Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-03-22

This, the Tribune confesses, is ga strange
showing for nation fitted by nature to be
the chief maritime power of the world
Unquestionably able to build the finest class
of ships, famous for her originality IN the
models of vessels, and possessing an enor-
nous sea borne commerce, the United States
might be foremost In the carrying trade of
the world" There is abundant food for
the thoughtful in the figures presented
The cause of the decline Of our shipping is
fippantly charged to the effect of the last
war, by the protectionists, but these figures
show much greater annual decline during
the last four years than was experienced
during the seventeen years from 1850 to
1877, embracing the period OF the war. Mr..
Lauterbach, in the petition, referred to the
situation and its causes as follows:
ga sail around Manhattan Island would
show, with one or two exceptions, every
wharf crowded with shipping of every ma
ton in the world except that of America.
Debates in Congress have shown that taxa
tion was the chief and most potent cause of
the decay of American commerce. 1t is
true that other causes have also operated.
The capital required to be invested in ship
ping since the Introduction of from vessels is
so large that individuals can no longer
safely embark In this class of business. The
necessity for the formation Of corporations
for this purpose therefore exists. Under
Federal navigation laws the American flag
can only be floated over American built
bottoms. costing from twenty five to forty
| per cent. more than vessels of similar ton
mage built elsewhere. The American ship
is required to carry complement of twice
the number OF men carried upon foreign
| vessels OF equal tonnage. The consular
| fees and port duties exacted are double
those required by any other nation, and so are
pilotage and other similar fees. Under the
laws of the United States a foreign vessel
msy demand a clearance without carrying
| the mail. The American vessel must carry
| the mail for two cents letter irrespective
OF its weight, regardless of the distance to
which 1t is to be carried. or 1t will be refused
a clearance. The Federal Government fur
| nisbes no protection to American vessels,
neither do State or municipal governments.
| Beyond the privilege Of landing at New
| York, shared by foreign vessels, and for
which abundant compensation is given, no
| protection is required, demanded or afforded
| by the municipality, and yet up to last year,
| when relief was afforded, an American cor
| pnration was taxed whether It's business was
successful or unsuccessful, two and half
| per cent. upon the actual value of its capt.
| tai stock, while at the same time foreign
| competing lines were substantially untaxed.
| The result has been that American COM
| merce has perished, with the exception of
| the Pacific Mail and Cuban lines. Had the
| imposition of these taxes continued even
this remaining vestige of New York's former
| prosperity would have vanished"
This is certainly good argument in favor
| OF allowing the'action of last year to stand,
and 1t should be used with all its effective
| force in Congress, to the end that the perni-
cious legislation which has brought about
the present sad state of things may be re-
| versed. Great Britain and other maritime
powers chuckle at the inactivity of the
| Amerc can Government, which persists in
maintaining the conditions which have given
| to them eightY-three per cent OF the carry
| ing trade. There are millions of capital
| lying idle In this country, or seeking invest
ment at per cent. interest, which might
be profitably employed in ocean traffic were
| 1t not for the oppressive taxation and navi-
cation laws which initiate against It, An
o:her quotation of interest from an editorial
IN a Republican protection journal can
here be pertinently made. The
| Tribune, in the same article from
which a foregoing excerpts are taken,
saYs: ga large and increasing portion of
the vast sums Of money harvested by the
maritime nations yearly ought to be poured
into the Golfers Of the merchants of America
| The truth of the case is unfortunately lust
the reverse of this. The earnings OF the
| American ship owners in the foreign trade
grow smaller and smaller In the aggregate
every year. They are far less now than
they were in the days of small things before
the war. About $124, 600, 900 were earned
| iu the foreign carrying trade of this coun-
| try in 1880, and $116, ,000, 600 in 1881. 1t is
probable that in neither year did American
ship owners earn more than $20, COO, 900, a
| sum nNt more than large enough to pay
interest, repairs and depreciation, and re-
place their worn out vessels" The high
! tariff editor of the Tribune must be taking
a vacation, and In the meantime its readers
are receiving wholesome enlightenment on
the effect Of the evil policy which has so
long been advocated by that journal.