TO require recapitulation, but may be
sary TO at say that tho effects Of the deprcda
tons Of tho Alabama and her comrade pirate ships
still continue to an extent ttlo dreamed Of by the
ordinary citizen With the commercial statistics OF
the last ten years before us Il requires but little
intelligence to comprehend that even tho most
fabulous consequential damagos' which could have
been wrung from England as The punishment OF her
treacherous neutrality would TALL far OF compcn-
sating this country Tor the injury inflicted on our
commerce. Our shipping has never recovered from
the check inflicted on commercial activity during
The years Of the war, and year By year We fast
sinking behind in the relative importance Of our ship
ping as compared with other nations.
NEW RIVALS
Not Englaud alone was gamer by the Temporary
disappearance Of our nag from the ocean. Other
tions, especially Italy and Norway, encours gcd
&c become competitors for the worlds carrying trade
Owing TO the cheapness OF labor and material u ESQ
nations were enabled 10 build up An immense
mercantile marine, ana now these Tags compete
more closely with EngiaEi than We can nopc TO d..
Had American shipouidsss been able, on the conclr-
sion OF the war, 70 constr Ct ships chesply tho
various European States sc might. perhaps, have
hold our own and even regi ned some OF lost ad
vantngo: but the inflated vues OF materials and
dcarncss Of labor turned pia into other channels
aud, while geaeral con NORGE boon developed
in most satisfactory les, no shipping interest,"
has been yearly losing III IND selAIvely to the In
crease OF rado and the dew apment Of foreign ship.
ping. Within the past ten sacs largo number Of
American. ships have bee bulls. but our total
tonnage is not yet equa THAT u was ia
1850 by nearly one.fotsi, IL other words,
the total American tonnage u day but three-rourtbs
OF what 1t was seventeen years ago, while the
chant marine of Engiano an other nations has
In some cases Increased reeiold. IL 10 popular
to suppose shal aeca 10 ore building every
year ships that are ;radusly recovering lost
ground Nothing 30 :. rtbcr from tho truin. ~
will DO made painfully Gle b. tables OF ef1oio sta
tis.cs showing the Guct ist.ons Of our tonnage
during the last tbirty-sevea yeara While Il r. srno
that the cbiof causes whio operated TO throw so
fsr behind In the OF oi.msrcls, prs-smineuoe
have disappeared, ths eject conte and renders y
wei nigh imposs BIO -. he Amsgi,an msrcaErl
marine 10 recover IRON lac blows Il las sustained
We now build ships. both Of ,rop ant wood qu,e
ns cheapy as tho mos. favored Europcan State but
there 10 no longer any carrying trade employ lhsm
because 1t is now amost wholly monopolizel by
foreign ships England, Italy and Sweden nevo m
Immense surplus tonnage which seeks employ ment
10 ports, and hence these motions ctfry our
products at rates which would leave but mar.
gin OF profit for American capitalists seeking
10 invest in shipping ventures This is now the chic,
why our shipping continues 70 lose ground not
wthstandinR tho very favorable state OF general
commerce. Under present circu instances Il "a there
forc impossible for American snipownsrs 10 e. npesc
on equal terms with their foreign rivals
AMERICAN AND FOREIGN TONNAGE.
The accompanying tabular statement shows fbs
growth and dccadcnce OF our reliant marine during
the last forty years As rosus OF the civil was sRo
the depredatons OF the reoel cruisers nttcc out In
British ports our tonnage had shrunk from g. ESD
tons 10 1852, to 2,943 66l IONS In 1895. Since lie
latter date marine nus bcen slowly incressag Ia
actual volume, but has yet reached u cure
~ which stood In 1867 while tho foreign tonadgo
entering ports has increased from 2246,2ss toka
In 1862 10 the enormous total OF 1878 306 tons IN
1870 an increase equivalent 10 120 per cent during
thc last years. This foreign tonnage gives ON
ploym 20 no less than 350,000 foreign saort The
following figures are derived from oficial sources
show tho relative volume u foreign and American
wh nsA ha MI N IT,,