Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-11-25
Give Us Free Ships.

The Congressional committee having in
charge the inquiry as to the causes of the
decline of American ocean commerce met
recently in New York and heard variety
of testimony from shipping merchants,
importers, shipbuilders and others bearing
upon the subject. Much of the testimony
was a repetition of the stereOtyped wall
that the greatest blows to our ocean COM
merce were dealt by the Confederate
cruisers.
. 1t has been shown over and over again
that, other things being equal, our foreign
commerce could have readily recuperated
from whatever hurt it received at the
hands of the few Confederate cruisers,
had not our legislative distractions stood
in the way gifts recovery. Many of the wit
nesses had the good sense to point out the
force of these observations and succeeded
i'm convincing the committee that they
should be removed.
Accordingly the committee have unani-
mously agreed that a subcommittee be
empowered to draft bill and report pro-
viding for and recommending the abolition
of all legislative impediments that stand
in the way of revival of our ocean ma
rine, with the exception of that which
prohibits foreign built vessel receiving
an American register. This involving, as
as it does, the question of free ships, was
reserved until the adjourned meeting of
the committee early in December.
The progress thus made by the commit
tee in the right direction is remarkable,
,,,d ,,-oa ,,ox-or oDtioiDatpd nv tho most
sanguine friends Of a free merchant ma
rine, but it has gone only half way. There
is no reason why the few prOprietOrs of
American shipyards should have a mo-
nopOly Of the construction of ocean vessels.
The main impeachment to the growth
of our foreign commerce is the prohibition
of an American register to a foreign built
vessel, and until this senseless provision
is stricken from our statute books, our
shipping interests will decline pretty
much as they have declined for the past
two decades. A wealth of profit is an
nually made by foreign nations en-
gagged in the carrying trade, on
the transportation of our ocean
freights, simply because Americans are
compelled to pay for American built ships
the added cost Of construction permitted
by the tariff ON the materials that COM
pose them and the prohibition of foreign
built vessels from American registry.
The time has come for manly and sensi-
Bile action in the premises. This great cOun-
try, with its immense coast line, wonderful
resources and countless needs, should rule
the seas, and all that is needed to make
her mistress of the ocean is broad gauge
craftsmanship. The time has come for
legislation in the interest of the whole
people, and particularly in this matter of
free ships.
John Roach, the king Of American ship
builders, and others of his class claim
that ships can be built as cheaply here as
in Europe. So they can, all things being
equal, and our merchants who would own
ships would like to try the experiment.
Let them have the opportunity to do so,
and, if Mr.. Roach and his brethren are
correct, so much the better.
The government was founded by the
people for the people, and every law upon
its statute books should bear witness to
this fundamental fact. The American
sailor in times past, by his enterprise and
daring. evoked the admiration of the world.
A wise solution of the problem of restOr-
ing our ocean commerce will win for him
again his former renOwn. There is but
one sOlutiOn-free ships.