The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-06-24

anu tue WluuS, waves anu stOrmS Will sOon TO
duce tonnage to the legitimate wants of the
commercial world Then comes returning
prosperity.
1t is impossible to quote fully. as would be
pleased to do, from this article in the Herald.
The writer says: "But to increase our foreign
commerce we need ships tu carry our products
from home ports and bring back cargoes from
abroad, in exchange. Let us by all means buy
ships wherever we can, and rapidly as possi-
ble"
have before remarked that our exports go
to foreign markets at extremely low rates of
freight. Except as a matter of profit or ne
cessity to forward goods, there is no induce
ment to either purchase or build ships for the
carrying trade of the country and every one
conversant with this subject knows that our
imports have so far declined. that homsfreights
are hardly worth looking after.
The writer again remarks that "Great Britain
allows her subjects to purchase ships wherever
they can be had at the lowest price,"
would ask in reply if that was not In her
provinces, when ships were built of cheap
woods, and every other article that went into
their construction came from the mother coun-
try duty free?
This writer again remarks, "ln 1860, of the
vessels which entered our ports from abroad,
O,ozl,UUU LOH5 were American, ana only Z,oo5,-
600 tons were foreign, whereas in 1870, 1925
900 tons were foreign and only Ill 900 tons
were American. That shows where we stand,
and to what we have fallen"
Do not these statistics, with the low freights
paid, prove most conclusively, that what L
have said is true, that there is too much tom
mage for the tonnage OF the world? No sane
merchant Will say that the exports and imports
of this country required in 1870 or in 1873,
more than double the amount of tonnage OF
1860.
Again this writer ssys, European nations
made haste to buy our merchant fleets, during
the war, and every American knows they did
shrewd stroke of business. They would have
been foolish to hesitate
But would ask in reply, did they go no
farther than to purchase our ships? Not salts
fed with buying our merchantmen at high
prices, they employed every dock yard in Eu-
rope, to build ships; hence the over production
and the terrible revulsion which has succeeded
1t asks again, SLOW then can it be wise IN
US to prohibit our people buying ships, If they
want to, from other natons?"
would reply by saying that 1t is very un-
wise to purchase anything we do not want, or
cannot prohtably employ, but have a more
potent reason to give hereafter.
He further says, "The United States have
| paid within nine years S3,500,000 subsidies to
| foreign steamers. Is not this conclusive ar
| gument in favor of these ships?' "Our people
are forbidden to buy steamers, and hence by
| our folly, ocean transportation is handed over
| incur harbors. Is not this another argument in
| favor of free ships?"
would reply by saying that we are building
| some of the finest steamships that float on the
ocean, and that this class of tonnage and that
of ships is gradually increasing in this country.
| The statistics will show that we have more tom
mage, by large percentage, than when the
war closed.
Before the war we had some five lines Of
| steamships, which were not success but
failure; for instance, the Collins line, from New
| York to Liverpool, and all the steamship lines
| to Cuba, thence to Vera Cruz, or New Orleans
| were not remuneratve. Bot there are now
| employed on these routes some of the finest
| steamers in the world, built and owned in this
| country, and they are perfect success, and all
| constructed since the war. They have made
| their stockholders rich, and that without q
| government subsidy: The Russian govern
| ment has lately purchased Two of these steam
| ships, the Columbus and the Saratoga, on
account of their strength and great speed, for
| the Russian navy.
This writer in the Herald further remarks:
| "Again we read that ths amount paid for
l freights on our exports and imports in 1870
came to the prodlgious sum of one hundred and
| twelve millions of dollars, of which our own
ships earned twenty-eght millions, and foreign
ships eighty-four millions of dollars, and yet
| with look of wisdom and good Judgment the
l men who make public this distressing loss ex-
! claim against free ships, exclaim against our
l merchants buying ships in the market OF the
L
was In 1860, when we would have done two
| thirds of this carrying trade"
l Now almost every dollar invested by our
| merchants in foreign tonnage would give the
owners a loss 1 have before remarked that
| this great amount of tonnage in the hands of
foreigners, and consequent low rates OF freights
l enabled us to compete with the world in the
sale of our productions, and that the transpor-
| tation was paid by the consumer, and that low
| freights enabled him to purchase more, and
really gives the producer more for his goods.
| This writer remarks again, elf our lack Of
i enterprise had lost us the commercial supfem-
acy, which was once our national pride, we
/ might be SILENT but it was the accident Of q
great war, which drove our fleets from the
l ocean and compelled us to sell them to foreign
| ers, who were eager to buy them, as they had
the sense to know the value OF ships as the
tools of commerce."
! would say in reply to this, that this is not
parallel case, and has no force whatever in
| relation to this subject. These foreigners
| bought our ships with the assurance of very
| profitable employment. If our msrchants go
into the markets of tho world and purchase
ships it will be done with positive loss before
| them.
The writer says again: Suppose a mans
house burned down, he would naturally go out
and buy another to shelter his family. What
would he think of a neighbor who should come
to him and say, this is all wrong; you ought
not to buy another house; you ought to wait
until your trees grow to q proper size, then
| have your boards sawn Sc"
Now 1 would say in reply to this that it
would be good sense for man who had his
house burned down,s"to purchase another to
shelter his family provided he had the means
to do 50, if not. would he not by leasing q
house, "to shelter his family" until he had
made the money to purchase one, show more
wisdom ard prudence? l think SO. Oqr mer-
chants are IN that condition to-day, and have
| not the means to purchase, provided they were
permitted by our Government to do So
This writer says again: "Are there not men
| in Congress who can see the heavy drain upon
| our resources which the loss of our fleets cause,
| and secure to Americans the right to buy ships
| where they p-ease?"
| wish that every man in the country could
read this entire article in the New York Herald
| of May 31st and see how recklessly 1t tribes
with one of the most important branches OF
| American industry, ship building. No greater
| calamity in financial point of view could be-
fal our commerce than for Congress to pass an
act permitting the registration OF foreign ton
| by purchase made by our merchants or other
wise, and for the following reasons:
First, 1t would paralyze every ship and dock
| yard in this country.
Second, 1t would depreciate the value of all
sailing vessels from five to ten dollars per ton.
| | They would not possess any market value
: | whatever and the present distressingly low
| prices could not be realized causing great suf
fering to the owners OF this class of property.
Third, 1t would cause foreign nations to build
ships for the American market, and thus stop
, | the healthy decrease now taking place, lfrom
| causes before noticed) and which will soon re.
duce tonnage to the wants OF the commercial
| world.
Fourth, We can build ships as cheap as be-
| fore the war-and our merchants and ship
builders with their usual enterprise and energy
| would speedily restore the tonnage OF the coun-
, try if it could be proftably employed. Hence
| there is no necessity to purchase ships In tht
, | markets of the world"
Fifth, 1t would cost to purchase the tonnage
which was required to take away our surplu.
, | productions in 1876, at the moderate cost OF
| the money for this investment? All our mer
chants shpbuilders and shipowners since the
panic of 1873, have had their capital materially
, | impaired and are in no condition TO make an
| investment OF this character which must of ne.
| cessity prove very Improbable.
Sixth, 1T would throw out of employment on,
: hundred and fifty to two hundred thousand o
!. | the best and most Intelligent mechanics in thi
| country and drive them into other occupations
already overburdened in their labor depart
Il a.