The daily gazette., 1880-08-28
THE CINCINNATI FREE SHIP
RESOLUTION.

VI, m.
1880,
Considering that the cities of New
York and Brooklyn are the chief seat
of the foreign tra lie of the United
States, and that their merchants bear
the Immediate burden of the annual
tax of hundred million dollars which
foreign ship-owners levy ON American
exports and imports for ocean trans
portation, the demand of the Cincin-
natl platform for "free ships and a liy-
ing chance for American commerce on
the seas was not only good for itself
but highly expedient. Unlike the f.
nanelal resolr tioi adopted at the
same time it had the merit of Thor
oughness and of perfect freedom from
ambiguity. 1t distinctly con,empla-
ted a revival of Amer can ship, ing in
terests, not only by change of the
navigation laws, which would enable
the quick reinforcements of our mer-
camille marine through unrestricted
liberty of purchase, but also by the re-
moval of port charges, the reform of
local taxation and tine abolition of anv
other disabilities that might hinder
American owners from using their
newly acquired property to a profit in
competition with foreigners. No 9TH
er resolution in the Cincinnnti series
was better adapted to engage the ac-
tive friendship of GLASS of powerful
citizens in the Democratic canvass
who are usually lukewarm in political
contests and whose activity, ifexcited,
would be most influential precisely
where help is most needful.
Meanwhile the administration of
President Hayes is illustrating tbe ad-
mlrable aptitude of that resolution TO
the deplorable condition of American
commerce with foreign countries. by a
most impressive compilation of statis-
Tics and extracts from dispatches of
our consular agents scatto. led throuoh
the report of Secretary Evarts to Con
gress ON the Commercial Relations of
the United States, which has recently
appeared from the government press.
From every quarter of the world come
assurances that the development of
foreign markets forAmerican pi oducts
depends mainly upon our ability to re.
construct an American mercantile ma.
rlne, and particularly one in which
steam shall be the chief motive DOW
or.
For example, Consul General Baily
reports from China that our imports
and exports there are quite Sufficient
to support respectable feet of ocean
steamers to run by way of the Suez
Canal, and that ''the sale of the steam
fieet heretofore running under our
nag" in Chinese waters, and neglect
to replace it, is the main obstacle to
an indefinite increase of our mercantile
business. "We have thereby lost -
he writes, "the whole inland and coast
trade of China With all our trade
and other interests here IN the East
there is but one small steamer of 700
tons that carries our flag" Passing
from China to the British Empire in
India, twenty years ago all our ex-
ports to that immense country and al
most all our imports from it were car
ried in American ships, but to-day on
ly half of the exports and a third of
the imports are so conveyed. The
AN"eOA eAO OLA OiihCO bll0 III VOL
ume, and Secretary Evarts states as
the result Of all the consular reports
from that region that direct steam
communication with the Indian ports
by way of the Suck Canal probably
would soon equalize them, Descend.
ing from India to Ceyl0n we find a
vast and almost unknown field for
American trade unimproved almost
solely for lack of American shipping.
No less than 7,077 vessels, with total
of 2, $3.50, 900 tonnage, were entered and
cleared at Cingalese ports last year,
and among them only 6, with a total
of z, $40 tonnage, under our flag. At
Singapore, in the Straits Settlements,
the yearly number of steamers which
enter the port is 1900, of 1900, 600
tonnage, and not one of them Ameri-
can. Through the Suez Canal there
past last year /, 400 vessels of total
of 2, 152,655 tonnage, and not one of
them, whether moved by steam or sail
was American save solitary ship Of
war. Nor in the neighboring port of
Alexandria,, out of a total entrance and
clearance of 4,013 sailing vessels and
1910 steamers during the same year,
was the United States represented at
all and the same was true of Con-
stantinople in an entrance and clear
ance of 4,4S5 steamships and $4,000
sailing vessels, whose total tonnage
was 4,812, 403. Our Consul General
in Turkey reports that call imports
from the United States have come in
under foreign flags on account of the
cheaper freights."