National Republican., 1883-03-02
THE SHIPPING BILL.
A Few Facts and Figures Relative 10 the
Carrying Trade Of the Country.
EngIand's Iron ships and the Policy of
Granting Subsidies.
10 ho Ednor.

The member Of congress who has failed TO
discern the fact that the heart of the Ameri-
can people is set upon having such legislation
at the present session of congress as will tend
to encourage the great industry of American
shipbuilding, and build up the American
foreign carrying trade, betrays an Ignorance
Of popular feeling incompatible with the
position he holds, and want Of knowledge
as TO the nations requirements, which is not
only inexcusable but censurable. From
every section of the country the demand has
been made to tho American congress to re-
move the burden imposed upon the merchant
marine by existing laws, and to adopt such
legislation as will give back to the nation its
former prestige as nation Of shipbuilders,
whose vessels were seen in every port all over
the world. Will congress before this session
closes accede to this demand2
While it is admitted that our foreign COM
merce has steadily increased and that the
value of our exports and imports the last
fiscal year was seven times as much as IL was
In 1855 and moro than twice as much rs it
was in 1860 yet Is it not humiliating TO know
that the share Of these exports and imports
carried in American vessels has decreased
from $50 per cent. in 1910 TO 1876 per cent in
1882 Between 1870 and 1875 the share of
the foreign carrying trade controlled by
tween 1876 and 1880 the decline was 81 per
cent, and in the past two years It has been
10 per cent. Now the causes for this de-
cline are plain and obvious. The ocean
carrying trade for years was carried on ex-
clusively In wooden vessels, and until 1860 the
nation held o proud and enviable position,
when our total foreign carrying trade
S437, 100000 was carried in American bottoms
against $16O,057,00 in foreign ships; but
our civil war came and our great rival,
England, took advantage Of the opportunity,
and commenced tho work of introducing iron
steamships provided ample mail compensa-
tien for the purpose of establishing and main
tanning steamship lines encouraged private
enterprise and thus she obtained position
which she has ever since held and which has
from year to year been growing in strength,
until now she may bo said to control the sea.
Our civil war engrOssed our energies !;
paralyzed our commerce and swept from
the ocean moro than one third of
all the doep sea tonnage which we possessed
at the opening of the struggle. lnaction on
the part Of our government followed the tor
mination Of the war; iron and steam in the
meantime revolutionizing ocean transporta-
tion, until to-day they command the trade of
the north Atlantic. Admitted, rs it is, that
our nation can to-day build frst-class wooden
sailing vessels as cheaply as they can be built
elsewhere, as We did before the war, yet this
fact has not fully impressed itself upon our
people and legislators viz, that "if we are to
revive our foreign carrying trade aud assume
the place on the ocean to which we are en-
titled, we must make it feasible to build the
kind of vessels required for the foreign trade
so that they will cost our shipowners
no more than the cost our foreign competitors;
for experience shows that no nation can gain
or permanently hold q strong position on the
ocean unless it builds its own ships but more
a Nyn m m N IN
sail them as efficiently and cheaply as our
rivals do. How long will the American con-
gress be blind to the interests of the people in
this matter? But few weeks ago, viz, tho
week ending Feb. 10, forty-seven steamships
sailed from the port Of New York for foreign
ports, and of these, thirty were under the
British flag, the tonnage being "a, 461 tons
French flag two, 6,S6S tons; American flag,
four, 4,S27 tons; the remainder under the flags
of other foreign nations. Allowing each of the
vessels to carry on an average one-third more
than their registered tonnage, their cargOes
would foot up over 125, 900 tons, Of which but
6000 tons were carried in American bottoms.
of these thirty-seven vessels were bound to
European and continental ports, while none
Of them carried The American flag. Occurrences
like these happen weekly. The question is,
Is there no remedy2
Here let it be noted that with England's
introduction Of iron steamers she adopted
the policy of granting subsidies. When the
Cunard line was started, while tho four ves-
sells did not cost over 100000 each TO build
them yet he was given the contract for the
mail service Of $4,000 $4,000 per round
trip the first year, which amount was in
creased to $5500O0 the next year, or 20 per
cent. per annum on the whole cost of the
ships This subsidy was again increased to
S705,666 when two more ships were put on,
and still remaining at 20 per cent. ON tho
capital invested. The Oriental Steamship
company to the East Indies the Royal Mail
Steamship company, and the Pacific Steam
Navigation company each received a contract
for the postal service, and on these four lines
sum total of 5,523, ,666 per annum was paid for
postal service to foreign countries. This
policy has been continued until tho present
time, so that from 1887 to 1850, $500, ,000,0 900
for mail service on the ocean was paid to en-
courage English capital and aid that nation in
driving the ships Of other nations out of the
trade. These are facts which admit of no de-
NAL They have been fully proven before the
Joint select committee of the senate and house
of representatives to inquire into the wants of
American shipbuilding and shipowning in
terosts, and to investigate the causes of tn
decline of the American foreign carrying
trade. As result of the deliberations of
the house and passed which undoubt-
edly is step in advance for the
encouragement Of American shipbuilding
and the fostering of our ocean-carrying trade,
This bill, known as the Dingley shipping bill,
removes q number of the burdens under
which the merchant marine has for many
years suffered by force of existing laws and
places advantages in the way of American
shipbuilders which they have not hitherto
had. Its provisions in regard to the shipment
aud discharge of seamen are of q highly
favorable character. 1t abolishes consular
foes, lessons tho assessment of seamen en-
gagged in the foreign-carrying trade, also the
liability of shipowners and allows q draw
back to vessels built in the United States for
foreign account wholly or partly of foreign
material on which import duties have been
paid, equal in amount to the duty SO paid on
such materials.
The senate committee on commerce have
reported favOrably upon this BILL merely
striking out the section delegating to
collectors Of ports the duties now per-
formed by the shipping commissioners, but
adding highly important section which will
weet with the cordial appeal of the whole
American people, viz: /. Authorizing the
postmaster general to contract for the car
riage of the mails in ocean steamships of
American register, providing that he shall
pay not exceeding 81 per mile for such
service, and providing the gross amount
to be paid for such service shall not
exceed Sl500,000 per annum, the con-
tract to be awarded to the lowest bidder,
regardless of the size Of the vessel, only pro-
vided that the vessel is Of American register,
aud owned and run by Americans, pro-
vision Is also made In the same section that
drawback equal to the amount of the duty shall
be allowed on all foreign materials imported
and used in the construction or repair of
American VpgselS. This section Ia a depidad