New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-07-12
DECLINE IN AMERICAN SHIPPING
HOW 1T CAN BE REMEDIE'


A NATIONAL CONVENTION OF THE SHIPPING IN
TEREsTs TO BE HELD IN oCToBER-MERcHANTs
VIEWS OF THE FREE-sHiP QUEsfloN-ES-
corRAGEMENT TO AMERICAN sHIPBUIDkRO
DESIRED.
The necessity for taking some decisive action
looking to the revival of American shipping has Tor
some time attracted much attsntloa' ana a. .no
meeting of the board OF Trade ana lTdnsporia-
tioo held on June 8, the Committee on ocean
TRANSPORTATION introduced the subject, ana fesolu-
tons were adopted inviting me dheient Gotiii nse
cal organizations of the country to appnln. ue.o
gates TO meet in convention in October, either III
Boston or NewYork, % to consult, and ascertain II
il is not possible for these great interests 10 agree
upnn what legislation Is required to place te com
mercal marine upon such a basis as VIII enannIo ~
10 compete successfully for ocean commerce" As
Tho subject had been Introduced in Congress several
times III the Of bills. the features OF Wplcn
were many times Objectionable hence TIER defeat
it was thought that better results woud follow u
those who have differences OF opinion as 10 the
cause of the commercial decay on the ocean couia
be brought together to discuss those op'h'onS III
convention I'll,
Several replies have been received TO the invita-
ton All the writers sympathze with the move
ment. and promise the cooperation OF me aiHctehC
organizations. The general plan Is TO get All thc snip
ming men Of the country and others Interested com
Derce together in convention, 20 as to unite upon
some definite scheme Tor building up me Anerican
| commercial marine The plan will be so drawn rs
TO meet the unanimous approval OF the convention
and then Congress will be asked to take some I'M
mediate legislative action. 1t Is believed that the
convention will be held in tins city.
The same subject has been presented AZ Inc an
nmal sessions of the National Board OF Trade Tor the
last few years bur the resolutions lave s1vOred on
| The ".ree-shp" clause in various forms; nence
| they have failed Ia be adopted At the last session
the discussion was exhaustive on botn Sues. in,tI
views with several business men interested i'll the
commercial marine snow strong oppositlon 10 any
| modification of the navigation laws when VIII
| permit the American merchant TO Obtain rcglstia-
ton under his own flag for all tonnage owned Dy
| him. wherever built. - . -,
ID is claimed that such modification would bring
| larry M a N
worthless vessels lying " IN ordinary at the piers
| and other places i'll England the American pdr-
chascrs would get only the oid hulks wh'ei arc
offered in the market The foreign SHIPS especially
those built Of iron, which cost less than the Anlerl-
| can ships, inferior Ill quality. Inc average
| quality of English and Scotch iron is muca below
/ that of American iron therefore 10y purchasing
foIeign-bUilt vessels 10 profit would really accrue
One reason given for the relative dscne OF AicIl-
can shipping is the rapid introduction of steam luto
the ocean carrying trade, and with steam came me
iron vessel. The coming Of the iron vessei louid
Americans unprepare9 ior ne
to q larger extent to the manufacture OF iron sniss
| Than those of this country. The machinery Tor
constructing iron vessels had not Deel Auiil pei
fec;cd and is not perfected to-day hut IRON steam
| ship manufacturers here have been laborng Tor
wears. and gradually approaching such perfection
that they are able 10 produce better steamship OF
iron-or, if the increasing demands OF commerce
reouirc of steel-than be built i'll any European
| sbipyard at the same cost. BY giving the Amcri-
can builders time and fostering the industry there
| will soon be Amcrican-bullt iron steamships noat-
ING tire American flag on the waters OF every Known
| Said one prominent merchant interested in com
| merce When we can buIid the IRON snip as
cheaply as England. and this day is not far dstaIt
| when We make the taxes upon our ship-oWnefs as
light AS those Of foreign sh-oWneTs; when we STUDY
the interest of American shiD-Owners AS England has
that of hers; when American iheTcushts axe nlueu
| as hers have been to get control OF the carrying
business and can defy comprehension we may
proftably discuss the repeal OF our Navigation laws
The rca reason that has prevented our shipping
| inf re rom
cannot Afford under our laws OF taxation, rates OF
"n;toi nrices OF labor and the foreign competition,
| TO own and run ships The capital invested III SHIPS
| by all American corporation III New-1oik Is tiXcd
at tho rates our houses and iorS-2l2 70 per
centwithOut regard to the pront or loss on the III
| vestment. The English corporation owning Shlps
| in London ana engaged IL the same
trade is not taxed upon Its capital m
| vested, but Is taxed per cent on the net profits
II the american line nothing II its SHIPS are
ued to the PIERS the tax on the total valnc OF its
property must be PAID Just the same. ii 'he Eng
iish line earns nothing it pays nothing in tax 10
illustrate Suppose that an American aud an Eug-
Ish company each owned ten steamships and were
| running them between this port and Liverpool each
| line costing an outlay Of S7,O0OO00 capital, ana
that the net earnings of each Were per cent or
$500, 900 a year. The tax on the American com
! pany would be $3.50 on the capltal invested,
! and that on the English company S5,GOO, or per
| cent OF Its earnings. This would be direct dis
| crImination against the American line OF $lG0900
| If IL not Il question that the American merchant
cannot afford to huy ships, but that they carrot al
ford to and run them against such dlscrlihiha-
| non.
Again, foreign sailors will work for wages and
! liyeupon board that American sailors would refuse
TO look at. This national trait OF ours OF living wen
runs through all the ships crew, from clbln-poy TO
captain and even were we enabled to buy loreign
built SHIPS il still wou'd be a serious question
! whether in sailing them could compete success
fully with the scanty wages. the black bread and
dried fish with which swedish anu DanisA sn'oTs
are content. go
NV checks have tingled with shane as have
! known that our mails have gone from our ports III
foreign bottoms, the carriage paid Tor III American
| rold | believe that every American mai that
| leaves these chores should 90 III American bottoms
and that the only restriction placed upon the NV
tarion for proposals should be that tie proposal s
should state that the mail is TO be earned in Amer
can ships. 1t is time that we meet England upon
her own footing IL the ocean carving trade. he
move the taxes remove all disabilities instead OF
having any positive subsidy. give lar compeisa-
ton Tor carrying the mails, and this Will do more 10
revive American shipping than any thug else 1t
Is only necessary to look at the class OF foreign
vessels carrying American gram to Europe ana
consider the large number that are lost, TO decide
the question whether shall 20 abroad to purchase
vessels and give them an American register"