The daily gazette., 1881-12-21
American shipping and It's ne.
c0yery ~ n NI

covery. "A III
The San Francisco Social Scjenc
Association for the restoration q
American shipping gathers topetbe
In pamphlet addressed to Congress
some interesting figures In referenc
TO The history Of our mercantile ma
rine and the probable cause of its de-
cline. In 1900 the tonnage registere,
for foreign trade was 500, s21 in 1871
u was 9S4, 260 In 1920 it was GIG, ,O45
in 1880 il was 576, ATS. 1t will be OBJ
served that the effect of the war Of / 81:
was to reduce our foreign tonnage b,
36S, 221 tons, and the decadence con
tinued ten years longer, so that II
1880 it had fallen nearly 80 per cent.
From the latter date it began to in
crease again rapidly, until in 1850 onl
foreign tonnage was 2,548,237. The
civil war was followed by rapid de-
cline. In 1870, owing to the war, the
deserti0n OF our vessels to foreign
flags and the operation of our foolish
tariff and navig alton laws, the tonnage
had declined to 1916, 800, and in 1880
to l,352, $40, or little over so per cent
OF the tonnage Of 1860. A parallel
between the twenty years from 1910
to 1880 and 1860 to 1880 eau thus be
made out. The percentage of the
foreign trade of this country done in
American vessels In 1891 was 80 per
cent in 1850 was 70 pe. cent; in
1850 was 10 per cent In 1880 10 per
cent The contrast between 1851 and
1850 is heightened when 1T is consids
cred that the registered American
tonnage entered and cleared at San
Francisco, for example, was in the
former year 240, 6S7 tons in the latter
SO, 709. In 1851 the British tonnage
was 30, 164 tons in 1880 270, 005 tons.
The British possess 1s, 402 seagoing
sailing vessels Of a tonnage of 5, 435,-
SOL, and A, 100 seagoing steamers of a
tonnage OF 4, 1923, 043, while the United
States have but 6,045 seagoing sailing
vessels and $50 seagoing steamers, the
former aggregating 2.055, 0S7 tons, the
latter 666, 1877 tons. What became of
much of the large "bslance of trade"
in our favor in recent months may be
understood when it is rememb bered
that the freight charges paid to foreign
shipping aggregate from 100000 600
to $i10, 900, 600 annually. The secret
of the growth of British tonnage lies
in the cheapness of British ships, the
use OF iron steamers in the place of
wooden sailing vessels, aud more
rational laws in reference to owning
and operating vessels. Steamers are
cheaper than sailing vessels, as they
make more trips in given time, and
iron steamers are better than wooden
because they "cost little or nothing for
repairs"
The rapid growth of steam traffic is
illustrated by the statement that in
1850 but IA per cent. of freights were
carried by steamer; in 1880 81 per
cent. The British owner pays 81 per
cent. income tax on the net earnings
of bis ships the American pays near.
ly the same percentage on the gross
value of his vessels, whether they earn |
a profit or not. He must pay seamen
$50 per month ont ard at home, while |
his British rival pays $12.50 per
month. He cannot discharge a seaman
1T a foreign port under ordinary cir"
without paying him three
months extra wages, while the for
sign ship owner pays only what the
,ailor has earned. The fees paid. to
British consuls are few and moderate,
but the American finds in every for
sign port consular politician de-
large fees to reward his party
'ervices at home. Moreover, the onni-
present British insurer prefers to
insure the iron ship built by British
peci6catlons at lower rate than the
American vessels, of the soundness of
whose construction he can have little
guarantee. American laws hamper
unnecessarily the shipowner with
lumberless restrictions as to ship and
rev. The American wooden vessels
for the many reasons cited,
,ossibly compete in the foreign trade
With the British iron steamer, and we
'annot afford, considering the rates
'aid for ocean freights, to build iron
teamers, because the tariff makes the
ron too dear. The moral of the whole
of the San Francisco Social
Science Association is to reduce the
ariff and repeal absar.l legislation,
,ut 1t lacks the strength Of its convic-
ions when it advocates subsidies of
70, 200, 600 for twenty years to foster
American shipbuilding, and offers to
compromise with Mr.. Roach, tho arch
ubsidist of this country, by leaving
he tariff as it is and providing a
county for American built vessels
equivalent to the duty paid on the
Materials entering into their construc-
ion. "This arrangement" says the
"would operate as q reduce
ion Of about SIS, 600 in the cost of
ship of 1000 tons, and
more than overcome the ten per cent.
Inference Mr.. Roach claims Is all that
ow exists between the cost of Ameri-
an and British iron vessels" This
IL, 600 is the burden our tariff lays
n the American ship of 1000 tons.
'y strange disposition to nautical
uicide Mr.. Roach would make it