The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-03-22

our people system of regulations gov
erning our merchant marine at once lib
eral and iudicious we would not long
see more than seven-tenths of the carry
ing trade Of our own ports given to for
eign vessels.
The navigation laws of this country
have been framed on scale to afford
special advantages to the business of
ship-building rather than to promote the
general interests of commerce. The con-
sequence is that the cost of seagoing
vessels built at home is SO much greater
than the cost of those built among Eu-
ropean nations that our people have to
enter upon the carrying trade at disad-
vantage at the very outset of the enter
prise. In this regard our navigation laws
are so framed as to shut us off from any
advantage to be derived from competi-
ton in ship-building. An American citi-
zen is compelled by our law to buy an
Amcrican-built vessel, or to have none;
at least none that he can sail under his
country's flag.
Let an American citizen buy foreign
built vessel, aud he will discover that no
register license, enrolment, or other
marine document under our laws can be
issued to such vessel, authorizing her to
wear the American flag. Let an Amer
lean merchant buy foreign-built vessel
in foreign port, and load her with mcr-
chandise for home port, on arrival he
will find his vessel and cargo seized and
forfeited to the Government rs an I'M
dccumcnted vessel; and at the same time
the Government would not permit any
document to be issued to such foreign
built vessel. So that between the two
laws an American citizen is absolutely
excluded from the ownership of any for
eign-built vessel, to sail her under the
American flag.
A revision Of these laws is most OBJ
viously required in order to enable our
people 10 compete on even terms with
ship-owner. Of other nationaltes. Their
continuance only works injury and in
justice to our own citizens. Let Con.
grcss remove the prohibition, and per-
nit our people to buy vessels wherever
they can buy them best, and extend the
same protection Of our flag to them rs to
any other property owned by American
citizens, and we would speedily see a re-
vival Of the carrying trade in American
ships.
At the same time there should be in
auguratcd a judicious system of appren-
ticcship to nautical pursuits, in order to
raise up better class of seamen for our
merchant service. Now we have really
no American seamen, trained as a class
to the duties of scamanship. Our crews
are mostly made upof worthless lubbers,
picked up by ships brokers from cutters
and kennels, sent Oh board often 50 drunk
as to neither know their ships name, nor
the voyage, nor their own wages as fixed
by the articles, until they are out at sea
and hclplessly bound for voyage till
then unknown.
Let Congress order examinations in
seananship to be instituted, and certif-
Gates issued to those whose examinations
are satisfactory, for all grades, from or
dinary seamcn and able scamen up to the
rank of mates and master; and allow
none to have command until warranted
by the appropriate certificate Of capabili-
ty and experience; with power to cancel
the certificate on proof of incompetence
or misbchavior. Let them repeal the
law as to the discharge of seamen in for
eign parts requiring three months extra
wages csneveresned; and permit discharge,
on payment Of all wages actually due, on
joint and mutual application of master
and seamen; and thus remove the temp
tation to constant descrtion among our
crews in foreign parts.
Many other items of our navigation
laws would equally need revision, that
now serve only to clog and hinder the
progress of our merchant service at sea.
Let the whole system be cut loose from
the narrow aim to benefit any particular
section or any particular business con-
nected with our commercial marine.
Let ii be liberalized and adapted to the
changed conditions of the carrying trade,
and our humiliation in seeing four-fifths
Of our ocean transportation consigned to
foreign vessels would be taken away, and
American trade would speedily rcassert
itself i'll competition with the world.
Editorial spinnings.
The best word we can offer in behalf of
James Currie, tile Texas assassin is that he is an
Ohio man.
The little Oliver who wanted more
soup is less greedy than the Oliver who wants
more money.
Vest, the new Missouri Senator has
been pulled down 50 much that he is the shortest
man in thesenate.
Chief Joseph has written history of
his Oregon campaign in hierogIyphics. The New
| York Tribune man will decipher Il.
A gentleman in New Zealand killed
twenty.six thousand rabbits in four months with a