The National tribune., 1881-09-03

For iron or steel vessels . Sl1 81
For wooden vessels of 200 tons and above. Sc
For wooden vessels of less than 200 tons l 90
For mixed vessels ~
"For engines put on board steam-vesSels, and
auxiliary apparatus, snch as steam pumps, ac-
cessores to motive power, windlasses, ventilatOrs
worked mechanically, as well as for boilers and
pipes, per 100 Kilograms, 1892
'Ships, wood borGered. of which the frame
work and beams are wholly of iron or steel, shall
be considered as mixed vessels.
Art 9. As compensation for the charges i'm
posed on merchant shipping for the recruitment
and service of the navy, there Is accorded for
period of ten years from the prOmulgatiOn of the
present law, a bounty on nav cation to French
sailing ships and steamers The bounty applies
exclusively to 0ver-sea nav vigatiOn. 1t is fixed
per ton net measurement and per 900 miles run
at 20 cents for ships, new from the yard, and de-
creasing annually: T. cents for wooden vessels:
Il cents for mixed vessels cent for iron vessels.
"The bounty is increased - per cent for ships
built in France on plans previously approved Of
by the navy department. The number of miles
run is calculated between the point of depart
ure and the point Of arrival measured in direct
maritime line In case Of war, trading ships may
be requisitiOned by the State. The bounty is not
given to ships engaged in the greater or lesser
fisheries to the subsidized lines or pleasure navi-
CATION
Art. 10. Every captain of q ship receiving one
of the bounties fixed by article 9 of the present
law shall be bound to carry gratuitously the let
ter bags delivered by Or addressed to the post
office in accordance with the Consular DEGREES of
10 Germinal, A. Y. If an agent of the pOst-office
accompanies the mails he also shall be carried
gratis
\ few months subsequent to the passage of the
Act above referred to Prince Bismarck trans
mitted copy to the German Parliament, together
with a memorial recommending its serious con-
sideraton with view to the adoption of meas
ures by which the German merchant service
might be the better enabled to compete with the
flags of other nations. The memorial of the Ger
man Chancellor, to be found in reports of Con-
suls Of the United States for July Of the present
year contains many interesting statistics and
much other valuable information. In the course
of his remarks in analyzing the debate preceding
the adoption Of the French Shipping Act Prince
Bismarck says:
According TO all reports received an extraor-
dinarily increased activity has already manifested
itself in the slfipyards of important French ports
In like manner everything is being done on all
sides to establish lines or to enlarge and ex-
tend the existing ones A further consequence of
tute (the CredH toneier maritime de France with
a capital OF S4. .S25000 whose object is to give a
new impetus to ship building and the shipping
trade by granting loans to be amortized on ship
mortgages and bv other means
The system OF navi CATION bounties formed the
chief point of the entire debate upon the law and
it was on this question that the eXponents Of the
various theories as to the economic duties of the
State most distinctly assumed opposite sides. To
be sure there was a unanimous understanding on
all sides that something must be done for the
French merchant marine, and that this must ex-
ceed what is intended to be done by article of the
law in the way of bounties on ship building In
all of these arguments reference is made to the
necessity Of the revival Of the French merchant
marine for and by France.
"TIere is desire to prevent any diminution OF
the 400000000 to 50000O,0G0 of francs profit on
freights which the transport trade Of the French
merchant service annually yields and points to
the example of England. which with a shipping
of 100000 tons and with profit from freights
of about two milliards, can look calmly at the
deficits in the trade balance.
''Itis further complained that the French flag is
inadquately represented in distant waters, and
it is admitted that both French industry and
commerce from and with France suffer in conse-
quence, for the " Merchant Service" they say, is
the handmade of al industries, of agriculture and
commerce. On the day the freight hade is girea
ore to foreigners mortal bioW rW be dedH to all the
industries Of the country. II ,conM be an anomaly
from national Standpoint, to cede the h0ns-
p0t trade to industrial rirdls In choosing these
to export home products people expose themselves
to all kinds Of foul play, not only in competition
out also to adulteration Of goods. Protests are
made against considering the question of the mer-
chant service only from the merchants point of
view, or from the eSoistc point of view of the
shipping agent, who applies to a orei on flag for
the chance of an ephemeral profit. Members
were reminded that it was the merchant service
countries, and who created profitable relations
between France and those countries by their es-
shipping trades at home on the strength
of the connections they had formed abroad. The
shipping trade, it was argued, was not merely q
transport trade for the master of a vessel when
abroad if unable to oct a return freioht other