The Worthington advance., 1882-02-09
public money has been eJpendsd.e sl'hl,
garden appeas. TO- heluseiutdhly . g thing
Of beauty; :. and, Iii. that respect maaniy fo4
The R9rPose fnfn' sss tssa Aaxssfs = Z
~ "a, 4
: -. - --,-- ;. - 81. - - u
The Obscure cdass* !OsF' Naval Il, pc
: 80 -, - ''' ,''&''l r. ,cline,1a,F 70

In most oa the investigations which, have
:, been made into the causes Of hedecline Of
the American CONNIE eial marine the, COM com,
,,nenc ement Of the deead dsnoe is usually as
signed to the period Of the war; 1t is true
:. That q more, rapid faHing of ie
observable, sfro1n ~ that date. But
that is ALL that i, can be-, truth
'fnlly affirmed Id that connection. Accord,
ing to the Statistics Of the trShsury depart
ment 6. : per es4t, St pGr % total export and.
ts$s'a % ssi,3s 5SSe5 si es:a94' e 9S$e
year it WAS down to 41,ik4 Insl SGf TIE petf. 81
Jsa snd Hss ca %ety 'aS ankssed &C.
in Destroying our commerce.
At the close Of the var our mercantile
i II 1866 the psioeata4.;s, 4 Sc 'irp5rts.nI, az.
ports catried@in American Ships. bad gone
1910: wSeh ID peacsntage ,reacied s5:e' e.
But the old decay set. in again in che fol-
lowing year. and it began to run down; 90
rapid was the descent that. In 1880 oour ships
were only carrying 17'6 per cent. Of our to-
tai outward. hhd .jnward= bound traffic:
This is the story, mathemaft tcally stated 'of
our moi oantle, marine since the VAR. The
fact that tho decline continues after the
causes which apparently produccdxit have
partially Disappeared, ratlar suggests that
We have not yet laid hold. Of all Tho facts.
This view Of the scase Is still furthe:
strengthened by tho circumstances that the
decline was ia operation for long time
previously: 1t set in really. in 1927. IL
the preceding year our lnercantile marine
attained its greatest develo eloplnent: At that
date 81 5 per cent. Of the imports and ex-
ports of the country was transported III our
own ships. 80 ..'';
But in the following year the dry rot, 90
to speak. first declared ITSELF. A progres-
slve decline is then exhibited until 1859,
when the percentage had fallen TO 6G.o
we have here causes plainly to deal with.
apart altogether from those which are gen.
ally quoted in exclamation Of the phenom-
enon. The decline was steadily going on
the adoption Of the present tariff. The de-
cline in that period was equal to Is per
cent. Of the whole. The war and the tariff
aggravated the disease, Whateyer it wna. bui
It is plain from the figures above quoted
that they did not create it.. If there; had
been no war and the conditions had re-
manned unchanged, only about forty per
cent. OF oil. our trade would now be carried
in American ships, The difference be-
tween 40 per cent. and the figures in 1885,
VIZ, ~ per celi. lis alone to be set over
to that arrangement and it's consequences.
We will have to search for The main and
original causes elsewhere. They manifest
ed themselves in 1927 rs above set forth. II
no change he'd occurred they would have
brought our shipping to its present low
state some time in the nineties. No doubt
there is not one. but a whole group Of
causes at the seat OF trouble. Sailor law
yers and defective navigation laws have
something to do with the almost total dis
appearance Of our. flag from the high seas.
Some OF our consu1s lay great stress on that
TACT: Wages with us is generally higher
than is generally paid on foreign ships. But
ter :l! that, there are NV American sailors.
The sea appears TO have ,lost oil its attrso-
tlons FOR the adVcnturOus,l! The American
skipper and first officer for the most part
alone remain. -
This is q condition of things that ought
not to be allowed to continue:, It is q great
droin on the country to have to paY, cut
such vast sums in freight to foreign. .ves-
sells. That maEes 4 large hole in that bal.
anee Of trsde about which SO much pleas.
ant figuring has been done. In the second
place, the subsistence Of our shipping
places us at great disadvantage in case Of
war. (treat naval engagements decisive Of
the fate Of empires will never, perhaps,
:gairf be fought on the higd soas.' The old
tactics OF the weather gaugo" have, fallen
into deq1ietudc. Butthe is need for iron
ships, experienced seamen and engineers
for tho defense Of or attack on harbors.
and the breaking or maintaining OF. block
AIDES. With US the mercantile murine is to
supply the soldiers. We cannot in safety
allow the former to pass sway. F., :. :.