The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-05-22
OUR REGISTRY LAW.
Shipowners and Importers Unani-
nous for It's Repeal.
AMERICA AT A DISADVANTAGE.
Restrictions That Follow the improvement
OF Our Commerce.
THE CARRYING TRADE

The subject OF repeating our present registry laws
and passing FREQ navigation act barring foreign ships
soely from tho American coastwse trade has taken
earn esy hold OF the minds Of the shipping merchants
OF this city, and tho HERALDs advocacy Of such
change has excited deep among this important
class the community. The interviews OF promi-
ncnt American shipowners, gwen further below, show
the unanlmity OF sentiment existing in favor OF
modification OF present proni5itory navigation
laws, under which Americans cannot buy foreign
shlp, and cannot even repurchasc an American vessel
II Il has passed out of their possession The
law requires only that the ship entitled to the
American flag shall have been built here but enacts
also continuous and exclusive American ownership
These laws, passed in 1892 and 1898 originally
devised TO project American commerce, but II VIII
be seen that according 10 the opinions OF these well
known sbipowncrs they have been since tho intro
duc.on OF iron steamships mainly Instrumental in
gripping American shipping and driving the Ameri-
can flag from the The provisions OF our regis
Try laws as taken from The Revised Statutes bearing
principally upon This question are as toows:-
s Law s Ss wsn the United states
and belonging wholly TO citizens thereof and vessels which
and awIuy condemned prizes which may be adqdsod
States being wholly owned ~ ct1ons others may
be resistsIed q directed ~ ms te ..us
register enrolment for amy vessel built foreign
United saa! g Pqr,hasssq and N Sy
such vessel arc equal to
vessel when repaired.
There are many other provisions, but that contain
ing the and spirit Of The law Is comprised in
the first named section. and it Is therefore. unneces
sary the present article with further OK
from the Revised Statutes. The subject gains
immediate importance from the probability OF an
Ango-Russian war when no doubt, hundreds OF
American shipowners and oven others will be cager
unara
ice IRON tho fear OF the depredations oil Russian
prvateers In view OF this particular contingency
the interviews which follow will be read with
special interest.
KARBoR COMMISSIONER SNOW.
Harbor Commissioner Snow, OF The shipping firm
OF Snow Burgess. In South street, sad:-
s.lf we had Tree registry we should place our
selves on an equal footing with foreigners far
the OF vessels is concerned For the last NJ
teen years have been struggling against foreign
competition at the great disadvantage that We were
unable buy cheaper vessels than those made this
country. When tho English were building exceed
ingly cheap steamers, propclers, &C, VIC could
have gone over and bought them but Tor this law,
and We should be owning anu running them under
the American nag now at profit II the present law
werc repealed could buy English ships cheapy In
OF u between England anu RUSSIA, when many
English shipowners would DO glad 10 get rid oil their
ships threatened by Russian prvaleers ut sacrifice
When he war was over We should then have added IN
natural way 10 our American tonnage. Uuuer
the present Registry law we have econ our
commerce dwlnde down to nothing. The re-
peal 0. the law would be at least step
toward placing American shipowncrs equal terms
WITH our foreign competitors All other nations but
the United staies-os far as can rencmbcr-have
free registry law. when Eugland found some thirty
years ago That wooden sri could be built cheaper
here than IN England she passed her Free Navigation
ncl, enabling English shipowners 10 come more ana
buy cheap American vessels"
'Mr snow II is objected by those Interested in the
coastwiso trade that TO allow English ships 10 run
here world ruin that interestY'
DISCOUNT.
Mr. snow replied TO this by he quizzcal query-'sYou
allow EnglisLmen 10 come mere aud run railroad,
why not allow them to run "A vcssclr Ii foreigner
can come carry the people freight
than the Americans are doing now IL Is ali the better
Tor TIC American people at large. III an Englshman
can come aud run a erry to Brooklyn Tor one cent,
while IAe American Terry company charges two cents,
don't you tnnk the people would be satisfied with tho
changer
"Do you believe American interests would be
pronled by the repeal OF the lawfp
I'VE should profit, no doubt. by transferring many
English vessels to nag Just Europeans did dur
Ing the rebellion when they bought our ships. The
great disadvantage which We suffered then IN conse-
Quence OF TINS Law was that could not get our ships
back alter the rebellion was over. The law did not
permit " TO purchase back snip which had ever
once gone out Of American ownership. la this re
spccl the law bears disastrously upon shipping
interest suppose We mad war with Mexico. II tho
law were repealed could nomnaiy put my ships into
foreign hands ana under foreign nas TO protect them
against Mexican cruisers ana AFTER tho war was over
could get tbom back Not SO now and during tue
rebellion shpo~ners had TO sell at sacrifice their
vessels winch TIN eatened by southern cruisers."
"Wcil,n Mr. snow answered, with some Indignation,
sour legislation has been Tor tnc last fifteen twenty
years Tor The benent Of American shIpbudcrs. 1 |
mink something ought 10 10 done tor sh powners |
BESIDES believe II would tend ~ promote tho
shipbuildig Industry. Having once purchased a
great many Cheap vessels abroad, aud having a
large capitni invested the business, interest
would Dc 10 Uuid our new ships here u they could DO
bu here within Ten per cent OF the cost Of building
them Ia Europe"
CHARLES II. MARSHALL
Ar Charles IL. Marsha lue shipping merchant at |
No 50 Burning sup. was strongly la tayor OF a repeal
OF our rcsstry laws as advocated by tho hERALp.
81 have alaays bcneycd,p said &c, thaI our navi-
CATION lass have Deen great derimcnt our com.
aud nave been rarely responsible for the TACT
tpat Ame, ican Shipping has dsindled aown 10 IT'S |
prescut oporti0Ls AT one time, PRIOR the foDe
ion, We were on "a level with tue English merchant
marige What was the reas on OF tnaIY Bccnuso al |
ihat time chips were built Of WOOD, aud, possessing
forests win ineXhausble vi tim Der,
NC could build wuodcn ships cheaper tnan they could
be bunk IA Europe. Hence our present navigation
Law obstacle 10 Us then. But IN lsa455 there
came the change from sailing vessels 10 steamships
and IRON IRON. Before that, 10 ls49, Eng
laud had passed It's present Tree navgali0n law
aud her merchants had come over buy our
cheaper wooden chips. Then England had over US
the aGsabtago VIII ca previously Possessed over
her She could build iron ships cheaper than wa
could. aud We NY our law. were prevented from GONG
over TO England to buy her cheaper shp- 1he
war came To ssIl turner rctard the development Of
American shipping, tor tho deprcdations OF the Ala
Dama, Shchandoan, FLORIDA shd other Confederate
cruisers made shipDng an uncertain and risky enter
PRISE, 50 that capita became unwilling 10 embark IN
II. But these dspredations ceased 1854, ana oil
these fourteen yeas there have been signs oil
rtcuperatOn this country. Having once lost
our commercial prestigo by the Chain Of clrcum-
stances when have detailed TO you, nave
hot been able to recover q. Saw my DoHct Is thai II
amor tho fsDehiou toe navigation iaw re-
pea ed, ana We h1g had mJderate tlrin so that
the articles that enter into tno construction 81 ships,
nueh ~ copper, IRON, tofdsec, &c, could have been
got cheaper OR merchant NAME would nave re.
gained ~ loss ooung. But yoa see we we're between
tao Two horns a4glnAia-- 80 could not bui ships
from iHcir excessive cVst gn- tie tarsn aud
sosa not w ny oscssse prohibited by the Jaw inc
Germans 80 tie FtcEeb coa0 10 what were
prohibited IRON dong iuey could 20 Scotland