Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-11-21
American Shipping.

to sit during recess and inquire into the
causes of the decline of American ship
ping is now in session in New York,
and, on the same principle as that which
governed the Tariff Commission, is pre-
sumably endeayoring to ascertain some
remedy for the present unfortunate con-
dition of affairs. This is a most import
ant work, and if carried out in good
faith would command the gratitude and
commentator of the country. But
that the present Congress will not carry
ii out in good faith, and that this COM
mittee was only appointed to shirk the
whole question, just as the Tariff Com
mission was appointed as a pretext to
avoid the duty of tariff revision, is already
manifest.
This is proven by the fact that the
shipbuilding influence. which wants
more protection instead of relief to the
public, has taken possession of the com
mittee in the same way that our protect
ed Oliver Twists took possession of the
Commission. A Mr.. Potts. of Philadel-
phia, who is presumed to be working in
the interest of Mr.. John Roach, recently
appeared before the committee and pre-
sented his programme for a revival of
American shipping as follows:
First. Limit American registration to
American built ships, as at present.
Second. Instead of combining national
aid, in case of iron steamships, to except.
ing foreign shipbuilding materials from
duties, provide the larger and more
searching remedy hereafter named.
Third. Provide for the payment of
certain rates Of compensation to all
American built iron steamships launched
prior to January s, 1898, whose majority
interest is owned by American citizens
or by American corporations, or whose
conditions comply with the other re
| quirements suggested hereafter.
Fourth Such vessels, in order to be
come or remain entitled to such pay
ment, should be able to carry at least
900 tons OF cargo. Their officers
should be American citizens. They
should be engaged in the foreign ocean
carrying trade.
Fifth. The payment should be based
upon actual commercial service per
formed, and when the service ceases the
payment should stop.
Sixth. The payment should be large
in the beginning, and should be gradually
reduced from year to year, until 1t ceases
| altogether.
Seventh. The unit of service upon
which service should be based should be
each one hundred miles run, rating only
The direct distance between points.
| Eighth. The sum to be paid per unit
/ of service should be determined only
after careful consideration. 1t may
| however, be mentioned that the French
| Government has recently fixed upon
figures which would in the first veal
| give a total compensation somewhat il
excess of thirty cents for. each one
hundred miles.
These, it will be seen. are the identical
tactics of the protected barons. They
/ did not want the Tariff Commission tc
| report in favor of a revenue tariff, any
more than the Eastern shipbuilder desires
the true remedy for revival of Ameri
can shipping on the high seas-the
power to purchase ships where they car
be procured the cheapest, and the reno
val of the present prohibitOry duties or
articles which enter into the construction
# ships so that they may be built here
rs cheaply as anywhere else in the worlC
Ito be applied. They want none Of
these things. but rather, on the contrary
they demand more protection on ship
/ builders articles, and more rigid naviga
ton laws, so that the American ship
owner viii be forced to purchase from
them at their own prices. Besides this
also, they want the public to be still
heavily taxed for their benefit, and tina
our shipping may be artifcially stimula
ted by subsidies to be voted from tn,
Federal Treasury.
This is protectionism all over. Evi
IDENTIFY, Mr.. Roach and the other protect
ed American ship builders are perfect,
Indifferent regarding the prosperity o
our merchant marine if they canno
control the lion Is share of that prosperity
Indeed, it is plainly evident that unless
they can manage to secure a continuance
OF the present Republican system of navi
cation and ship-building legislation
which has already well nigh entirely
driven the American flag from the seas
they are perfectly willing to see our car
rying trade wholly destroyed. All they
seem to care about is, as contemporary
tersely expresses it, "tO swindle tht
people out of their money, after robbinl
them of their commerce. This is The
wholee situation in a nut shell, and i
adds another important factor to thu
mission of the Democracy. Our decayeC
shipping interests unite with public
overburdened with high tariff and un
necessary internal revenue taxation il
loudly demanding reform.