The Republican journal., 1882-11-23

Friday Congressman Cox submitted prize
essay by 1t. Kelley, |. : A.. on 'Our MGR
chant Marin" and the Causes of lis Decline"
Mr.. Kelley suggested that the decadence is due
either to the substitution of steam for sails the
Use Of iron instead Of wood in shipbuilding, the
nonsubsidizing of American lines. navigation
laws or special Government and State restric-
lions. John If. kimball of Bath. Maine. spoke
about the evils of advance pay He also thought
the "slop chest" carried on vessels could be
abolished if the laws governing sailors board
ing houses We're repealed. Capt. j. NJ. Whit
more, Of Bath, recommended doing away with
advance money and believed in the good treat
ment of men. VIM. Rogers, of Bath, explain
ed the injury of advanced pay and urged its
adjustment. He said under that system it
was almost impossible for vessel to leave
this port with sober crew. ID. ). Osborn.
said blood money was being constantly violat-
ed. He thought if captains would run the
pennant TO the mainmast as they did years ago
when they needed men this present abuse
would be done away with. Capt. John Cod
man wanted the navigation laws repealed. and
free ships-of course: and he denounced our
consular system as dsgraccful. James Parker
of the American Shipmasters Association adj
Nocated the enactment of laws which would
admit all ships. 30 matter where built, to the
United States registry free of duty, and the adj
mission of material for shipbuidng free of
duty Robt. W. Lord, of Boston, attributed
the decline of American shipping to the fact
that persons put money in western railroads in
H. ,ll Il,
the navigation laws SO that ships could be pur-
chased in foreign ports for the American trade,
but duty should be placed on such ships
At Saturdays session Shipping Commission
er Duncan, of New York, spoke of the prosper
ity of our merchant marine in the decades Of
$4,000, and its causes, which were, he said, a
discriminating duty Of 10 per cent. in favor of
all imports in American bottoms. The war of
the rebellion was the beginning OF the misfort-
unes of the shipping industry. From about
1861 to 1866 we had gained in steam tonnage
11G,5OS tons, OF about one-ffth of our registered
sailing tonnage; and between eight and nine
per cent. of our enrolled tonnage had been lost.
In the aggregate we had lost nearly of our
entire merchant marine during the war. The
| tonnage we had then lost had been more than
replaced by foreign vessels, chiefly British. AS
to the remedy, he said the subject of discrimin-
ating duty should be carefully considered; all
material of every kind used in the construction
of ships, wooden work or steel, should be
| available to builders free of duty; statutes
| should be amended so as to include cables
anchors, iron and steel plates, sheathing, met
al, and wire rigging and exclude the restriction
as to foreign trade and foreign voyages, there
by putting coasting and foreign going vessels
OH the same footing
Capt q. NJ. Mumford of Brooklyn, the next
witness, presented the following long list of
remedies to arrest the decline of our shipping:
l. Cancel all reciprocal treaties that conflict
with our shipping interests in the foreign car
| rying trade.
.. Repeal all acts allowing three months
| extra pay to seamen when sick.
B. Reduce our consular fees
4. Allow all anchors, chains, wire, rigging
and canvas, and stores for ships to be taken
| out of bond for vessels employed in the foreign
| trade: also for vessels employed between our
| Atlantic and Pacific ports.
| .. Repeal all laws for carrying the mails for
! sea postage, and pay for doing by the scale
| paid railroads on shore.
| 6. Pass laws compelling every ship employed
in the foreign trade TO carry one apprentice for
every 300 tons register: in the coasting trade,
| one apprentice for every 800 tons register
| They should receive no bounty from the govern
| ment. A law of this kind will in the course of
| few years give us American seamen for our
| mercantile marine and our future navy if the
reciprocal treaties are cancelled.