The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-04-27

all the owners is limited to the value or the
vessel at the time of the accident. Ii we are to
compete with England on the ocean, We must
hasten to modify our laws, as England did
some time ago, so as to impose no necessary
burdens on the American ship-owner.
IL. American vessels engaged in the foreign
carrying trade, are unJustly discriminated
against in the compensation awarded them Tor
transporting the mails. Our domestic mails
are carried by coast and river steamers, rail-
roads and other carriers at rates OF compensa-
ton fixed by contract, satisfactory TO the car
rier and always profitable. On the otner hand,
our foreign mails are carried by our ships
under compulsion of law, at inadequate rates
arbitrarily fixed by Government, and which
never exceed the postage on the matter car
ried. The pay for the former In 1850, aver
aged 81 IL cents per mile; that OF the latter
only IL cents per mile.
While England, yes, free trade England, Is
encouraging her foreign steamship lines Dy
Generous appropriations for carrying the mails
so generous that they are practically subsi-
dies-we are refusing 40 pay ours enough 10
defray the actual costs.
Is this one of the protective props" refer
red to By the gentleman from Tennessee!
IL. But it is the important item OF taxation,
under State authority, that American snlpplng
engaged in the foreign carrying trade, Is most
seriously weighted in competing with English
vessels The English system Oh taxing income
and not invested capital, makes taxation pear
lightly on shipping, and acts as bounty 10
English commerce. An Engnsh steamship
worth $500 600, and earning seven per cent or
S35, 600, annually, pays an income tax OF per
cent or only $3.50. The same steamship, own
ed by an American residing in an American
CITY, would be taxed 2 per cent on its value, or
$4,000. Excess of American over English tax
on such a steamship, $6,500-and that, too,
when taxation per capita is greater IN England
than in this country. 1t is gratifying To note
that one or two States have already taken hold
of this matter of taxation and afforded relief.
LII Iixr ha mn rnax
congratulate ourselves that we have at least
given one protective prop" to our shipping
interests.
The points to which have called attention
are all directions in which we are neglecting
to extend the protection and encouragement
which free-trade England is extending to her
shipping interests. Gentlemen who imagine
that England is leaving her merchant marine
to struggle for commercial supremacy unalded
and unprotected, make great mistake, great
or even than that which they make when
they assume that we have devised protective
props for our shipping interests. The govern
ment of England, and more recently OF France
and Germany, have taken hold OF the shipping
question as vital to their national prosperity,
and have extended to their marine engaged in
the foreign carrying trade most liberal aid.
Among other measures of encouragement to
iron ship-building, at a time when We were
handicapped by civil war; England gave the
construction of threesfourths OF the war vessels
and marine engines required by her navy, to
private ship-yards at profitable rates. From
1874 to 1879, England paid over SOC, 600, 600 to
these ship yards fer the construction aud re-
pair OF her naval vessels.
Finding that it was necessary to locate her
iron ship-yards near her coal fields and iron
mines, the English government paid by a re-
mittance of tonnage dues the 10000, 600 re-
quired to dredge and widen the Clyde, SO that
this inconsiderable stream might become the
site Of the great ship yards of the world.
And, most important OF all, England sgave
her foreign steamship lines contracts for carry
ing the mails at fabulous rates, equivalent to
an annual subsidy of between 100000 and
Sc, 000, 000
Beyond this direct encouragement and pro-
lection England has established a Board of
Trade, whose President is a member of the
Cabinet, charged with the special duty OF de-
vising ways sand means to aid hsr merchant
marine and commerce. Under the advice OF
the Board of Trade, Parliament has so modif-
ed the English navigation laws az to form
complete system of protection and encourage
ment, the farthest possible from the "let alone
policy advocated by our free trade doctrinQlreSss
On the other hand, the navigation laws OF
the United States remain substantially 80 they
existed before England entered upon such COM
prehensivo measures to extend her foreign
commerce, and increase her foreign carrying
trade Instead of encouraging, we continue the
imposition of old burdens, which have become
discriminating in the changed condition Of
ocean commerce. While we have created spec
ial departments or bureaus to take in charge
most other national interests, our commercial
marine, especially that engaged in the foreign
carrying trade, is left to take care of itself in
competition with the merchant marine OF Eng
land, encouraged, protected, and made the
special care of the British government.
Under such circumstances, 1t is surprise
that our unprotected and neglected marine en-
gagged in foreign commerce, have maintained
their position as we'll as they have
Obviously, the only measures OF relief that
can overcome the difficulties encountered by
American shipping, are not free slips and an
abandonment of ours ship yards. That would
be suicide But resolute maintenance OF our
ship-buildipg interests as the basis OF CONNER
cial prosperity, and then the same means OF
relief and announcement in the running OF
American vessels that England sextends to her
foreign shipping.
The efforts of England to control tho ocean
carrying trade, ought to arouse the American
Congress and people to the Importance OF our
shipping interests. This is a question which
affects the interior as much as the seaboara,
the West as much as the East, the South as
much as the North. 1t is not local, but q
National question.
1t involves the inquiry as to whether we will
save to our own people the ship-buliding INDUS
try which employs tens of thousands OF work
men and distributes millions of dsllars; whsth-
er we shall retain due share of the $lOO,OO0,-
600, which we annually pay for ocean transport
tation, with all the avenues OF employment
which IL would OpGui WHobu6r VIZ 6hdli Opou
up wider markets for American products in
China, Japan, South America and the Orient
1t covers more than the material interests OF
the nation, great as these are,a IL involves
questions affecting our commercial 1ndepend-
ence; our standing and influence as nation;
and even our national security. No nation
ever maintained its national Importance after
it ceased to be great commercial nation.
To-day our commerce is largely dependen
on foreign ships; so dependent that war IN
Europe would be more disastrous to Us than to
the belligerents themselves.
The eyes of the country are turned to the de-
fenseless condition of our coasts in conse-
quence of the weakness of our navy; for it is an
accepted military axiom that whatever nations
command the ocean, viii command the coasts
of countries adjacent. But powerful navy is
the offspring of great merchant marine.
Look over the nations of the world, and it Will
be found that navies rise and fall with their
merchant marine. Great navies, it has been
we'll said, are never built in navy yards. The
United States have eight navy yards, and
almost no navy England has only three navy
yards, and the strongest navy III the world.
Only 10 per cent. of her vessels and marine
cent. in private shipyards. The fleet OF Eng
lish merchant iron steamships, subject to gov
eminent orders in case of war, in return for
the aid they receive, is in itself an effective
naval force. The development OF our mer-
chant marine, is the cheapest, most effective,
and most bene6cent policy of national de-
tense.
Mr.. Chairman: Important as are many
other questions before this Congress, hold
that not one of them is of greater Importance,
and of more far reaching consequences than
this. We are already Republic of more than
fifty millions, and increasing in population and
wealth at rate never before known in the
history of any other nation. In 1890 oar popu-
lation will reach 650000O0, and in 1910 it will
reach 100, 600, 600. provided we are true to our
selves and our destiny. But unless all history
is misleading, we cannot hope to retain our
present advantages, or to extend our prestige
as nation, unless by an efficient system OF
protection and encouragement, we hold and
strengthen our position on the sea, as we have
on the land. AS has been well said, the throne
of empire rests no less on the rocking waves
than on the solid land.
n