The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1881-08-18
Name Ship owners' and ShIp-masters' As
ISOLATION.

IN organization has been formed in
Maine under the title of the Maine Ship
owners and Ship-masters' Association.
Its objects are, the protection of the in
terests of ship-owners and ship masters,
and the advancement OF the shipping in
dustry Of this country. Most, if not all,
the members are practical men, engaged
III the business Of ship-owning and ship
building. They perceive that their in
dustry is rapidly declining, despite the
various remedies suggested to help its re-
cOyery. Many Of the members of the As
ISOLATION were among the men who at one
time placed the United States alongside
o1 England upon the ocean with the pros
pect OF securing the lead for their own
country. They drank the cup of success.
They plucked the blossom of prosperity
from the tree OF enterprise. But now
they are in adversty The English iron
steamship builder has supplanted the
Maine wooden ship builder as an ocean
carrier. The Engllshman saw the Ameri-
can wrestling from the supremacy Of what
he considered his own domain and aWoke
at once to his own peril and won back his
place. Iron and steam were the chief
means which he used to accomplish this
end. But if we inquire further, it will
be found that English ship-owners also
Joined and worked as a united body
They complained Of burdens, taxes and
restrictions and worked together until
they We're relieved Of them. The Ameri-
can ship-owners only made spasmodic
efforts, and then not as a united body.
The English government respected the
pleas Of English ship-0Wners and helped
them by removing bad legislation. The
American government gave little heed to
American ship-owners, for they never
presented themselves us one body de-
handing relief In organization, there
fore, will be found one cause of British
success. 1t is the means which our own
people have neglected.
If British ship-owners and ship build
ers had remained apart from each other
as ours have done, they would not have
been quite SO successful. The Maine
shipping men have therefore done wisely
in forming an Association. They should
have done this long ago, but now that the
organization is completed, they will find
that they will accomplish more toward
furthering the interest of their industry,
and that their requests will be treated
with greater respect than if they trusted
to individual efforts and occasional CON
ventlons The shipping interests of Maine
VIII then present Il stronger and holder
front through their Association. When all
the advantages OF organization and well
directed concentrated movement are con
sdered, it is the most strange that New
England shipping men have so long neg
lected to embrace them Yet it is but
three or four years since the formation of
the New England Ship owners Associa-
ton, and now comes the present Associa-
ton in Maine. 1t is certain that had these
Associations been organized twenty-five
years ago, our shipping would not have
been IN such bad stralghtS as it is to- day.
The Association would have sought out
the causes of its decline, and having
found them, would have worked ener-
getlcally to compel the use of whatever
means of relief were deemed the best.
The English took advantage of organized
efforts in support of this industry Local
Associations were formed where shipping
subjects were discussed and digested. The
results of these deliberations were placed
before the larger Associations and the
Chamber Of Shipping.
Through all these they had the benefits
arising from intelligent and thoughtful
review by ship-Owners, masters and build
ers, and they were presented for the ac-
ton of the government or of the whole
industry, supported 10y Il large and in
tuential body. Here, all such means
were greatly neglected. There was no
head and no influence, and by conse-
quence, little attention was attracted
The chief impression produced was one
of feeble effort on the part of shipping
people with no reason given for expect
ing help from outside sources. The in
terests of shipping have therefore been
neglected here and laws and burdens
which prevent our vessels from compet-
ing successfully with foreign vessels yet
remain.
The formation of the New England AS
ISOLATION gave promise that this would be
changed and that that organization would
work for the protection of the interests
its members represented. The formation
of the Maine Association adds to these
hopes. If that Association enters the field
in the right spirit it can accomplish a
great deal of good. If it keeps an ap-
pearance of organization and neglects to
carry out its mission, it might never have
been formed, for it will then be in the way
of more useful bodies. The ambition of