The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-06-19

/. build these yards at various points from
!, Eastport TO Vancouver; less sum, ! say
would build the yards than would be saveC
y to the Government in the better anC
r cheaper construction and repair 6f thl
Q vessels otthe Navy,
, i'll possessed the power to prescribe {
policy for the revival Of the American
: Carrylng.trade, would make II very
simple and specific. ! would continue thC
: navigGtions laws o part Of the very organic
: ships no further aid Is needed than those
laws afford, II we would only seek In
, every way to tighten the burden Of taxa
| ton on YES els.
But II We content ourselves with
wooden sailing vessels we surrender the
, larger half Of the worlds commerce with.
. out q struggle We must have iron steam.
ships besides, and with the start that
other nations enjoy today. we shall never
compete with them unless we use the
same aids and the same instrumentalities
that have built their steam fleets. And
that aid | would give. And to give It
effectively and wisely, would abandon
all idea OF granting subsidy to special lines
as they apply to Congress for aid. That
policy, however just and meritorious, will
always be rendered abortive by prejudice,
by Jealousy, and by scandal, either actual
or imputed. Iwould prefer general law
that should ignore individuals and enforce
a policy. For instance, enact that any
man or company OF men who will build
in an American yard, with American
mechanics, q steamship OF three thousand
tons and sail her from any port OF the
United States to any foreign port, he or
they shall receive for monthly line n
mail allowance Of $25 per mile per annum.
for the sailing distance between the two
ports; for semi.monthly line Sl5 per
mile; for q weekly line S75 per mile.
know there is large and influential
class in the country who are utterly OPP
posed 70 the policy thus imperfectly out
lined. But suppose they should consent
to make the experiment. II the induce
ment should be sufficient to awaken in-
terest and develop enterprise all along our
coasts, the result might be that lines OF
American steamers would begin to sail,
not only from New York and our large
Atlantic ports, from New Orleans and San
Francisco, but from Portland, Oregon, as
well as from Portland, Maine; from Prov.
idence, New Haven, Norfolk, Wilmington,
Charleston, Savannah, Mobile and Gal.
weston.
Such trade as these lines would de-
velop would give remuneratiye employ,
ment to idle capital and, what Is far bet
ter, would give work at good wages to idle
hands. 1t would build up great ship.yards
on the tidal rivers OF the Atlantic. and
would soon demonstrate TO the most skep-
tical that We should find, as England has
found, that such expenditure Of money
comes back to US in profit, both direct and
Indirect, in the saving OF cost in naval
outlay, in the education OF the best class
OF American seamen, in the large and
generous employment Of American me-
chanics, in the active and honorable and
profitable employment OF American capi.
tai. The Athenian maxim has taught us
that we do not feed hay to sheep in order
to get back hay, but to get back wool. In
the present case the smallest Of horhage
would return to US the Golden Fleece.
Among the numherless advantages
which a general law would possess over
special aid to selected lines would be the
quieting Of all scruple or criticism growing
out OF the constitutional inhibition that
mo preference shall be given to the parts
OF one State over those OF another"
1t is not denied that steamship built
in the United States costs somewhat more
than one built in England. But the diff.
terenee Is not great. 1t does not exceed
eight, or at most, ten per cent, and this
excess OF cost arises wholly from the better
wages paid to the American mechanic and
laborer. And this difference is really not
great obstacle. Giving twenty wears
as the life Of a steamer It is less than one.
half per cent per annumh her cost, and that
is very small drawback compared to the
nGmher9ess advantages of home construc.
ton.
A nation with fifteen thousand miles Of
sea coast, fronting Europe, Asia, Africa
and South America, cannot afford to be
other than great commercial and great
naval power: 4fpride and prestige do not
suggest It, selirinterest and selI.lefeNse
will demand 1t. % =
1tis the necessity Of our situation al
most as absolutely as it is the necessity
OF England. With equal advantages Civ.
en- to our people We could in few years
oqtrHn England in the race for CONNER.
Cisl supremacy. lqt no miracle will come
to our aid.S II We continue to iold our
arms ip ipactiop while other pstions are
stralning oynry noryo and making every
outlay, We shall receive our reward in dc.
serted ship-yards, In unemployed mechau-
LOG, In the drain Of our specie resources,
in the loss Of our birthright in the gradual
decay Of that skill in the building aud sail.
ing OF ships WHICH only abides where
ships are built and sailed. We can ba eY-
erything or We can be nothing. We can
march, in the van or we can lag inglorl.
ously in the rear and vanish from the race.
Other nations can neither help nor hinder
us. The decision is with ourselves and
for ourselves. 5 @ili7f@ 4iJ p
Let us learn wisdom from our rivals.
Not only does England continue by large
pecuniary aids to stimulate the growth
Of her steam marine, but from the days OF
Oliver Cromwell until the reign OF Yicto.
ria she maintained the most rigid prot6o.
ton Of all her navigation interests-re-
pealing the last OF her exclusive statutes
as lately as 1910. One OF our most inteli-
gent commercial writer's and statistcians
describes and embodies the navigation
laws Of England in words that are always
worthy to be quotedl
"These lava comprised an ingeniously
Constructed system In favor OF British sea.
men, British shiptbuilders, British ship.
owners, and British merchants. In read
ing the complicated and apparent fedund.
ant enactments which constituted the
maritime code Of England, 1t seems us II
British statesmen Veta Tor two hundred
years haunted by q dread, lest In all the
wide world loop.hole Of advantage might
be left 10 the ships Of other nations, which
by any possibility an act Of Parliament
itime code Of Great Britain was proudly
entitled by Englishmen "Charta Mariti.
ma" No student OF history can doubt but
that to her navigation laws England chief
" Owes the vast extension Of her COM
msrSsl the g9EI!dtsrfll Development Of her
national wealth" and ftiRt colonial eypan,
sion which gave her On empire upon which
the sun never sets. Under tllIs protective
Il policy her power upon the ocean became