The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1880-10-28
w WHOLENO ll56.
THE SHIP OWNERS CONvEN-
TION.

The ship-owners' convention held in
Boston during the past week was spir-
tied and yet harmonious gathering. With
considerable unanimity it was agreed
that Congress should be memorialized to
place the shipping interests of this coun-
try on such footing as to enable owners
and builders to compete with the marine
of other nations 1t would seem as if all
circumstances conspired to ruin this in
dustry. The tariff holds the materials
used i'll the construction of steamers at a
high figure; labor is higher here than
across the water; our navigation laws
prevent the purchase of vessels in foreign
ports to be sailed under the L. S. flag;
the system of taxing vessel property is
severe, and there are local port charges
to add to the oppression. Moreover,
our system of admeasurement to deter
mine the tonnage of shipping includes
the quarters OF the crew and officers, in
addition to the space for the cargo, thus
imposing tax on non-productive space,
contrary to the practice of the nations
with whose shipping our marine has to
compete. The law of liability for dam
age done by vessel is peculiarly severe,
holding every part-owner responsible for
the whole damage done and not for his
prODOrfiOuata share of II
The materials used in ship building
are essentially the same as are used in
locomotive and car construction, and yet
notwithstanding the high price of iron
and skilled mechanical labor, our railroad
engines and cars are the wonder of the
world, and the returns from the railroad
business have been highly remunerative.
The truth is our policy has been over
kind to the railroads and neglectful, to
the verge of cruelty, to the shipping in
terest. We give no subsidy to ships for
carrying the mails, but we sudsidize
every railroad and wagon road and pony
route In the country, under the guise of
mail carriage contracts. There are not
many lines of mail route that pay for
themselves under the present arrange
ment, but we go on paying for their SER
vice Just the same, and to strike an econ
omical balance we cipher down the con-
tracts for ocean carriage OF the mails to
the iowest figure. We have given prin-
cipallties III real estate to each of several
railroads, only to see them water their
stock to double its original amoun. aud
extract from their customers and bene-
factors, in the shape of freight charges,
unreasonable and unequal amounts, re-
strained only by the consideration of
what "the traffic could bear;" but our
merchant marine, the interest in which
We once took the greatest pride, we have
allowed to be swept off the sea, or into
the service Of rival powers. In peace or
IN war the marine of nation is an. i'm
portant arm of power. In peace the
steamships are the trade drummers of the
worlds business. We have developed
the system Of commercial travelling with.
IN our borders ouly to neglect it com
pletely on the ocean where its practice
would enrich us doubly. In the event
of war our coast is virtually defenceless,
our navy inoonsiderabie, and our mer-
chant marine owned by possible enemy.
The word subsidy is unfortunate and
the intrigues connected with some of the
government aid to mail lines have been
discreditahle; but what great industry
ever sprang up without some fostering
care from government? And if corrup-
ton In the management of an enterprise
were bar to the continuance of govern.
ment care and support OF it, the collec-
tlon OF the revenue would have to be dis
continued, and there are few lines of in
dustry that could show perfectly clean
bill OF health. Manufactures are subsid-
lzed by tariff, agriculture Is protected
and preserved from possible injury by
tariff; our wool and sugar and rice inter
ests are subsidized; our steel and iron
and cotton goods, are fostered by what is
equivalent to subsidy; our railway lines
have been enriched with aid general and
local to the point of insolent domination
over the power that created them; now
what has our shipping done that it should
be despitefully treated? To make US
safe at home and respected abroad there
is no branch that can be built up equal
to the shipping interest A subsidy of
8, ,OO0, 900. or 10 cents for each inhabit-
ant OF the Union, would put our mer-
chant marine again afoat The time
may come when we should be glad if we
had INDUCED in the patriotic extrava-
gance.
AGENTS AND CANVASSER.
Make from SO to $50 per ~ eek selling goods
Tor f. q. RIDEOUT CO., ld Barclay strset N Y
SEND for their Catalogue CEd terms sen q 81 1 y