The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1882-12-22
OUR MERCHANT MARINE.
Majority Report of the Joint Committee o
Congress-The Action Urged Upon
Congress.

congress-.
Washington, Dec 1.-THE majority re-
port of the joint COMMITTEES to inquire into
the condition and wants Of American ship
building and ship owning interests, and to
investigate the causes of the decline of the
American foreign carrying trade, was COM
pleted yesterday, and is very exhaustive on
the subject In considering what remedies
for the prostrate condition of our carrying
| trade are within the reach of legislation. it
is obvious that the difficulty of the problem
is greatly increased by the fact that Eng
land has more than quarter of a century s
start of us in working out her comprehen-
sive and ingenious policy of building up her
merchant marine employed IN the foreign
trade, since iron and steel began to revolu-
tionize transportation. However wise may
be any plan of relief and for its encourage
ment, it is obvious the revival will be slow,
| but the stake is SO great in it's economical
aspects and so vital to our national growth
and safety tn 1t no effort should be spared to
| accomplish the end which congress had in
| view when this Investigation was ordered.
| The committee states: 'tIn endeavoring
to devise policy which will build up the
iron building industry in the United
States and supply our ship owners with
| such vessels as they may want for the for.
| eign trade at cost no greater than the cost
of vessels run by their competitors, your
committee have found more or less differ.
euce of opinion among ourselves as to what
would be the wisest and most efficient plan.
Feeling the grave importance of earnest
effort to provide readily for the decadence
of the
| AMERICAN CARRYING TRADE.
| And recognizing that there must be some
Welding of personal views if anything is tc
he done, your committee, without waving
tho ;n,,i.idual right of any member to favor
.dd;t;ona, remedies, have united in rec
ommending The adoption by congress Of ths
fo,,ow;no nlan. When any vessel, whether
steam or sail, shall be constructed ane
equipped in the United, States for the Tor
eign trade, including trad. between Atian'i'
| and Pacific coast ports of the on'ted states
| in whole or in part of materials OF procuc
ton of the United States, the owner o
owners of sseh vessel shall be entir.ied q
receive and collect from the United Stat,es
drawback OF sum equal in amount to thu
duty which would have been collected upon
imported materials of like description and
Of equal quality with the American mater
Eials used in construction and equipment o
engines, boilers and other appurtanances O
such steam or sail vessel, provided that IL
ascertaining such drawback duties on sucf
iron or steel materials shall be computed OF
iron and steel advanced in manufacture no
4 beyond the point of plates, angles bars ant
rods; and provided further, that this secsdor
shall apply only to vessels commencinl
after the passage of this act.
For the purpose of Illustrating wha
would be the practical working of the fore
going plan, we have obtained from the Del
aware river iron ship-building and. engin
works
/ SCHEDULE OF MATERIALS
iActually used in constructing two frst-elas