The Republican journal., 1881-05-26
The Shipping Interest.

exemption of vessels engaged in the for
eign trade from local taxation. 1t may
be mentioned here that, after mature
consideration, and with the unanimous
approval of the newspapers, the Legisla-
lures Of New York and Massachusetts
have enacted laws for the relief of the
shipping interests Of those States. In
New York vessels engaged in the foreign
trade are relieved from local taxation for
fifteen years, and in Massachusetts tax
upon net earnings is substituted for a val
uation tax. Whether the Judgment of
the Legislatures of these great States and
the opinions of their leading newspapers
are counterbalanced, or not, by the pro-
found wisdom of the politico- economist
of the Progressive Age we leave for the
intelligent reader to determine.
The difficulty with the Age appears to
be that it cannot divest itself of its party
spectacles, even when question is to be
considered which has nothing whatever
to do with politics. 1t is enough that Nh
Blaine, or Mr.. Hale. or MI Frye favor a
measure, for the Age to oppose it. HAY
ing upset his own porridge dish, the edit
or Of the Age would like to have the
people generally go hungry with him.
On question vitality affecting the ship
building and ship owning interests of
Maine, the Age took sides with Senator
Beck, a Scotchman from Kentucky, rather
than with Senator Blaine. the defender
OF local industry. Now it is opposing
the idea Of relieving shipping from local
taxation, apparently because Secretary
Blaine has written n letter in favor of it,
The Age processes to be quite content
with the present condition of affairs. To
the statement that the foreign carrying
trade is already to Il large extent in the
hands of foreigners, it complacently adds,
"and yet nothing very bad is happening"
Oh no. only deserted ship yards, unem-
ployed carpenters, Triggers, painters and
saimakers; ships ahoat running their
owners in debt, and these owners, not as
the Age says 'the rich class as a general
thing" but composed of all classes, and
profits or losses affecting whole commu-
mites tavorably or unfayorably. Cheer
fully remarks the Age also that, ''thc old
fashioned ship carpenters trade is about
at an end" If the Age has any cold
fashioned ship carpenters among its
readers it is to be hoped they will not be
deluded by this statement into going Oft
some where to die with the idea that their
days Of usefulness are over.
There is nothing to be said in favor of
unequal taxation, as an abstract princi-
pie: but practically it is often wise and
proper and results in general good. For
example, suppose that certain capitalists
should propose to erect in this city a cot
ton factory which would give employment
to two Or three hundred hands, provided
the company were exempted from taxa
ton for term of say ten years Aside
from the employment furnished in build
ing the factory, the bringing here of Il
large number OF operatives would neces-
state the erection of dwellings for their
accommodation and enhance the value of
real estate, to say nothing of increasing
the business of local dealers and the larger
market for our producers such an enter
prise would create. The city would Ger
tainly be greatly benefited by such 4
policy, us other places have been; for this
is not a theoretical proposition but one
that has often been put to the test The
action of New York and Massachusetts
has, however, given a different phase to
the question OF eXemptipg Maine shipping
engaged in the foreign trade from taxa
ton. The Age says that if such law
were enacted, ''the shore and river cities
and towns which are nearly all burthencd
heavily with debt, would lose for the pur-
pose of taxation large amount of taxable
property, and the loss in taxes would
have to be made up by other taxable
property" The fact is, that whether
Maine passes such Il law or not it will
lose the taxes upon this class of property,
for our shipping will inevitably be trans
ferred to ports in New York and Massa-
chusetts, and their large owners will
eventually follow, taking with them other
taxable property, and the State will also
suffer the loss of valuable citizens And
this result, it may be said, was one of the
motives which influenced the enactment
of these laws by our sister states. Maine,
for self protection, if for no other reason,
must take similar action
The Age finds nothing TO commend in
any one Of the proposed measures for the
relief Of our shipping interest 1t says
the proposed policy of exemption if
adopted would do little or nothing to win
back the carrying trade; nor would it
help the building of wooden sailing yes
sells" If we are ever to recover our share
OF the carrying trade, it says it "Will not
be by retaining our old navigation laws,
nor by retaining our present prohibltory
tariff; nor by taxing the people to pay
subsidies. The recovery, if it is to be
brought about at all, must be through a
different policy Would it be too much
to ask of the Age what that policy is /?
1t is pity that such valuable information
should be withheld from an impatient and
eXpectant public.
The Progressive Age says the reslgna-
ton of Conkling and Platt "leayes the
Senate in the control Of the Democrats,
and the probabilities are that they will
at Oncp ,,rocaad tn alact tba Ganota off;