New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-06-19

these figures with those OF so gwen appNo, Su9
tbc resnlt seems lamcntahle indeed. In 1897
american ships carried five-scvcnths OF all we eN-
nortcd and all we imported, and SHIPS OF an other
countries carried hut twO-seVenths' IN 1919 NntLr
ran ships carried less than tvO-seventhS ana shlps
Of ali other counfies more than tiYc-sevenths.
In must be specially observed thar Whlle ourtota,
foreign trade Increased IN the twenty wears nane3
from seven hundred millions 10 tWeiIe. Hulule
millions per AMMAN, the amount carried III HineI.
can ships steadily decreased. not Only rel"t wv
but absolutely 50 that we carried ouiS I"lI III ~ ,
as rnucb in 1878 az We carried IN 1897. HAD We
been able ~ maintain IN 1873 the same proporu93h
that we carried in 1857, American SHIPS MSum
have tTansDoried over elcnt hunuIes' y5nn 600
total commerce. being 1875 per cent or S2Vo,Vuv,I
600 more than we actually did transport. III WouI1
have been Justly regarded az most dlscouIaRIhE II
,nerce we had merely retained the same absolute
amount we carried ia 1851 leaving me "Io' ~
the increase to other nat ionS Bnt orr case - ~
yyorsc than that for have not only yielded All the
increase 10 the foreigner but we have quietly sur
rendered. i'm 1878, two hundred millions oil the
amount we transported IN 1857.
As the profits 20 the navigation interest are recN-
oncd IN he 10 per cent on the amount OF ireight
TRANSPORTED and the passengers connectcu lbefc-
with II is quite evident that We are ahlutiN ncv'
ing With a most serious loss % compared WIN our
condition before the war Then We cait,u uCIG NOR
Than 20 per cent OF both exports ana imports, anu
now We carry 20 per cent as trelRht ,lohey 81 ~
practically naid in gold, the country IN WI CuHoN
tbSy occnmuIate must have an overwhelming ad-
VANTAGE in All matters pertaining 10 ne specie Stah"
ard After the October panic of 1891, WhGn VIZ 1
~ vas said nv cnse observers in finance that such
d result would have been Impossible b9t lot i tno
large earnings of our ships. Amounting AZ iat Ilio
20 fftv millions per annum IN gold ihls pII1k' !"
lipht the important and pressing question: rs ~
effect on the specie standard 70 he produced ny
nearly ~ p-r cent OF the freight money on our
foreign commerce being paid 10 European coIhlIie''
The profits Of the carving trade ID Inc d, @
ceedpd a thousand millions in gold since Ioo''
amounting indeed 10 nearly twelve hundred mn, one
and well nigh threc-QuartcTs OF TINS vast sum nav
gone 70 enrich Great Britain, France ana NernllN'
As we have now entered upon an err OF specie pay
lpent in the United States orr apllly 10 MAINTAIN
that condition with all lis advantages becomes "
no ,t;, ~ he c,royest imDOrtance. What viii be
tbe ultimate and permanent effect OF TINS constant
and increasing drain of gold com becomes tue'e
lrs;ncs iu the countrv-fOr il touches the welfare
Of farmer and manufacturer, Of laboier ana D"hAeI
alike.
ADMISSION OF FOREIGN BUILT SHIPS TO AMERICAN
REGISTRY.
When all these depressOns and discouragements
IRE realized, certain political economists come for
ward with the suggestion that our remedy lies IN
The repcal Of our old and hOnored navigation laws
and the admission of foregn-built ships to Ameri-
can registry. We can then get English steamers;
thcy say. cheap as English merchants co. iii.o
can al once enter into successful competition on INC
ocean OF course the adoption Of thu p0hcy would
he an abandonment Of all effort and all AMBITION
ON tine part of the United state, TO he great mari
orr si.'servicucv 10 ENGLAND and our dependence
mon her tor our ships. If 90 to England 10 get
our iron sbips this wear because We can GET mem
cheaper. would We MOI hr compelled 10 90 lie same
newt wear and the vc1T after, and would we not
indeed be- still less able 20 compete with ner each
erccprd.ug wear? Increase Of patronage to the
English builder would tend continually 20 lessen
lna prices. and decrease OF patronage 10 the Amt-
can builder must necessarily nave the opposite
elect, and "a very short period under TINS policy
the luilding and repairing Of iron steamships
would Dee wholly given mp iu America and trans
ferred 10 England. When NJ Us Ieincnbefed mat
50 per cent Of the cost of steamship rs mechan-
zeal labor and only 1 Per cent raw material
when 10 is further remembered that a steamship
gives employment 10 as many men on land rs che
does on ne water, we may begin TO appreciate the
enormous difference there wouid be between build
ing our own ships M our own yards hF our own me-
ChanicS on the one hand. and on the other hand
sending our money abroad 10 build them in foreign
wards by FOREIGN mechanics, and TO have them re-
Taired and sustained there.
And what. may / ask the advocates of This policy,
what would You do with oar Navy and where would
You build our war vessels Having driven the
Won propose to maintain the skin at home to
etruct naval veSselsf Or would You carry your
theory to It's proper and legitimate conclusion and
have our naval vessels built in England alsoG They
can certainly be built ia English shlp-yaTds more
CheaulV to-day than they can be built IN Govern
meut wards at home. Aud then, If We should hap
pen, by any OF the complications OF me future, 70
have "a difficulty with Great britain, II would
largely couduco to our success to have that great
and magnanimous rover furnish the war vessels
for both bclilgerents!
The NAVY AND THE MERCHANT MARINE.
But this subject is serious and momentous. A
navy cannot be reared as an exotic. We cannot
abolish the art of iron shipbuildng in this country
and sill maintain a navy. We cannot permit our
merchant marine to dwindle and decay and still
Keep upa navy of strength and prestige. navy
cannot be improvised for an emergency. II grows,
and II grows slowly. The navy that won honor
and gave lustre to our flag in the second war with
d f4f fh4 IFNrg ca IN
laws enacted IN Washincton's admlnlstranon;
when Door rs we were in everything IN money IN
mechanical skill. IN tools, IN machinery, we yet
laid il down as the policy OF the Young Republic
tia no vessel except those buliJ by American me-
charics i'm American shlp-yards and commanded by
American officers should ever nOat the American
flag. out of this policy grew the Navy OF lSl2-l5,
commanded by Decatur and Perry by Porter aud
Bauhridge. by Lawrence ana burrows ana 1hSr
great cor pat riots the Navy that met the world
famed II wv of England and IN every hght with
Cquai metal came oil victor 1t was these same
NAVIGATION laws that trained the men 1or inc
emergency of Our great civil war when we were
enabled ~ a moments warning to furnish seven
thousand good officers and ten times that plumber
OF scacu 20 seal the ports of the South and to DO
some of the best and brayes fighting OF the century.
The great iron ships for the British navy are bnlt
in private sbpyards az cost FAR below the cost or
the same work If executed In Government yards.
Those private ship-yards, on the Clyde, at Brken-
head ar Belfast owe their origin and their growth
to the ueCuniary aid extended by the British Tow
eminent 10 her steamship lines that traverse every
sea and control the commerce Of both hemlspseTc>.
Five and q half millions n year may seem like
large sum to nav for mail service az subsidy; but
can any one doubt that aside from the immeas-
urable and innumerable advantage that have thus
accrued To the commerce OF Great Brta!n, the Gov
eminent more than gets back its OUTLAY in the
cheaper, more expeditions and better work 1t Sc
cures for It's navy - compared Win the cumoGr-
some and costly yards controlled drectIy Dy the
Admiralty And should we not realize the same
advantage III the United States # we should build
up private yards along the Atlantic and Paclhc
coasts | hold il 10 he matter susceptible OF
demonstration that less sum from the National
Treasury in aid OF individual enterprise would build
these yards at various points nom bastpJ 10 an
CONVEX: q less cum, | say, would build the Yards
than would be saved 10 the Government IN the bet
ter and cheaper construction and repair OF the
vessels oil the Navy. Or TO put the proposition IN